Poverty, money -- and love

After writing my last post, I just happened to watch a very moving TED talk from one of the Kiva co-founders, Jessica Jackley.  Excellent description of how we can share, in small $25 increments, to empower the poor, and allow them to change their own lives, in the ways that are really effective.  Not us in the developed world telling them what they need, or merely appeasing our guilt.

Her ending notes: We don't need anyone to tell us to care, we already do care.  We just need to be brave enough, and take the initiative to try.  Stop, and listen to someone else's story.   Everyone has the potential to do amazing things in the world.  We're all here for each other.  Believe in each other.  We need to make our collective story into a love story to change the world. 

To be a part of the amazing work that Kiva does around the world, start here.  Or find a cause that you care about.  Be a part of the love story.

My Story

So, you've been reading some of my posts about simplicity, social responsibility and change.  And, you're wondering...  why am I doing this?

Over the past 10 years, I've made major improvements in my own happiness and have grown enormously.  I'm not an expert, or a life coach, but I do feel it's important, and valuable, to share my own findings through personal experience and research on my path to growth.  My hope is that anyone reading this can know that they're not alone, and learn from my mistakes.  This helps me to continually clarify my path, but is also in answer to friends, acquaintances, and perhaps now strangers too that ask why I'm so happy, or how I can enjoy living so simply, or afford to travel for almost 3 years. 

Though not the first step on my path, one of the most profound was my decision in 2005 to leave the field of architecture and travel with my partner in the developing world for an undetermined length of time.  We rented our home and bought a one-way ticket to India.  It was terrifying and exhilarating.  Our aim was to live simply, experience life at the local level, gain an understanding of other cultures, trek in the Himalayas, see the World!  We chose to travel slowly and almost exclusively overland.  Over this time I read profusely, journaled extensively, met scores of incredibly generous people, had hundreds of unforgettable experiences.

The time I spent in the developing world made a profound and lifelong impact on the way I think, feel and want to behave as a citizen of this planet.  During a period of this time we served as Fellows for Kiva.org in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  This volunteer work gave me intimate access into the humble homes of families borrowing money to sustain or grow their businesses.  With the help of the local microfinance officers, who acted as translators, I was able to ask any question I wanted and learn fascinating details of these people's lives.  I wrote about my experiences and discoveries on Kiva's website for lenders all over the globe who helped finance these small business expenses. 

Here is a sampling of some of their stories:

Channa Ven, mini-mart owner

Channa, 41, is a tiny woman. She seems very shy at having a barang (foreigner) visit her home. We sit on a woven mat on the front porch of her thatched home - also tiny at only 10'x12', and housing 8 people!. Channa has been running the little open-air grocery stand in front of her home for the past 7 years. She says she's happy with this work as it allows her to be home and take care of her 6 children. Her husband used to work in an office, but after he had an operation a few years ago he's been working at home with her. They also raise pigs and work for neighbors during the rice harvest.

Channa's loan of $400 has enabled her to purchase new items for her store, and a small freezer, to better compete with the other village stores that have recently opened. For several years, she was the only store in town, carrying a variety of items - bread, sugarcane, noodles, fesh produce, and rice wines mixed with different fruit juices. Now she tries to keep an edge over competition with her homemade butter, ice cream and sweets.

Channa talks a lot about her children and the difficulty of keeping them in school. Of the six, her oldest is 19 and will now be working with them as college is too expense and far away. Her youngest child, 4, was very ill with fever when she was young and suffered brain damage so that she now has to take care of her at home. More optimistically she speaks of one daughter who is learning English and is "very clever". Channa hopes that with increased income she'll be able to provide for her to attend secondary school.  An opportunity she never had.

Siem Morm, farmer

Siem, a widow at age 53, smiled broadly as she welcomed us into her home the other day. Her loan of $500  has enabled her to purchase fertilizers and pesticides for her farm.  Like her parents before her, and their parents, Siem is a farmer. She's been doing it for over 30 years and says the work comes easily for her as it's all she's ever known. It's very hard work though, and prices are constantly fluctuating, so that the income is often only enough to cover the family's basic living expenses.

Of her eight children, 2 daughters are married and live away from home. Another works in the local government-run garment factory. Her youngest daughter, 14, is still in school and helps her in the afternoons. All four sons are living at home and farm with her. Her main focus now is for improving the business and providing a better education for her youngest. She hopes that when this loan has been repaid she will take another to build a new outhouse and make other improvements to their home.


Saroeurn, 56, greeted us in front of her small mini-mart the other day. The "store" is simply a couple of tables with items displayed on them and others hanging from above. She cleared a spot for the loan officer and I to sit and motioned for her daughter to take over. As we asked her about her life, family and the effects of her loan, several other children and grandchildren who were sitting nearby gazed at us with open curiosity.

Sarourn, mini-mart owner

Saroeurn's loan of $1,000 has enabled her to purchase new items for her store to better compete with the other village stores nearby. The mini-mart is stocked with a variety of food and sundry items - fresh produce, sugar, seasonings, rice crackers, cigarettes, eggs and ice. She tries to keep an edge over competition with unique items like homemade wine and shrimp cakes. Saroeurn also used a portion of her loan to purchase jasmine flowers which her daughter, 24, resells in Phnom Penh. 

