They say you have to walk a mile in a person’s shoes to truly understand what her life is like. For me, it was six miles, barefoot, across irrigation ditches and rice fields in northeast Thailand. The people I hoped to understand were members of the Santi Asoke Buddhist Reform Movement—a fringe Buddhist group who
Waste & Wellbeing: How to Sustain a Good Life
The lessons I learned about material wellbeing at the intentional Buddhist community, Srisa Asoke, are pretty straightforward. Cut back on consumption to just what you need and ensure that your resources last as long as possible by reusing, repairing, and re/upcycling. This approach is not a likely path to early retirement, but it will help
Poverty vs. Plenty: How to Help All Consume Enough
Although to this point we have been primarily concerned with reducing consumption for those of us who currently consume far more than we need, it’s vital to remember that there are vastly more people in the world who occupy the other end of the spectrum. I’m talking about people living in poverty. Underlying all this
12 Tested Tips to Build Your Self-Sufficiency
It’s not always easy to figure out our consumption sweet spot. On the one hand, we have the subjectivity of sufficiency. As Asoke Buddhists reasonably observed, individuals must determine for themselves what is enough. On the other hand, we have the objectivity of ecological constraints. There are real, concrete limits to what we can consume
7 Consumption Movements Lead the Way to Wellbeing
The Santi Asoke Buddhist Reform Movement of Thailand, the group I studied, were serious about reducing their consumption. They only had two suits of clothing (and no shoes), furnished their houses sparsely, had no cars, ate communally, and otherwise gave everything they owned to the collective. This is austere, to be sure, but there are
Understanding Sufficiency: 7 Ways to be Happy with Less
We’ve come to the T in the INTENT 365 project, which stands for Thrifty. Being thrifty, or not wasting money and resources, is a long-held American virtue that fosters material wellbeing. Material wellbeing starts with the ability to meet basic needs for food, water, shelter, and clothing, plus essential services like health and education. If you’re reading
7 Ways to Make a Difference with Global Community Support
Much of our day to day is spent taking care of what’s within reach. We take care of our work, our families, our neighbors and friends, our communities, and hopefully ourselves. But care often extends beyond our inner circle to those in our global community who are struggling as well as for the environment. If
Make Mutuality Mutually Supportive with These 5 Principles
Mutuality is all about treating each other with respect and consideration, even under conditions of asymmetric power (like parent/child). We definitely want mutuality for its own sake, but also because it sets a foundation for mutual support. Note that having a foundations doesn’t mean we have a house to live in. We have to build
8 Ways to Find Wellbeing in a Community Commons
The community commons plays a vital role in social wellbeing by knitting together the fabric of society and helping the interdependent individuals within it to thrive. Here are 8 ways to get the most out of commons-based relationships. Tip #101: Contemplate Communal Support Last week I wrote about how the concept of reciprocity improves current research
The Feeling’s Mutual: Energize Social Support through Give & Take
I have long romanticized living in a commune where people help each other freely, for the good of all. After living in an intentional community, I know that communal life is not all peace, love, and happiness. Nevertheless, I’m still drawn to the ideal. Especially when I think of all the people who are grappling
Sustainability & Social Activity: A Double Win for Wellbeing
Social activity can be all the more meaningful if we shape it with intention to help other people and the planet. But to balance out last week’s rather serious round up of meaningful social wellbeing tips, let’s have some fun. The following 8 examples of how to merge socializing with sustainability offer inspiration for when
Inclusion & Social Wellbeing: How to Aid those in Need
Inclusion and wellbeing go hand in hand. Human are inherently social and thrive in groups. That is, we have an innate need to belong, to be included. If you’ve ever felt a dent in your happiness and self-esteem when you weren’t invited to join a club or attend a party, you likely understand this. Now
“SOS: Save Our Social Skills” 6 Ways to Rescue Kids Now
After a year of pandemic-induced isolation, we’re all suffering socially — especially kids. If we’re totally honest, we’d have to admit that a lot of kids didn’t have the best social lives to begin with. They’re often over-scheduled and under-socialized, thanks to too much homework, resume-building extracurriculars, and screen time. Now, as schools are reopening,
How Good Friends Help Us to Be Better People
Good friends offer more than a fun night out or a shoulder to cry on. Good friends also share our values and goals and influence us positively. This is the prime reason an intentional community forms – like the Buddhist community in Thailand I studied. Community members explained that it’s much easier to follow their