Governments are not in charge, you are!

Great Bear Rainforest

Wow, this place really exists, lets keep it this way.

It is hard to avoid news of pipelines and conservation these days. The reason for this, is because it’s extremely important.

As the world becomes more connected, with the aid of the Internet, people are able to be heard from all over. The one voice is getting louder! This means that certain events don’t sneak by as easily these days; causing companies and governments to be more accountable to those voices.
As more and more of these voices begin to join, they slowly edge ahead of the power that governments and corporations think they have and the people become the leading force.
Governments and corporations work for us, we are their boss, their employer. As with any boss, we need to set out guidelines for our staff, tell them what’s acceptable and what’s not. Tell them how our world needs to run, and if they get it wrong, discipline them, give them a warning, or ultimately, fire them.
Warnings are being sent all the time, occupy movements across the globe, soldiers uncovering the truths and leaving the forces, movies being released on the important issues, global issues trending on twitter, scientists uncovering issues and pitching ways to solve them, even Roseanne Barr is getting involved! In one constituent of Toronto this month, the Green party received almost the same amount of votes as the Conservatives. The people are sending their warnings, but is our staff listening? If they don’t, then we must fire them.

Let’s keep on the pressure, never give up trying to take this human race in the right direction, we are all on this planet for a reason and it sure isn’t to make money and save the economy by pulling the black gold from the Earth.  The Earth will spit us out, or it will nurture us, treat others how you would like to be treated, this also goes for our planet. Be good to her!

Check out the video below – a friend of mine is involved in the project, which plans to show a group standup paddle board the proposed oil tanker route through the great bear rainforest. The proposed northern gateway pipeline is a  ridiculous idea, they stupidly plan to pick up the oil from the end of this pipeline, in ships bigger than the Exxon Valdez. For those that are unaware, the Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska in 1989, causing a spill of nearly 10.9 million gallons on 1100 miles of coastline. Despite their seemingly large fine of $125 million, they still sit as the number two richest company in the world! We do not want a repeat of this. Many communities depend on this coastline to survive, and it’s widely regarded as one of the more treacherous navigable water on the planet. It is a disaster we can’t chance.

Thanks for reading, watching, sharing and most importantly, taking action.

http://www.indiegogo.com/stand-film

Other ways to help

Avaaz Petition

Take it Taller Campaign

Leadnow.ca campaign

The government did not make it easy to google this page – but I provide it here for you with ease - Submit a Comment to the Northern Gateway Project Joint Review Board

For those that want to read more about the Exxon Valdez disaster, I found this good resource.

Day 108 (positive project) Travelling Light

Yesterday a friend of mine inspired me with one small story. She told me that on a previous trip to Central America, she had packed some spare clothes in her carry on luggage incase her checked bag was lost, wise move! Her bag was then lost and took 3 weeks to be reunited. One lesson she learnt was that she realized that she had packed way too much and didn’t need all that stuff anyway.

So along with this advice and also the advice of the minimal blog, I have unpacked and re-packed. Five weeks in Central America with this small bag pictured below. Am I mad, or will it be liberating? Here goes….

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Day 55 (positive project) Minimize

Today I spent an hour running through my wardrobe.  I was not literally running through it, it’s not that big, but I was checking through my stuff to see what I do & don’t wear these days.

Living where I do requires two very distinct seasons of clothing, Winter and Summer.  This however is no excuse for the amount of clothing I have.  Now, unlike some, I am not a clothes shopper, I very rarely buy clothing, but I do keep it around.  There are things that I came across, that are great items, but that I have not actually worn in over a year.  Why am I carting this around?

So, now is the time to reduce the amount of belongings I have.  We all tend to keep hold of things when they really serve no purpose other than an emotional attachment, a memory maybe, or a gift from someone you love.  If these items no longer serve you, then there really is no point in keeping hold of them.  The gift was given with love, the love still stands even if the gift is not there anymore.  We should not become attached to these things.

All of it is outta here

I didn’t actually count the items that I pulled out, but I have a large bag full of them.  I would maybe estimate about 30 different garments.

These will be heading off for donation somewhere on the lead up to Christmas.  Hopefully to a non-profit organization where someone will benefit from warm clothing that ordinarily they wouldn’t be able to afford.  So now is the time to find the right place for the clothes.

I wanted to direct you to an amazing article from Joshua Becker – 7 Ways to Sample Living with Less

Day 54 (positive project) Worry Turns to Trust

The entire premise of this blog hinges on emotion.  The very act of being positive relates to feelings of positivity and is therefore inseparable from emotion.  This awareness of ones ‘state of being’ has brought me closer to my emotions and places them somewhat in the spotlight, forcing me to take a look at them.

Now the topic of emotions is HUGE and many books have been written and will be written on this matter.  But, my current interpretation on emotions (and I reserve the right to change my opinions) is that emotions are indicators, signposts, a way to measure how you are doing and if you are on the right path.  Being able to access these emotions, or at least recognizing them when they appear is very beneficial to setting the path you desire.

