Making Revolutions (not resolutions) for 2010

"Each of us has a valid sense of "I." We also share fundamental goals: We want happiness and do not want suffering. Animals and insects also want happiness and do not want suffering, but they have no special ability to consider how to achieve deeper happiness or overcome suffering. As human beings, endowed with this power of thought, we have this potential, and we must use it." - His Holiness the Dalai Lama

It looks like it's that time of the year again to make New Years Resolutions. It's kind of a mundane tradition, don't you think? I mean, do you even remember what your New Years Resolution was last year? Do you remember the year before? How long after New Years do you spend trying to achieve the goal, or do you pretty much forget about it after the ball drops? When I used to make resolutions, I would usually try the first few months of the year... and then I would drop the ball!

Why do we make New Years Resolutions anyway? Let's break this down.... For me, resolutions are about picking a specific thing that I want to work on, that I want to change, or something I want to add to my life to make me feel better or happier. I think a lot of the time they are the same for everyone... exercise more, get together with family more, eat better, get a better job, make more time for friends... or maybe it's a little more selfish... like buy that big screen tv, buy a house, or purchase a new outfit once a month. These are all things that we believe will make us feel better in the end. They are things that we have slacked on, things we want to change about ourselves, goals we have set out to achieve, or things that we just feel we need to work a little harder on so we won't have regrets later, and therefore, will be happier in life.

Why do we wait until New Years to do this? Who made up that tradition? If we look at the big picture, we pretty much have the same goal, and that is to achieve happiness and to end suffering. This is something that should be a life long goal and practiced daily, and I think, as a community, we should change the tradition of making resolutions each year based on what we need to fix about ourselves to celebrating the accomplishments of the past, and looking forward to the achievements of each year, all the while making the promise to continue this in our daily practice.

According to the Dalai Lama, the best way to achieve happiness and end suffering is to have compassion and benefit your life to others. Not that we shouldn't make sure that our specific needs and wants aren't met... that is important too. But, I think the point of this practice is that it leads to good Karma, and the more we do to help others, the more good Karma we will have. In other words, Karma takes care of meeting our needs.

There are many things we can do to show compassion. Without sounding preachy, one way to show compassion is by making the commitment to cut down on animal and meat consumption, or do away with it all together. When you make the commitment to do this, you are helping the environment, world hunger, the planet, ending animal cruelty, and most of all... you are choosing to improve your personal health.

Here are a few facts about how leaning towards veganism is a compassionate choice:

-Industrially raised livestock causes an estimated 18% of greenhouse gasses, and that is destroying the atmosphere

-Factory farms demand so much land and feed that it threatens rainforests

-We use so much feed for the animals on factory farms, and this threatens third world countries. If everyone stopped consuming meat, we could use those grains to feed at least twice as many starving people.

-Cutting out animal products means eliminating the risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and several types of cancer. You will have more energy and trim your waist line. You will also you also cut the risk of other health problems such as diabetes because when you cut out animal products, you tend feel better and make healthier choices.

-Also, it's an ethical decision. We all know that factory farming is cruel and twisted, but people still consume animals out of habit. It's become an addiction. I hear people say that they would miss the bite or texture of meat, but feeling good about everything that you put into your body tastes much better... it lightens up your life. Plus, there are "meat replacements" that will give you that bite if you are ever feeling a craving. These replacements are also good for the transition phase between eating meat and eliminating it.

Now I know that may all sound preachy, but I am not trying to convince you to go vegan full force. I am just asking that you try to cut out meat from your diet at least one day a week. If everyone on the planet did that... think of how much we would be helping the rainforests, animals, starving people, and personal health. There is always room for improvement, so if you are already cutting out meat one day a week... make it two, and so on. There is actually a movement called Meatless Mondays who's goal is to cut meat consumption by 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of the planet. I hope you are interested... here is the website

Also, make an effort to find out about more where your food is coming from. Seek out farmers markets to buy locally grown fruits and veggies so that you can support and keep the money within the community. If you eat meat, do you research to find local farms so that you can see where your meat is coming from. See movies like Food Inc so that you are aware of how the meat industry operates, and so you can start to look for local farms where the animals are eating the right food, are hormone free, and most of all, are being treated ethically. Read books like In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen, Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, You Don't Need Meat by Peter Cox, or Eating Animals by Johnathan Safran Foer to understand perspectives from experts on factory farms and the food industry. Get vegan cookbooks to learn more about how to live the vegan lifestyle and to overcome the myths such as food is boring, you won't get protein, i don't have enough time to be vegan, and so on.

Alright... so you might already be vegan, and being vegan isn't the only way to have compassion and help others... there are also many charities you can donate to. In this article, Nicholas Kristof, columnest for the New York Times, has composed a list of organizations that he has encountered that tackle global poverty in creative ways. He is focusing on the more unknown charities such as The Afghan Institute of Learning. This is an aid group run by Afghan women that run education programs, training centers and clinics, emphasizing local buy-in and self-reliance. Or, a Bangladeshi antipoverty organization called BRAC, that has had huge success serving tens of millions of people there. It emphasizes organizing village women and promoting education, health and microfinance. Another is Developments in Literacy They build schools in Pakistan, particularly for girls. These schools can help protect us from terrorism. There are many other charities in this article that are well worth while and put their efforts towards improving the world and communities, so give it a read.... and pick one.

