Receiving free piano lessons, giving your time to babysit and make blanket forts, going for a coffee with your neighbour, borrowing tools to build a new dog house or sharing a delicious meal with someone in your building -how good does that sound? And all of that without using any money. A Buy Nothing group…
words by Kit Some plants play a visual trick on us, with flower heads that seem to be floating in air. Iris is one example, where the long thin stems from a distance are not visible. Or Dandelion seed head. A lovely conceit, and a moment of thrill to see something floating, that doesn’t match the laws of physics,…
words by Kit I noticed a very nice table on the verge near my street, with the sign, “Free for you! The legs are adjustable” And it looked new, solid, long and narrow; perfect for……? The impulse was to arrange to have it picked up, to not miss ‘a bargain’. But (fortunately) my thinking ran further. Where…
Words by Jade It’s mid-November, which means 2018 is nearly over and Christmas is right around the corner. For many people, my family included, a big part Christmas is gift giving. Although I love giving my family presents, I often find Christmas stressful for several reasons. First of all, having to find everyone a present…
words by Kit I think a lot about how change comes about in my behaviour, and how to promote it in others, especially with regard to environmental issues. I notice that going to lectures, hearing a talk on radio, doing a workshop, while stimulating at the time, may often not take hold in a deeper…
Recently we hosted an informal workshop on Non-Violent Communication in the Inner Transition monthly series. Caroline Crumlish presented, and has written this short article on the subject: Marshall Rosenburg, the creator of Non-Violent Communication (NVC), uses the term non-violence in a similar way to Ghandi. Ahimsa, the buddhist principles of non-violence was at foundation of…
words by Daniel Parsa I told an acquaintance of mine that I have moved houses more than anyone that I know. She said she may be holding that record. After a quick countdown, I think both of us can be in the Guinness Book of Records in our age brackets for having moved houses so many…
Words by Kit I recently led a workshop titled “Inner Transition: Resilient Individuals in Cohesive Groups”. The purpose was to offer ideas and tools for personal and collective sustainability, bringing nourishment, reflection and insight to those who put a lot of time and effort into environmental activism. The evening revolved around setting up Listening Partnerships as…
Words by Kit, and pictured above are Kit and Gonzalo. When walking (my main form of transport) around Bondi there are many small areas to be seen – at the edges of lanes or on verges – with a look of neglect, or abandonment from earlier efforts to grow something. The term tragedy of…
By Kit Shepherd “To go fast, go alone. To go far, go together” I love this saying, not only for its linguistic symmetry and catchy rhythm, but because it pulls us up short with a hard-hitting message! In this age of speed, efficiency and technological accuracy, we are certainly encouraged to go fast. And at…
