Friday, December 5, 2014

How To Be Unhappy - Dr. Matthew Whoolery

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. When you are drowned in unhappiness most of the time, it can be a little tough to wake up to the shiny concept of joy. He is here to tell you how to be great at, what you’re already good at. Watch him talk about “How to be Unhappy”.



Dr. Matthew Whoolery is a Professor of Psychology at Brigham Young University. He simplifies psychological concepts to apply them to real life constructs, garnishing them with a little humor before bringing them to his audience.

Monday, November 3, 2014

Housing Security for All!

Cob house
Haven't you always dreamed of living in a little Hobbit-house like this?
Chris and I have become acquainted with two wonderful gals, Hannah and Tuula who are truly living life "out of the box". Since we have known them, they have cycled all the way across the country to bring awareness to issues around food, farming and eating local. Recently they have been putting their life energies, and bringing awareness to another essential need: shelter.  They are well along the way towards building a "tiny house" on wheels. Below is an excerpt from their latest post about this project.

I have an idea. Let’s end homelessness in America and make access to housing a right, not a privilege. Take the money we spend on giving tax breaks to developers who build McMansions on spec and give any person with a housing need a monthly stipend to spend on building supplies. Half must be spent at a local business. It can go to improve existing housing or building new. We’ll need some community education, too. Maybe those soldiers who are building schools and churches to build American goodwill abroad could come home and teach their neighbors these basic skills. Teach them to the women who are in desperate need of safe, healthy housing for their families. Teach them to college grads who are limited by living at home to save money. 

To read the rest of Tuula's post, CLICK HERE
To go to the home page of their Tiny House Blog CLICK HERE

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Sacred Economics - Eisenstein - A Short Movie


All that seems wrong with the world; the greed, the destruction of the natural world, people's sense of loneliness and isolation; all can be traced to our culture;s obsession with money. What if there were a way to open the door to finding where our gifts and passion intersected with the world's need, and we could begin to re-experience life as the sacred gift it has always been?

In this beautiful 12-minute movie, Charles Eisenstein, author of Sacred Economics, helps to lift us out of the cynicism and despair so many of us feel mired in and imagine a world of new possibilities. Enjoy!


Thursday, January 16, 2014

Giftivism: Another Name for 'Sharing'


Pavi Mehta - Giftivism: Reclaiming the Priceless

"Giftivism: the practice of radically generous acts that transform the world. History has seen giftivists in all corners - Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and so forth. People who believed that when we change ourselves, we can fundamentally change the world. But this ability isn't restricted to social change giants. The seeds of giftivism lie in each of us. But to tap into it we have to do something all these people did. We have to upturn one of the core assumptions of economics - the assumption that people always act to maximize self-interest. The assumption that we are inherently selfish beings. Giftivism flips that idea on its head. What practices, systems and designs emerge when we believe people WANT to behave selflessly?" In this heart-stirring talk filled with real-life stories, writer Pavi Mehta describes the path of Giftivism and the vast potential it holds for returning us to the priceless.

This video was sent to us because we subscribe to one of "Service Space's" offerings: Daily Good - which daily deposits in my inbox examples of positive, hopeful actions taking place worldwide. Here is the link to the original post: LINK

Friday, January 10, 2014

Mark Boyle - The Moneyless Man

Another inspiring video about living without money

The Man Who Quit Money - Daniel Suelo Interview

See what the subject of Mark Sundeen's book "The Man Who Quit Money" has to say about faith, hunger, health, spirituality, and hitchhiking!