Bringing positivity to the forefront during this project, obviously brings with it the negativity as you need to have both polarities for the other to exist.  Positivity has no context without negativity.  So when one attempt to remain positive, you tend to look at negative in order to choose the path.  This brought me to a fork in the road, one path is doubt, the other is trust….

We harbour doubts and mistrusts to protect ourselves. We create suffering when there is no need. The bad stuff happens in ones head, but that is merely worry. For one need not protect himself, when one is surrounded by positivity and honesty. Have faith that humanity will provide only good and if ‘badness’ does occur then be it dealt with then, as that is enough to contend with. Extra undue worry, simply adds.  It is merely mind clutter that wasteth time and emotion.  TRUST.

~ Alan  Churchill

Never disregard your emotions and never be your emotions, use them wisely.

Join me in turning Worry into Trust.

Day 33 (positive project) Spreading Goodness

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Today I spread the work of good people. Doing good for those who have done good for me. If ever I am able to help a friend, I will of course.

My good friend Ash, known to many as “Subb-an” has been extremely focused over the last years in pursuing his passions and dreams like no-one else I have ever met. He has the determination and unwavering love of what he does. His life decisions revolve around his passions and thus far have proved extremely beneficial.

Today I heard the news that he has made the DJ Magazine nominations for best of British 2011 in the Breakthrough DJ category.
If you have heard of Subb-an and appreciate his stuff, then you can help him get to the next level by joining me in voting for him – Best of British -

For those that haven’t heard his stuff, then you can visit his soundcloud. If you like what you hear and you feel compelled to cast some votes, then go ahead and follow the links on the DJ Mag page.

Subb-an’s Facebook page

Day 20 (positive project) Complaining

I am currently working a job that involves some rather mundane physical labour.  During this work, I am left alone with my thoughts, whilst (as it currently stands) I scrub algae from the bottom of a boat. This has both benefits and problems. One benefit, is that I am able to filter through some thoughts and file things, organize things in my head and generally do a bit of housekeeping of the mind.  During this process I came up with todays positive change.  But first, the problems with the job, just to set a bit of background.

"This is FUN!"

I ache, I get bored, I get cold, I injure myself, I spill chemicals over me, I get wet, I feel pain! So, this has lead me to complain a little bit, not only to other people but to myself, in my head, for much of the day.  It’s been getting to me and I am fed up of it (the complaining that is).  So, here enters my positive change.  I currently have one week left of this particular job and it is my plan to not complain for the rest of my time in the job.  Being British however, this could be a challenge.  I started today whilst under the boat, each time a sigh of questioning frustration and exhaustion left my lungs, I would catch myself and smile.  I even laughed a few times, laughing at how easy I become frustrated.  Music helped me too, although when earbuds fall out whilst spraying bleach, suited up in rubber gloves, goggles and a face mask, in a crawl space the size of a glove-box, the task of re-fitting the audible light relief was cringeworthy.  But no, no complaints.  People have it way worse, I need to be grateful.

So hence the idea of no complaints was born.  I need to give myself some ground rules here as I need to be clear how I can avoid complaining.  Complaining is part of my culture, it’s also factored in to my humour delivery.

Complain – express dissatisfaction or annoyance about a state of affairs or an event

Ok, so all I have to is not express dissatisfaction – If I am dissatisfied with something, how can I make the dissatisfaction known without complaining? Surely I am not to just put up with a situation I don’t like?  Maybe that’s exactly what I do.

I am going to stop complaining for the next week.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Jeremy Rifkin knows

Jeremy Rifkin talks about the environment, industrial revolutions and change. Please put some time aside to watch this video. He comments on many things that ring true for me and I feel that others should also take note of what he says if we are going to continue the human race through the upcoming issues facing our planet and society.
He also talks about distribution and the Internet, which is the catalyst for change. The planet has never had this amount of connectedness before and this global connection could be the means to turn these money driven, corporate ran, greedy governments around.

Thanks

Alan

Positive change

Starting from today (October 16th 2011) I will be hoping to post one positive change that I have made in my life. It may be only a small change, or maybe a big change. I will be posting these changes on my twitter account with the hope of reaching far and wide to encourage inspiration and to create change in the world, no matter how small, but in a positive direction.

So that this positivity can reach as many as possible you can begin following either within these pages, or on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/alchurchill

As the leaf falls

As I sit and watch a leaf fall from the tree, I am educated by the shedding ritual of nature. As I am about to embark on a new phase of my life, it reminds me of the need to release old patterns, or reduce possessions, and to drop all the comforts of your current situation in order for new leaves to emerge. It can be very hard to let go of all those leaves and to bare all, to surrender yourself to the unknown, however we need to trust in the universe and understand that new leaves will grow back. So long as we don’t neglect ourselves and continue to nourish our body and our soul, we will pull through to the other side, emerging as we did before, but with a whole new canopy of freshness.

So as I prepare for my move to Tofino, I shed my job, my apartment, some possessions, some connections and my current perspective of the world around me. I know new leaves will emerge and I have complete confidence in my ability to nourish myself; so I shed my situation in excited acceptance of the next, as I have done, so many times before.

Keeping it fresh since 1979.

Al