Going home
May 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Most of us have a fanasty of an ideal home and an ideal hometown. Maybe it started with watching Leave it to Beaver. Or maybe it was visiting a friend and experiencing a different kind of town. We all strive to find that place where we feel at home.
So much of this idealized home is what neighbors, local stores and restaurants, community events and sports do to create the sense of home. When you want to go out, what do you do? Do you walk down to your local pub? Do you drive over to a friend’s house? Do you go to the movies?
Some communities are defined by their geography such as ski towns, mountain communities and beach resorts. Others are defined by their sports team such as a winning baseball team. Some have colleges; some have the ocean to orient around. Every community has at least one focal point, even if it is the “unique weather.” This focal point is what people complain about and what they dream about when they hang out with friends. These topics of conversation are ultimately only excuses to talk. It isn’t the subject that matters, what matters is that we talk to people. Our conversations become the threads that weave our communities together.
Those of us who live in harsh climates have an advantage – we are happier. It seems severe weather brings people together to help each other. In assisting others, we feel better about our community and ourselves. As humans, we have an innate need to relate to others and most probably, to help others. When our community supports this type of service, we not only like those in our town, we like the town.
To experience the full pleasures of life we need a thriving community. Here at Whole Revolution we want to assist you in enjoying your local community and our virtual community. Please join us in our quest to discover what it is like to go home.
What is it about food?
May 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment
What is it about food that impassions us? We often describe eating as if we were making love. We fantasize about eating. We build elaborate kitchens. We explore the world through food. We also fret about the caloric, cholesterol and salt content of it and how it should be served.
Now we elevate food to a place of healing. Our food has become our medicine. We seek out organically grown foods. We avoid foods that are overly processed. We study how certain foods reverse illness and increase our vitality.
The growing desire for organic food has also made Whole Foods a very successful company.
Organic food revenue has been increasing at an annual rate of approximately 18.7%, and there are no signs of it slowing down. In 1997, organic food represented 0.8% of the entire food market and by the end of 2006 it was 2.8%. Whole Foods gathered roughly 35% of U.S. organic food revenue last year, approximately $5.8 billion, and this was before the acquisition of the second largest player in the space, Wild Oats.
The green movement also fuels this change — many of us are attempting to find ways to produce, transport and consume food that do not tax the planet. The green movement meets the organic movement under the umbrella of whole foods. We are learning how to save the planet and ourselves while discovering new ways to enjoy food.
Come along with us on this journey to discovering the magic of food.
Discovering Massage
May 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment
When you think of bodywork, you may first think of a body shop that specializes in repairs to your car’s body. If you think of repairing damage to your body, it’s likely that you’ll first think of massage. Massage’s growth is exponential. Massage visits grew from 91 million in 1999 to 136 million in 2003 producing $11 billion in revenue. 24 percent of American had a “massage at least once in the last 12 months and 34 percent of adult Americans received a massage in the last five years.”
Many people first seek massage for the therapeutic value — because they are in pain. This is particularly true for men. Until a man experiences a good massage, he often thinks of it as a luxury for pampered women. However, when a nagging back pain won’t go away and the usual drugs and tricks aren’t working, the pain can push a person to try something new. This is when you start searching for the number of that massage therapist your friend gave you.
As much as men may hate to admit it, this is an area where women are more knowledgeable. Massages not only work, they feel great. In time, a weekly massage can go from a luxury to a necessity. Over time, many of those nagging pains may also disappear and the tolerance for stress improves.
Give yourself a gift! Ask around for a good massage therapist and try it. Your body will thank you. Here are two sites to assist your search: Massagetherapy.com and AMTA.
The Whole Work Revolution
May 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
We spend the most productive times of our lives working. But more of us are choosing to forgo more pay for more of a life. Work needs to support us, and it must be more than a way to make money – more than a place that is stressful. We deserve to work in buildings that are physically and spiritually non-toxic. We deserve acknowledgment that we have a life outside of work. We deserve work that serves our whole community. We deserve work that reflects our vision of a whole life.
Transforming our stressful work into a place of pleasure may seem impossible. With the help of our readers, we will help you get more than money from work. Looking forward to being at work is a pleasure we all strive for, we are here to help you.
What are your Pleasures of Life?
May 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment
What do you live for?
What do you think about when you go to bed? What do you dream about while you sleep? What do you lie awake thinking about? During the moments between other moments of action, what fantasies pop into your head? Are these experiences something you currently have in your life?
Sometimes in the pursuit of success, the enjoyment of life takes a backseat to the achievements of life. It’s time to surrender to the enjoyment of life in all its aspects. You don’t have to deny pleasure in the pursuit of success for success and happiness are not mutually exclusive.
Point of change
We are at a crossroads — we are being told that our future existence as we know it depends on us changing our behaviors. Our culture tells us that we must continue to grow to succeed. Our Declaration of Independence tells the world that we have a right to pursue happiness. Beyond these possibly conflicting positions is a place where the greater good for our fellow human and the planet is served as well as our needs.
New possibilities
One of our reasons for sponsoring Whole Revolution is to provide a vehicle and forum to support the changes the planet so desperately needs AND learn to enjoy the pleasures of the planet. Change that evolves from passion is much more sustainable and enjoyable than change that is forced upon on us for one reason or another.
When we slow down to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, we want to preserve them. A passion for healthy forests drives us to create better forestry practices. We shift from pushing from a place of rightness to leading from our enthusiasm. Internal or external opposing forces may then become our allies.
It is our hope at Whole Revolution that we can assist in co-creating a better life for all on the Four Worlds on the planet (plants, minerals, animals and humans) as our Native American elders refer to them. William McDonough, an internationally renowned sustainability architect, uses as his first criteria for design — “How do we love all the children of all species for all time?”
Our question to you is “How do we pursue our deep happiness while supporting the planet?” Please join us in sharing your passion of living a whole life.
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