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Personal and Community Growth
The possibilities of personal
transformation and growth are
infinite - if we are open to them.
We have the opportunity to
educate ourselves and grow for our
entire life - not just the first
18 years. Our adult years can be
the most powerful and
transformative years if we choose
to take that path. Wisdom is not
shown by what one knows, it is
shown by the openness of exploring
and receiving what one does not
know. Life can be a continuous
journey of growth and evolution.
Expansion is found both during
times of hardship and challenge
and in times of beauty and peace.
Accepting the full depths of life
can lead us down the most
fulfilling path. What does it
really mean to be alive? Living
and Working Closely with others
allows for the opportunity to
expand both by supporting us in
our growth and presenting us with
many challenges that will inspire
us to create something new. We all
have gifts and areas of strength -
at the same time, we all have our
challenges. By accepting all of
this, we find a place from which
to grow.
Our workshops
and events are often geared
towards learning and experiencing
a new part of the wholistic model.
Other Areas of Personal
and Community Based Growth
Our Relation to Money and
Finances
From a Personal Level, there is a
societal disease that many of us
have, where we are completely
dependent on things outside of
ourselves. Addictions have never
been so rampant as they are now in
our society. One of these
addictions is money. Money doesn't
have to be a negative thing if you
know how to use money for what you
need without it controlling your
every choice. Many times people
aren't even aware that money is
controlling them in the way that
it does. By accepting that we have
an unhealthy relationship with
money, we can grow in ways that
make us more centered and stronger
in our own power.
From a Community Level, it is
imperative that we stop letting
the Big Box Stores and large
corporations push us around. In
order to facilitate this process,
we need to come together as
community, as opposed to focusing
on our differences. Our personal
challenges with money give us a
big clue as to why to have these
challenges on the community level.
We are dependent on outside
sources for our energy. It is
difficult to ask the Big Box
stores to leave when we lost the
systems within our own community
to create our own products, food,
etc.
Did you know that shopping at
locally-owned businesses can keep
up to 50% more dollars in the
local economy than shopping at
chain stores? (Source
www.livingeconomies.org)
Small, family-owned businesses not
only keep more economic profits
within a community, but their
creative spirit adds character to
the community. And when goods and
services are sourced locally,
communities are less affected by
economic downturns at the national
and international level.
Let's take farming as an example
of what type of transformation is
possible. Local farmers have many
opportunities to convert from
conventional farming methods to
more natural and organic methods
of growing. From our past
experience in market farming and
business, we believe there are
currently vast opportunities to
create new green jobs in Southern
Indiana in the area of local food
production. If we want to create
new economy locally, then we must
first start with those
products/services that we can
provide with the resources we
have. We can grow MUCH MORE food
locally. Obviously, food is an
essential consumer product and no
matter the state of the economy,
there will always be a need for
fresh and processed food. We are
fortunate here in Southern Indiana
to have good soil, and a nice
growing season that can supply
BOUNTIFUL harvests. It IS POSSIBLE
to grow many more vegetables,
grains, and beans and to produce
much more meat, eggs, etc.
locally--And to do this in a way
that is economically, and
environmentally sustainable. We
must create the systems ourselves
instead of allowing big business
to push its profit- hungry systems
upon us. Those systems come from a
place of ego, where money and
control are the driving forces.
With local agriculture, one knows
where his or her food is coming
from and sees the beauty and
bounty that is available to all of
us living here in Southern
Indiana.
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