I hope that I gave you some good ideas for 2010 and beyond. Whether you decide to start your path towards cutting meat consumption, or are choosing to give to one of the charities in the Kristof article (or both), you are doing your part to end suffering, break down boundaries, and overcome distances between people in communities. In the future... I am not going to end the year by asking you what your new years resolution is, but I am going to ask you what events in the past years brought you the most happiness.

Since I started with one, I will end this blog by quoting His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "As you calm your mind and your heart, your agitation and worry will naturally subside, and you will enjoy more happiness. Your relationship with others will reflect these changes. And as a better human being, you will be a better citizen of your country, and ultimately a better citizen of the world.

I will leave you with this video from Playing for Change, which is a foundation dedicated to connecting the world through music by providing resources (including, but not limited to facilities, supplies, and educational programs) to musicians and their communities around the world. This is a beautiful example of what is possible when we bring communities together.

Go Green for the New Year

So........2009 is about to roll around, and it's that time when we all start to think about making New Years Resolutions. I used to always make them, but now I just make changes whenever I feel I need to. I mean, why wait until New Years to change something? When you want to change something in your life, you should do it as soon as you can motivate yourself, right? And, it's not like you have to just do it once a year, but do it as many times through the year as you want. Don't make unrealistic promises to yourself. So many people go full force into something totally new and different, and it ends up fading away. Sometimes changes or additions need to be gradual. And, if you screw up...no biggie... just pick yourself up again and start over.

Speaking of resolutions, one thing that I think everyone should incorporate into their lifestyle is to start living environmentally friendly. Why wait until new years... go green now!

Now, I know as much as you that it's impossible to care 100% all of the time for the environment, but as long as we can realize that there is a time and a place for paper plates, plastic utensils, plastic bags, and so on... and at least cut down, then we can start to make some noticeable changes together.

Below I have outlined some small changes that you can start to incorporate into your life that will make you and the earth feel a little healthier:

**Shop at your local farmers market: If you've have been to your farmers market, then you know what a delight is. Shopping at the farmers market keeps the money local and in the community. It saves energy and pollution since the produce does not have to travel over long distances. Not all of the produce is organic, so you'll have to ask around. But, buying local is the key. Also, if you can walk to the farmers market... that saves energy as well. Don't forget to bring your own shopping bags!

**Bring your own silverware, plate, bowl, and cup to work. This way, you won't have to throw away plastic utensils everyday, and paper, and styrofoam. The water that you will use to wash the dishes is still better than throwing all of that stuff into a landfill. Wash with warm water and don't let the water run for too long.

**Keep your A/C off as much as you can and open windows and use fans. There is a myth that if you turn on and off the A/C then it costs more. That is not true... I tested it myself and cut my electric bill in half!

**If you have an older dishwasher, and you live alone or with one other person, try washing your dishes by hand rather than running the dishwasher. Chances are... you will save some money and water. If you are a family of 4, then it might be harder and the circumstances might be a little different.

** Buy compact florescent light bulbs and count on natural sunlight as much as you can to light your home rather than lamps or other artificial lighting.

**Buy a water filter and buy an environmentally friendly water bottle (like the sigg cup) rather than buying plastic water bottles. This way, you can cut down on the amount of plastics you throw away, and when you drink water out of a filter, then it doesn't have the plastic leeching into your water, which causes cancer. Also, if you have a water filter on your refrigerator then drink out of that. The water coolers are a #7 plastic, which is the worst for you. Plus, if you have a fridge with a water filter... why spend the extra money on the water cooler?

**Buy glass or ceramic tupperware. You'll end up throwing away the plastic eventually, and the more that plastic is used and heated, the more it will leech into your food and put you at risk for health problems later in life.

**Make a point to start reading the ingrediants on household soaps and cleaners. Pick out the ones with the least ingrediants where you can understand what they are and what they mean. Do research and try making your own household cleaners, or go to the health food store and buy natural cleaners.

**Save your junk mail and use those coupon books or chain letters as wrapping paper, or paper to wrap glass and ceramic when you are moving or when you're helping a friend move.

**When going to the grocery store, use your own bags. Also, don't use the plastic in the produce section to bag your fruits and veggies. You're just going to end up throwing them away anyways.

**If you have a bike, try riding that more than your car if you aren't going long distances.

**Cut down on manicures and pedicures. Those places waste so much water, so if you're getting them once a week... try taking care of your own nails, and get them once a month instead. You'll save so much money too!

**Of course... if you're not vegan or vegetarian, try to go vegetarian for a few days a week. The animal agriculture industry produces more greenhouse gasses than cars, trucks, and planes combined!

**RECYCLE & REUSE EVERYTHING!!!!

The list can go on and on, but pick one at a time... and just start to incorporate these changes into your life! What else can you think of? Let's keep the list going!