Posts tagged with "questions"

TALK TO ME PEOPLE!

But the bigger question is what am I hoping for from this blog? It’s a pretty big topic, saving the planet, so where do you start? Bit like eating an elephant I suppose – one bite at a time. This is just the start of a conversation and over the next six months the themes and ideas will emerge – and the challenges at a micro and macro level both personally and globally. I’d like it to be a conversation that is shared with people I know and those that I haven’t met yet. All contributions welcome – responses, questions, dissent and musings – feel free. Open discourse is the name of the game. I’m not doing this because I think I have any answers to these big questions – quite the opposite in fact. But I am clear the time has passed when we can just pretend it isn’t happening and hope someone else will fix it – there is no someone else – it’s down to us.

The most amazing thing

Woke up with a horrible ugly sty in my eye this morning. But once outside I enjoyed the smell of the sea and grass, the subtleties of the autumn colours and the light on the beach. And then we broke the silence and listened to each other’s stories. And every story told a story about their encounter with nature. And every single one was unique.

And it sounds clichéd, but the most amazing thing was that these stories about nature gave us permission to share who we are with the group as if we’d been together for a very long time. And that was a gift to give and a privilege to receive.

So what happens next? What are the answers? Well, I don’t even know what the questions are yet. But this is only a few days into a 6 month experience. So you’ll just have to slow down, be patient and wait and see what story unfolds. Just like I will.

Beyond cynicism

One of the key questions of this whole project is: what does it feel like to experience change? The “change” we are talking about is our sense of the world around us, the context of the destruction we are wreaking on the planet. But – and as I order my thoughts this is becoming clearer – any change has to start at an individual level. So, that’s the process we are going through – and I have to say it feels challenging; and it feels difficult, but it also feels like a reconnection with something “right”. Oh dear, verging into “new age” territory there, and that’s a danger with this whole exercise I suppose – so much if the language about our respect for the earth and existing alongside all other life forms, shares a lexicon with that movement. I’m sure that must be a barrier to this kind of work and approach. But you get a sense that this (whatever this is) was here first – centuries ago – and that it has been hijacked in some way – with charlatans and those seeking to make profit from people’s vulnerabilities meaning the true message has been lost. So, I’m trying to keep my cynicism at bay, and also trying to find a way of expressing all of this which would pass the “Glasgow taxi driver” test – try explaining to him in a way that rings true!

Someone help me!

Spending time with nature can be anything, walking in the park is something my brother compares with a dawn till dusk solo experience in the wilderness. So how did I end up here and why am I here?

These are questions one can ask at anytime and at any stage in their life and you don’t necessarily have to be on a WWF project in the middle of nowhere and be on your own for a whole day to be able to ask these questions or answer them. A day that was so powerful in more ways than I can ever explain and the initial thoughts were ‘wow, I can’t wait to just stop and be on my own’. These things are easy to think about and knowing that you need to stop however, how often does the chance come along to stop and have ‘me time’? The time may come along, however, are we willing to really let go of everything and anything that we hold onto in our daily lives. I felt as though I was ready, ready to go on a solo experience, off into the hills and work things out. (sounds cheesy and all tree hugging but that’s what I thought)

God was I wrong. The night before I felt really scared, unsure and afraid of everything that was going on. To an extent I didn’t feel ready for this solo experience and I wasn’t too sure of the area I was in and I just had all these questions. I really didn’t want to do it…someone help me! I was asking.

Needs Needs…and more needs.

Have you ever just stopped and listened to the world around you? The sounds of the people talking freely of whatever they want? I thought that I had, however when actually thinking about it I don’t think I had. It’s actually quite a nice and privileged experience to feel listened to so I have learnt that I am going to offer that service more often.

Slow down, slow down and eventually stop I keep telling myself however, it is so difficult. Having nothing other than time for me and the world around me is actually quite a strange experience. Decongest the brain and body from everything else is liberating however bringing new senses of insecurity.

Being honest to yourself is like opening up the floodgates and letting go of all the joys and woes that live deep inside. Bring them out and deal with them be honest and feel in control. Easier said than done. How do you get to the bottom of those needs, how do you get to the root of those needs? Are you brave enough to challenge those needs and courageous enough to make those moves are all questions I need to answer before finding my need.