Saroeurn's husband is a construction worker. Of their nine children, ages 10 - 24, five have stopped school and work to help support the family. One son is still in school and studies English in Phnom Penh on the weekends. With their combined income, Saroeurn feels her family is doing well. She hopes that in the future, if business continues to improve, they won't have to borrow money again and may even save enough to buy a moto-scooter for the family.

Hong, woodcarver

The experiences I had among the disadvantaged taught me about traveling lightly through life.  It's an amazing sensation for one so used to structure and schedule to be mobile and flexible... and to lighten your load of "stuff"!  That was the beginning of my simplification at home.  It's strange, but excess possessions seem to weigh you down in the same way that excess baggage on the road does.  All those "things" have an attachment and begin to own "you".  So, it goes to reason that the less you have, the more free you feel.  

Liberate yourself!  

Nouern, weaver

Another important lesson that traveling taught me was to slow down, take your time, and take a deep breath.  You're not on this journey alone, so be polite to your fellow passengers - smile and assist when needed.

And finally, be flexible!  Things often don't go as planned, but anger doesn't help.  Again, breathe.  Sometimes, the unexpected can bring about the best in a situation, or in you.

"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving."  - Lao Tzu

Are You Socially Responsible?

What does that even mean anyway?   

Individual or Personal Social Responsibility, often referred to as ISR or PSR is a concept  as old as The Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's about recognizing how your behavior affects others, and holding yourself accountable for your actions. ISR expands on this by promoting a proactive stance towards positively influencing and affecting the people and environments outside your immediate circle. ISR is also at the root of Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, because a corporation is comprised of individuals and hence determines the social responsibility culture it creates. Individuals are becoming more socially responsible and, in response to this Corporations and Companies need to become more socially responsible to meet consumer demand.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) states that “In the wake of increasing globalization, we have become increasingly conscious not only of what we buy, but also how the goods and services we buy have been produced. Environmentally harmful production, child labor, dangerous working environments and other inhumane conditions are examples of issues being brought into the open. All companies and organizations aiming at long-term profitability and credibility are starting to realize that they must act in accordance with norms of right and wrong.”

According to a 2007 poll, when it comes to individual social responsibility, there are three types of people:

1. Two-thirds of U.S. adults have “Good Intentions” – they believe that social responsibility is a good idea, and they do what they can in terms of volunteering, but they do not sacrifice huge amounts of time or money.
2. At the top end of the spectrum, only 8 percent of U.S. adults “Practice What They Preach” and for this group, individual, as well as corporate, social responsibility is extremely important.
3. One-quarter of U.S. adults, however, follow a philosophy of “To Thine Own Self Be True” and, for this group, social responsibility has little consequence in their lives.

A socially responsible person will endeavor to have a positive effect on others and enrich their environment, as well as the larger community. They will strive to make a positive contribution, and will not pollute the atmosphere, both physically and metaphorically.

So, which type of person are you?  Be part of the 8% - help out or give to a cause you care about today.

“The impersonal hand of government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor.”  - Hubert H. Humphrey

Living the Simple Life

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius

Simplification is about decluttering  all of your life - your schedule, home, office and mental spaces too. 

For me, the trip I took  from December 2005 to August 2008, spending the majority of my time in the developing world, was the big breakthrough.  First off, I was limited in what I could carry on my back.  This meant only the most basic of clothes, personal belongings, an iPod, camera, a few books and my journal.  That was it.  Secondly, many of the people I encountered on a daily basis had even less than I did.  And even the wealthier locals had far less than what I had stockpiled in storage back in California.  Sure, over that time, I wore through my clothes and had to buy new ones.  I bought a few new things and mailed them home.  But overall, I lost my urge for "more".  I found a pure satisfaction in the simplicity of it all.  I saw that those with less were no less happy for it.  In fact, they showed me that happiness can be found in the simplest of things.  And that many of those things don't cost a dime, or rupee, or a yen.

Returning to the U.S. came as much more of a culture shock than I ever expected.  All the excess!  Grocery stores with shelves piled high with wall-to-wall items, the cars, the fast pace of life - all of it made me want to flee.  It took nearly a year before I began to feel like an American again.  It was extremely challenging at first to embrace that simplicity here, and downright un-American.  Some would say I'm frugal, or minimalist.  I suppose I'm a combination of both.  Now, I live simply so that I can work less, create more, and save for what’s important.  I've learned to do things myself, and really well - as with sewing and becoming an even better cook.  I do splurge on occasion, because life is too short not to treat yourself.  And when I do, I enjoy it all the more.

