Sustainable living: Awaken the dreamer this year

With the New Year comes the desire to stamp out old habits, make amends with adversaries and generally chart bold new paths for ourselves and loved ones. The first day of the New Year is a time of reflection and the possibility for renewal — but what about the other 364 days of the year?
We often start January with a sense of strength and optimism, whether the goal is to kick cigarettes or lose a few pounds, but that quickly fades as we return to the ebb and flow of daily life. It happens to the best of us.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Just imagine what we could accomplish if every day of the year were endowed with such resolve.
These moments of clarity when we conjure visions of our better selves are potent. But too often, our “inner dreamer” goes dormant, trapped within the inertia of routine and self-doubt.
One could argue that the economic and ecological declines that ever so rapidly threaten our very existence are direct results of our collective slumber. As we face very real energy shortages, rising sea levels, increased (and worsening) droughts, collapsing ecosystems and a way of life that cannot be sustained, it’s clear time is running out.
It’s time to awaken the dreamer in all of us, no matter how cynical or pessimistic we may have become over the years.
That is precisely the goal of the upcoming Awakening the Dreamer Symposium, which is part of a global movement to realize our shared interests as citizens of the earth and to work toward a future of shared responsibility, environmental stewardship and mutual respect.
The symposium is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 15, from 12:30 to 5 p.m., at the Satellite in downtown Felton.
While learning about the importance of a global conscience and a sustainable future might sound lofty, symposium organizer Polly Hughes explained how its focus is quite practical and oriented toward action:
“What’s different about this workshop is that we dig down to the real, interconnected roots of these challenges, both on a personal and cultural basis. … Ultimately, it’s about hooking up with likeminded people who can make things happen.”
The only way to change the world is to make positive things happen right here in our own community, whether it’s local food production or the creation of 21st century “green-collar” jobs.
The symposium is part of the broader efforts of the Pachamama Alliance. The San Francisco-based group’s mission is to empower indigenous people of the Amazon to preserve their land and culture, while in turn applying the insights gleaned from the experience to create a better way forward in the developed world.
Although the symposium is quite broad in scope, it centers on four central questions:
– Where are we? (an examination of the state of environmental, social and personal well-being)
– How did we get here? (a look at the root causes of our imbalance)
– What’s possible for the future? (an exploration of new possibilities for our relationship with the Earth and one another)
– Where do we go from here? (a discussion of how we can realize our new vision collectively and as individuals)
Change comes in increments, but it is exponentially more powerful when similarly committed individuals join together. The upcoming Awakening the Dreamer Symposium is a great way to keep the fire in your belly and meet some new allies along the way.
Why not make every day New Year’s Day?
Steve Tanner is a writer and journalist living in Ben Lomond with his wife, young daughter, dog and four hens. He is on the steering committee for Transition San Lorenzo Valley, a local nonprofit committed to creating a more sustainable and resilient community. For information: www.transitionslv.org.