Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and questions about life design as we traverse this new landscape we find ourselves in. Although there are regional differences, many of us seem to be on a common trajectory.
Initially, our world was anxious and panicky as the news broke around us. We were focused on ‘tending and befriending’ ~ preparing for what might come, and caring for one another. We were firmly situated on the bottom rungs of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
After some time passed, we began to relax a bit, tentatively emerging from our dens for a moment, then retreating again, all the while trying to find some equilibrium amidst our many tangled emotions and reactions.
Now we may have started seeing things in a new way; the duration and the impact of all this laid bare in front of us. Seems we might be here for a while. Many of us are beginning to look at our lives in this new context, to explore who we are becoming, and where all this might lead. There are signs everywhere that we are strengthening our resilience.
A permaculture principle that may be helpful as we move forward through this uncharted territory is this: ‘start where you are, use what you have, do what you can’. When we apply this principle to designing our lives, we build greater resilience and adaptability, and see the possibilities, rather than the barriers. The core of this principle guides us to care for ourselves with kindness and compassion, and move forward gently.
In permaculture courses, students often arrive feeling that to practice permaculture, they will need to acquire a large piece of land and create a fully functioning farm. Without the necessary resources, there is a risk of becoming discouraged and giving up. When we shift our mindset to starting where we are, using what we have, and doing what we can, possibilities begin opening up for us. Permaculture students, for example, might consider starting out by working on an existing farm, leasing a section of someone’s land, accessing a plot in a community garden, or filling a balcony, deck, or window ledge with planters of veggies and herbs. Or they may find a completely different way to practice permaculture that fits with where they are, what they have, and what they can do at this time.
Perhaps as you navigate your way through this new landscape, you can apply this principle to crack open some new ideas and possibilities. We are all feeling, to varying degrees, the limitations around us. But like permaculture students, maybe we can design and build a life of purpose and meaning in these extraordinary times by starting where we are, using what we have, and doing what we can.
Please reach out if you’d like to share your thoughts, or if you have any questions about how you might apply this principle to your own life.
“It is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in the broken world.” ~ Mary Oliver
