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Ecological horticulturist Rebecca McMackin has found success increasing biodiversity in the most unlikely of places - the parched concrete of derelict shipping piers in New York City. "Most gardeners try to maintain these clean, sterile environments that are the exact opposite of what wildlife wants. The more we can stop being tidy the more wildness we can bring into our gardens and landscapes, the better habitat we provide" says Rebecca. "All it takes is a pot on your stoop to make a difference". Watch her powerful TED Talk below.
For more, check out this story about one man in Canada, Wolf Ruck, who is rewilding his garden amidst efforts by the Ecological Design Lab to help local governments update their gardening bylaws to support biodiversity. Read the full story here. |
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Later on, she got an invitation she couldn’t refuse to “come and see” the suffering in South Sudan. She accepted, and that experience and invitation led to many more invitations to invite people into her life, “into that connectedness that I now know is so incredibly central.” In a short video, she gives examples of interactions that were not transactional but relational, especially an unforgettably moving one about the generosity of someone begging for alms. Sister Marilyn focuses on invitations as opposed to information such that when someone asks her where she lives, she says, “Come and see.” She realizes now that human relations might just be her field after all. [Watch (or read) more here...] |
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Peace Pole, London Retreat, and More Ripples...
Nearly 70 years ago, Masami Saionji found her calling: use the power of prayer to heal yourself, and the world. From that calling, ripples of peace and compassion have flowed outward. One of the first projects Masami started was planting of peace poles – a physical pole, with “May Peace Prevail on Earth” inscribed on all four sides. Last month, some "It takes all our diverse expressions of oneness to create a thriving world ... It takes everyone’s divine spark". (Read more about Masami's amazing work and its continuation today here.) For more inspiration, watch this brief video of highlights, including the planting of a peace pole, during a special Awakin Retreat in Surrey (England) last year.
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Avidya is the defining of a self which is not the self; with happiness in what is actually suffering; with purity in what is really impurity; and permanence in what is really impermanent. Avidya perfectly describes the nature of a survival language. A survival language is steeped in avidya. As long as who I am, is defined by such a language, I remain the victim of an endless vicious circle. The question is — why would we choose a language which keeps us in perpetual self-judgment. The fact is that we never chose the language. It has always been around, and as children, we were given no other options. As long as we do not consciously redesign the way we use language, we remain at the effect of the past, conditioned by the very language of the past to repeat the patterns of the past, again and again. The single most outstanding difference ... [Read more] Seed questions for reflection: How do you relate to the notion of the difference between survival and sacred language? Can you share a personal experience of a time you consciously redesigned how you used language? What helps you become aware of the kind of language you are using? |
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In a special talk, storyteller and author Wakanyi Hoffman illustrates personal expressions of ubuntu through her daughter's graduation, a friend's traditional wedding dress that travelled from Kenya to the Netherlands to Japan. Through a tapestry of stories, Hoffman discerns the difference between detachment and disconnection, and the possibilities that unfold when we choose to prefer love. Echoing Maya Angelou, who stated, "I come as one but I stand as ten thousand," Hoffman notes, "I come here as one, but I am one ... of ten thousand ancestors who have made so many decisions in order for me to be sitting here today." After the call, Wakanyi shared a photo (pictured above) that has since inspired a range of captions such as "She's not heavy, she's my sister" . . . . "Walk alone if you want to go fast. Walk together if you want to go far" . . . . "We all need a lift sometimes!" . . . . "Can't you just imagine their song?" [Read more here ...] |
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"The edges of things are always deceptive / because we are taught to believe / in endings and beginnings," she begins, observing how "people like to put thingsin their places." Yet, the visceral experience of life doesn't always have such clear delineations, such as when "the red of your heart spills / into the red of the rose spills / into the red of the sunset spills / into mehendi on the hands of a bride. / and who can explain these things?" Threads of interconnection stretch far beyond our comprehension. As the infinite domino effect of each act, word, intention, or situation begins to seep into our cores, she invites, "now tell me the story of your life / (whoever you are) go on / i Double Dare you! / tell me the story of your life / without once touching / mine." [Read the full poem here ...] |
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Happiness Schools International Online Course
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Dutch Digital Detoxers Are Poised For An International Launch The Offline Club, a digital detox cafe started in Amsterdam early this year, offers patrons the opportunity to check their mobile phones at the door. In one month, the cafe saw 125,000 new Instagram followers. Ilya Kneppelhout, one of the co-founders, said “We live in quite an isolated world where we’re ever more connected online, but in the physical world, it’s hard to meet people. This is a real experience: where else are you going to be in a cafe with 30 others, and read a book or draw?" Read the full story about this unique cafe here.
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From Isolation to Inclusion: Rebuilding Connections After Aphasia Anthony Choon woke up in the hospital unable to say the letters of the alphabet or even his name. He had aphasia, a brain injury-related disorder that impairs the ability to speak, write, or understand words. In Singapore, 2,500 people are impacted by aphasia every year. One organization, Aphasia SG, is creating a community of support. Watch the brief, touching video below for more. |
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Some of you might remember Heart Pins -- how they are made (and more). And many stories from folks like Sehr in Dubai, Sunita in India, Bonnie in the US, whose Church has made heart pins as their logo!
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