Happiness

Conspicuous consumption. Body image issues. Overwork. Stress. Unemployment. Need to get ahead. Financial insecurity. Cram school. Global financial crisis. Climate change. Family breakdown. Peak oil. Xenophobia. Lack of time. Suicide. Drugs. Gangs. Suicide bombers and fear of terrorism. Loneliness and social isolation. Racism. Disconnected neighbourhoods. Affluenza, Most of the media and politicians of my home country (Australia) are pedaling values and attitudes that generate unhappiness.

Fortunately, there is growing interest in true happiness (and I don't mean pleasure; I mean an ongoing feeling of deep connectedness and "okayness" that can also incorporate times of sadness and grief without becoming depression). Research shows that key contributors to deep, lasting happiness include:

• continual personal growth (and choosing to view challenges as opportunities to grow)
• strong personal relationships - friends and family
• Helping others/acts of kindness without any expectation of return (generosity)
• Doing things that are meaningful (in relation to my values)
• Being appreciative /grateful

Activities to increase your deep level of happiness:

• Regular (as often as possible) loving kindness mediation. It only takes a few minutes. Try this simple loving kindness meditation to start you off.
• Perform random acts of kindness for others, especially anonymous ones.
• Be intentionally appreciative: for example, each Sunday night share 5 things that you are grateful for from the week that has just been. Better still, do it each morning when you wake up.
• Write down your own personal values and ask yourself of simple things you can do to live more in line with these values.
• Do the exercises on the Making Australia Happy website.
• Learn and use the Quick Coherence technique - it is quick and simple -> heart focus, heart breathing, heart feeling

Viewing:

• Watch Making Australia Happy - ABC TV series
• Watch "Happy" a 1hr documentary - by Roko Belich

Websites:

• Action for happiness - great site with great ideas and resources and exercises
• Delivering Happiness - ideas, activities for making happier workplaces
• Authentic Happiness for questionaires etc
• Greater Good (Berkly University) for lots of things
• Happy life website

The best free crowdfunding tools for good causes

I was in Nepal in 2015 to support the Global Ecovillage Network response to Nepal's devastating earthquakes. I got involved with a great, local NGO called Nexus Culture Nepal, which, like most NGOs, needed funding. So, I researched crowdfunding tools and found that some of the best are actually free.

All crowdfunding websites can receive donations via credit card from anywhere in the world. However, there will be some restrictions on what countries they can pay to, due to different laws in every country.

Chuffed
Australian based Not For Profit. Crowdfunding platform for social causes - funds can go to individuals or organisations of any type (including companies). Chuffed does not charge any fees. However, credit card fees are charged by the credit card processor (about 2-3%). The project to be funded can be in any country. However, the person, organisation or company running the fundraiser should be from Australia, US, UK, Canada, the Netherlands or Belgium. Funds will be transferred to your bank account in Australia, USA, UK or Europe. For other regions you need a paypal account. They now also have an office in the UK.

Betterplace
Philanthropic project of a German software company. Charge no fees and pay all the credit card processing fees themselves. They even have a network of philanthropists who may provide additional financial support to your project. Will send money anywhere in the world, however, if you are not a registered charity in Germany you can only receive up to 2,500Euros per quarter in donations.

Youcaring
USA based crowdfunding site. You will receive the donations (via stripe, wepay or paypal). They seem to be open to other countries running fundraisers direct, which then depends on if you can get your own paypal, stripe or wepay account to work in your country. Youcaring charges no fees but the payment gateway (paypal, stripe, wepay) will take 3% or so.

Generosity
USA based crowdfunding platform by Indiegogo, one of the biggest crowdfunding companies. For individual and social causes. No fees except the credit card fee charged by the payment processing gateway. According to the website, in most cases, a donation to a personal fundraiser is considered a gift and not taxable income to the campaign owner (but best to check with an accountant).

Communities by Bendigo Bank
Available for Australian projects, there are no charges except the credit card processing fee of 1.5%, which is the lowest of all the platforms. You must open a Bendigo Bank account to be able to receive the fnds.

Crowdzilla
UK based charity Provides financial support, through on­line crowdfunded donations, to local businesses in the developing world with the aim to promote growth, education, and training to local communities and generate employment and new services.

