10/11/03 VS Chicago Meeting Notes
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Take Back Your Time Day - October 24, 2003
"The date falls nine weeks before the end of the year
and symbolizes the fact that we Americans
now work an average of nine full weeks more each year
than do our peers in Western Europe. "
(Take Back Your Time, John de Graaf, editor, page viii)
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Julie, Ross, Katherine, Shelly, Keri, Gerry, Dave, Jason, Jill, Amy, Greg, Joe, Karen. John, Jessica and Colin attended. Topics…
Life in the Grand Canyon - Joe
Joe quit his job at a management consulting company and went to live in a 12 x 12 trailer in the Grand Canyon on a Park Rangers salary. He was hiking 30-50 miles a week and found he was more in tune with the rhythms of life. He then went on to work for a green building company doing solar energy housing development in Tucson. He quit this job to start helping non-profits with social entrepreneurship. He found his latest job by going to a conference on a subject he was interested in. When you want to do something different you should be aware of "bumping" into what you need. You should follow your intuition to know which direction to take.
VSC Yahoo Group
(E-mail List Server)
Current Situation:
People don't know what it is and who can post etc. Others have raised issues on the volume and subjects of the postings. People feel information overload on off-topic subjects. Ross has been main contributor. People with slow connections really do not like long inappropriate content.
What people would like:
- More personal thoughts and contributions
- Announcements of gatherings, activities potlucks, singalongs, and other events
- Study groups and online discussions
Future Changes
- A discussion will be started on the list itself
- People should try and limit the size of postings
- Political content will not be posted for now
- People could make the subject line more descriptive to allow people to delete easily.
The Meaning of Life
The inspiration for the session was the Joseph Campbell quote:
"People say that what we are seeking is a meaning of life. I don't think that's what we're really seeking. I think what we're seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely plane will have resonance within our inner most being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive."
Colin asked the group if they agreed with the quote and wanted to use it as the basis of a discussion. Each person has their own search. In "Conversations with God" life is described as a riddle set up by God that you choose. Some found that "Being in the now" helped give meaning. Many people are waiting to live. We are very lucky to be able to worry about these issues rather than just surviving like many people. There is some guilt associated with this. Do what's naturally right and feel OK with it. Don't go back is a good rule for some people but it depends on the job they were doing, the skills they have etc.
Work can take over life and become a substitute for true meaning. What if we didn't have to work? What if technology had delivered the promise? Work tends to separate us from life. There are too many inputs and stimuli. Work isn't everything, we should keep our eyes open for values and good stuff along the way.
Many people find meaning in giving to others. What and why would you give? Often society is based on taking as much as possible, reinforced by advertising and codified in philosophies such as Objectivism and followers of Ayn Rand. Is altruism as rewarding for everyone? In giving you receive. Orwell said that you should not expect a beggar to thank you for giving him money. In the accepting he gave you the gift of superiority.
Personal moments when life was most meaningful had elements of novelty of the situation, often leading to a simplicity of the experience; the feeling of making a difference and acting on a small scale such as just being nice to people. The sense of meaning can be transitory.
Garbage Lessons
Following the trash collection strike garbage was piling up in Chicago's streets. Greater awareness of what people are consuming. Amount of plastic vs. paper and other recyclables. Dave had tried composting, following instructions from U of I, and it worked well however it still would have been cheaper to buy from Home Depot but with a plastic bag. It is absurd that we defecate and urinate into potable water when we could be composting. Hopefully people thought about the consequences of their garbage.
Are you a Workaholic?
Colin had a 20-question test for workaholism. The group took it. If you had 3 or more Yes's you were a workaholic. Most people had 4-6, even those who weren't currently employed. The group discussed the ideas. People related being scared to be the first to leave work, coworkers working late on Friday night or Saturday morning to clear work before they could start their weekend. Outside of work we over schedule with too much to do. We are filling all the space in our lives - a distraction from what we might find within? Sometimes living with a passion can get misplaced. People who seek their identity in work tend to work more. Even children are having the time structured and scheduled. What is the right degree of structure? How do people react when they lose their structure e.g. losing a job, separating from family or high school? Check out Leo Buscaglia: " Living, Loving and Learning"
Recorded by Colin
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