“The simplest things are often the truest.” - Richard Bach

There isn’t one way to simplicity - there are as many ways as there are people who seek a simple life.  Some simple tips I've learned are:

Enjoy the simple things in life. The next time you eat a piece of fruit or enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, simply enjoy it. Sounds like a pretty obvious suggestion right? It is, but most of the time we do exactly the opposite. We’re not just eating or drinking, we’re thinking about all sorts of things. We’re thinking about the next thing we need to do, or the past, or future.  The next time you eat or drink, just do that. You'll experience the flavors and tastes at if it were the first time.

Reassess your priorities. Do you stress out about what’s on your to-do list more than living in the moment? We have to find a balance in achievement and contentment. Sometimes it’s not about getting what you want, but wanting what you have. It’s not about achieving the completion of a project, but enjoying the process of creativity.

Work four days a week. But how can you work only four days if you currently work five and are overloaded as it is? It’s funny, but you can somehow make it work. It’s a well-known law that our work expands to fit the time we give it … and the flip side of that is if you shrink the time, you will become more efficient, or shrink the work to fit the time. And, you’ll have an extra day off. Which will give you time for the next important tip...

Make time for what you love. We often get burnt out because we’re busy working and attending to obligations. If we are not doing anything we’re excited about, we’ll likely start resenting our lives. It’s important to make time every day doing things you really enjoy.

Single-task. This is good for those who tend to be all over the place. When you’re working on a project, stick with it.  One task at a time … finish the task … move on to the next. Try this for one day, focusing on it completely for that day. If it works for you, try it again the next day.

Deflect all requests for a week. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, make the decision that you will not say “yes” to any new requests this week. If you get a new request, politely decline. If it’s a request you can’t decline, tell them you’ll get to it next week because you have some projects you need to finish this week. Then pick one or two or even three projects (depending on their sizes) and focus on finishing them this week. You can worry about new stuff next week. 

 
Start your day with peace. It's your best bet on creating a great day. When you first rise, do something that is calming and peaceful. That might be running or walking, having a quiet cup of coffee with a book, watching the sunrise, meditating or yoga … whatever works well for you. It can be 10 minutes or an hour, but find some peace in the morning and use it to calm you throughout your entire day.

30-day rule. This is a great trick for those who have trouble with impulse buying - that great enemy of simplifying. The rule is that if you want to buy something, you have to write it on your 30-day list, with the date that it was added to the list. After 30 days, if you still want it, you can buy it. This doesn’t apply to necessities such as groceries … which helps you distinguish between wants and needs, a great skill for simplifying.

Decluttering. Start with one area you’re trying to declutter - a room, drawer, shelf, desk, or whatever.  Label three boxes: Trash, Donate, Maybe.  Quickly go through each shelf or drawer or flat surface at once, putting things into the three separate boxes.  For the Maybe box - try not to use it if you can avoid it.  If you really can't decide, put items in and store them for 3-6 months.  If you haven't needed them in that time, then they go.  

One in, two out. When you bring something into your house, you have to get rid of two things. The normal rule is one in, one out, but somehow that never seems to work - things still accumulate. Instead, get rid of two things and things will stay simple.

You'll see some of these tips, and more, at Zen Habits.

The Hardest Part

Sometimes, the hardest part of a project is the act of starting.  

"There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth…not going all the way, and not starting."   - Buddha

After all these years of living, learning, growing, hard choices, changing, learning, changing again... I'm ready to begin anew. 

For me, this start is about taking many of the things I care about and compiling them into one, clear story.  I do this not only for myself, to clarify my path, but in answer to friends, acquaintances, and perhaps now strangers too that ask why I'm so happy, or how I can enjoy living so simply, or afford to travel for almost 3 years.

This blog is about what really matters to me.

I'll admit that creative pursuits, backpacking, and travel in the developing world top that list too, and I know that it's all tied together in the whole of what satisfies my soul.  But here, I'm going to focus on things that are larger than myself.  Things that affect you, and me, and the entire planet.  I'm talking about much more than sustainability, but overall quality of life.  Don't worry, I'll make it as interesting and fun as possible.  

“Whatever you dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” - Goethe

And it begins again

"Talent is an amalgam of high sensitivity; easy vulnerability; high sensory equipment (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting—intensely); a vivid imagination as well as a grip on reality; the desire to communicate one's own experience and sensations, to make one's self heard and seen."

Uta Hagen (b. 1919), U.S. actor. Respect for Acting, pt. 1, ch. 1 (1973).

"If we confine ourselves to one life role, no matter how pleasant it seems at first, we starve emotionally and psychologically. We need a change and balance in our daily lives. We need sometimes to dress up and sometimes to lie around in torn jeans."

Faye J. Crosby (20th century), U.S. professor. Juggling, ch. 4 (1991).

in. vivid. relief.

in

1. (used to indicate inclusion within something abstract or immaterial): in politics; in the autumn.
2. (used to indicate inclusion within or occurrence during a period or limit of time): in ancient times; a task done in ten minutes.
3. (used to indicate limitation or qualification, as of situation, condition, relation, manner, action, etc.): to speak in a whisper; to be similar in appearance.
4. (used to indicate means): sketched in ink; spoken in French
5. (used to indicate inclusion within space, a place, or limits): walking in the park.

viv·id