Grassrootz

Grassrootz is a bit newer and provides free tools for receiving donations and selling tickets for fundraiser events.

Long walks / pilgrimages of the world

I have discovered that walking is one of the most powerful ways for me to truly experience a country and its people - the longer the better. I love the simplicity of life, the experience of community with other long distance hikers and the spiritual journey. There is an incredible freedom that comes with choosing to pare back ones possessions (as Peace Pilgrim said "Anything that you own that you don't absolutely need is a burden." and this becomes very evident when you have to carry it on your back day after day). I will gradually expand this list as I discover more long walks in different countries...

Australia

Generally, all tracks require you to be self sufficient, with food, tent, maps and compass and good navigation and survival skills. Trails may be unmarked and/or overgrown in areas. Long tracks go through remote country. You will often need to arrange food drops in advance and be very aware of water resupply opportunities.
Costs: You will usually require camping permits for national parks you pass through at about USD$3/day plus food costs. Also, arranging food drops can be a significant cost, depending on how remote they are.

• Bicentennial National Trail - 5330kms from Cooktown in north Queensland to Healesville near Melbourne. It's one of the longest trails in the world.
• Bibbulman Track - 1003kms Along the south west coast of West Australia
• The Overland Track - 73kms in Tasmania. I have included it because, although short, it is one of the most beautiful tracks in the world.

For more long walks in Australia, see John Chapman's list and the Wikipedia list.

New Zealand

Te Araroa - 3000km route from Cape Reinga in the North of New Zealand to Bluff in the South
New Zealand's Trail. Takes in spectacular New Zealand landscapes, from beaches to volcanoes to forests to cities.

USA

Walking the Appalachian trail transformed my view (positively) of the USA. I reckon it's the best country for long distance walking, in nature. Locals are friendly and supportive. It's often possible to resupply on route by hitching a short distance off the trail.
Costs: Generally, there are no fees or permits required on for thru hikers on the long trails but check first. So, all you will need to spend money on is food and replacing worn gear (eg shoes) and an occasional hostel if you want to take a break off the trail and have a shower. Budget about USD$10/day if you are doing a full long trail.

• Appalachian Trail (AT) 3,500kms in Eastern United States, from Georgia to Main National park Free camping Walk between March and October. Can walk without any advance food resupply arrangements - by hitching off the trail into a town every week or so.
• Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) 4,286 km bordering the Sierra Nevada mountain range, west side of USA. USA/Mexico border to Canada, passing through 25 national forests and 7 national parks. There is also a corresponding bike trail that runs parallel to the Pacific Crest Trail for 4,000 km.
• Continental Divide Trail (CDT) 5,000 km between Mexico and Canada following the Continental Divide along the Rocky Mountains and traversing Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. The "Triple Crown" is the achievement of hiking the full length of the 3 trails - PCT, AT and CDT.
• John Muir Trail 358km in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, from the Yosemite National Park to Mount Whitney. Best time to visit is from July to September, though snow may still linger on the higher passes. Free camping. Carry own tent and food.
• For more long walking trails in the USA, see the Wikipedia list

Spain

Camino de Santiago de Compostella Pilgrimage - 800 kms from France to Santiago de Compostella in Spain. Many alternative routes and possible starting points much further afield. Lots of road walking through towns and villages. Lots of relatively cheap pilgrim accommodation available and meals.

Canada

Bruce Trail - 850km from Niagara to Tobermory, with side trails extending out to 250km.

Israel

Israel National Trail - 990kms.

Japan

Shikoku Pilgrimage - 1,400km Accommodation in small, family-owned inns for 4,000-8,000 yen per night (depending on if you’d like food with your stay).

United Kingdom

Cotswold Way - 162km from Chipping Campden in the north to the city of Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Other Countries

Wikipedia has an extensive list of long distance trails by country.

My Italian Pilgrimage - 800kms Italy to Nice in 2014

In August-September 2014, I walked from Assisi in Italy to Nice on the French Italian border. It is part of a longer pilgrimage I intend to complete one day, which will continue on to Santiago de Compostella, in Spain, another 2000kms or so.

This is the route I walked. Distances are for walking, along minor dirt or paved roads and forest paths. Distances are not direct but often through other scenic spots.

