My Carbon Heros Get Energy from the Sun

My hero votes this week go to the 90 people in Hepburn Shire who signed up to get their energy from the sun. I feel very encouraged by this, and although I was never that interested in statistics, the numbers are impressive:

The average household produces 15 tonnes of greenhouse gas per year. That's about 300,000 black balloons or about 40 trees.

Photovoltaic systems convert sunlight into electricity. They're cheap to run and they can divert any power not used back into the grid. This makes a real contribution to eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by using the sun's energy to power our homes.

World Peace - Is it Just Good Manners?

These thoughts were sparked by watching Alexander McCall Smith, an English gentleman of a certain age speaking about the characters in his novels on an interview last night and the importance of good manners......

There is a kind of irony for me to write about good manners given I was an adolescent of the seventies. In the era of make-love-not-war, flowers-in-my-hair (actually down one side of my flowing cheesecloth and calico dress), I realize that I had discarded good manners with the cavalier and indiscriminate disrespect of youth. It was a time when debutante balls were out of fashion, thank you notes were passé and the social boundaries were being stretched to the limit as we emerged like cicadas from the repressive social constraints of our parents era.

Looking back now I see that some of my behavior was could only be described as callous disregard towards the social conventions of the time. Many of those conventions were important to people I cared about.

Now I have a broader perspective on the value of some of our social conventions particularly around courtesy. Put very simply I realize that the ability to communicate in the language of the other makes a difference. Acknowledgment, gratitude, kind words or actions are powerful influences of communication. They can enhance relationships and generate good well as well as good feelings.

And face it, in a world where it is so easy to offend the sensibilities of some (self included) it make much more sense to show good manners. Make me wonder how the world would really be if we took the advise of Robert Fulghum (another favorite author) who told us amongst other things - that we pick up after ourselves, share, be kind to each other and hold hands when we cross the road - the world would be a better place. Maybe world peace does begin with these simple kindnesses.

The picture by the way is not me in the 70's (I wish) but my gorgeous granddaughter Lilu for whom I am committed to contributing towards a more loving, sustainable, socially just and harmonious world.

Use Your Innate Power to Predict a Fabulous Future

I was reminded when I saw this picture of how important it is to focus on being the cause of what is possible rather than at the effect of what might happen. Sometimes I forget this and think life is happening to me, then I remember to focus on the kind of things I want to experience. What we have our attention on pretty much creates our life experiences. I thought I'd share an experience I had quite a while back. It was rather fun exploring 'my innate power!' Note to self, focus on creating life as a wonderful adventure - life is precious!

THE CLAIRVOYANT READING

The last time I went to a clairvoyant was about fifteen ago. One of my friends had commented that it was a very agreeable way to spend fifty dollars by having someone talk about you for an hour. So in this mood and keen to hear something encouraging I went along.

I was impressed with the dramatic atmosphere of the room. It was richly decorated with beautiful pieces of art, huge crystals, wands, old books, tarot decks, glowing candles and colorfully draped silk. The reader was strikingly dressed in a vibrant flowing gown, with jet black hair tied back in a bright bandanna, matching lipstick and yes, over-sized gold earrings!

The trouble with going to a reader is that all the questions one might have asked seem to disappear into the ethers and I found myself completely devoid of an intelligent question to ask about my life. Partly though, I didn’t really want to give someone else that power, and partly, if somewhat naively I thought she should know anyway. Still she seemed to know what she was doing and told me a few verifiable facts about my past. She remarked on my innate psychic powers which she had divined, and advised that I should tap into these and develop them. Well, as every other person who is born on the 22^nd of a month and been to a reader will know, I was special; a “Master” number, born to make a difference. I was also amused to hear that the Dalai Lama had a very similar horoscope to me. (Not the other way around I might add!) Ahh she knew how to stroke an ego.

While she was preoccupied with reading the cards and speaking into a tape my eyes wandered around the room. I happened to pick up an exquisitely beautiful crystal ball that had caught my attention. Now just prior to arriving at her house I had put hand cream on, and still being somewhat greasy they had completely smeared its surface. Slightly embarrassed I pulled a tissue from my pocket and surreptitiously began to polish the ball clean whilst pretending to be just rotating it in my hands. So absorbed was I in the task that I didn’t notice the sun refracting through the crystal. The next thing I saw was a spiral of smoke rising from the ball. The reader, seeing this, sat back aghast, unable to see the tissue but clearly could see the spiral of smoke. ‘Oh my,’ she exclaimed, ‘I did say you were a powerful 22 but I had no idea how powerful you actually must be!’

Well I have to confess, it was just too much of an opportunity to miss and I said, ‘Wow, this must really be a sign, I’ve never had that happen before, I really should develop my inner power,” as I placed the crystal ball on the table and quietly slipped the greasy tissue into my pocket before it caught alight. I paid the money, thanked her and took the tape. As I left I though to myself that my friend was right, it really was an agreeable way to spend $50!