From Assisi to La Verna is the reverse of a popular pilgrimage route (the via di Francesco - a route that Francis of Assisi walked). From Siena north, I walked along the via Francigena (again in reverse) to Sazarna, changing across to the Via del a Costa until I reached Nice, in France. Exactly 800 years ago, Francis of Assisi walked a similar route to Santiago de Compostela. (There are Italian language guidebooks to these routes available in Italy).


I made a number of audio posts and video posts for family and friends (although I found the video posts too large to load easily, so didn't make many of them).
audio log or video log

Photos from stage 1 - the Via Francesco This was the first stage of my pilgrimage - from Assisi to Florence - the reverse direction of the pilgrimage route called the Via di Francesco (from LaVerna to Assisi). Click here to see the photos. From early August.

Photos from stage 2 - Via Francigena Late August 2014 I walked a section of the Via Francigena - from Siena to Sarazana (just over 200kms). This is the second stage of my pilgrimage from Asssisi to Santiago de Compostela. The full Via Francigena runs from Canterbury in England to Rome. I met three people who were walking the full VF. Click here to view photos

Photos from stage 3 - the via della Costa The third stage of my pilgrimage - about 300kms from Sarzana to Ventimiglia, near the French border. Once at Ventimiglia, it was a delight to spend 12 days at the ecovillage Torri Superiore. Click here to view photos

Various pilgrim emotions Well, there are plenty more - but here's a sample. Click here to see photos

Awakening the Dreamer

 

Yesterday I was blessed to be able to run an "Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream" symposium at Bellbunya for our volunteers and guests. A couple of nights before that I had woken up in the middle of the night buzzing with the inspiration of a new idea - to run these workshops as a free offering for our volunteers and guests (and locals): a perfect synergy with our values. Six months before that I had participated in my first symposium and came away inspired and re-energised, with a renewed commitment to making a difference in our world. And three years before that I had stumbled across the symposium's vision via a group we hosted at Bellbunya. I was struck by the power and balance of that vision: "Bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on this planet."

The Changing the Dream Symposium, is a not-for-profit initiative designed as a response to the urgent call of the Amazon Achuar people to "change the dream" of the modern world. Here at Bellbunya, we see so many people (including ourselves) who are disturbed by the "dream" of our modern world and who are seeking something different. At Bellbunya, we are learning/experimenting/growing in living an alternative dream of holistically sustaining living.

The symposium is designed to help people connect with their own deep concern for our world and its people whilst empowering them to make a difference in their own unique way. It is a beautiful opportunity for those who stay with us to deepen their experience at Bellbunya and grow in their commitment to building a better world.

And so, I have committed myself to run this 4 hour workshop as a free opportunity to add to the contribution that Bellbunya is making to building a better world. Whenever we have six or more volunteers, guests, neighbours or interested people from anywhere who want it, I will gladly run a symposium. If you want to come along to one, just let me know.

Have a look at the video below for a brief intro to the symposium


If you are not near Bellbunya, you can find a symposium near you at www.uptous.org/symposium

The Clean 15 vs. The Dirty Dozen

 Want to know what non-organic produce uses the least pesticide and what uses the most? Let's see.

The Clean Fifteen :) - Top Produce with the Least Pesticide     1. Onion 2. Avocado 3. Sweet Corn 4. Pineapples 5. Mango 6. Sweet Pea 7. Asparagus 8. Kiwi Fruits 9. Cabbage 10. Eggplant 11. Cantaloupe 12. Watermelon 13. Grapefruits 14. Sweet Potato 15. Sweet Onion

The Dirty Dozen :-( - Produce with the highest Pesticide Residue 1. Celery 2. Peach 3. Strawberry 4. Apple 5. Blueberry 6. Nectarine 7. Capsicum 8. Spinach, Kale, Collard Green 9. Cherry 10. Potato 11. Grape 12. Lettuce

*The Dirty Dozen* are reported to contain 47-67 Pesticides per serving!

Other items with high pesticide residue include fatty meats, milk, chocolate, wine and coffee.

The Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership

The popular and beautiful poem by Mother Theresa is a reworking of the original by Kent Keith, called the “Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership”:

1: People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
2: If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
3: If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
4: The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
5: Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
6: The biggest men with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
7: People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8: What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
9: People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.
10: Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.

And here’s the later version by Mother Theresa…
Do Good Anyway
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.