In Pursuit of Balanced Collaboration

All Posts, Featured, Sustainable Development Goals
Do you find it hard to collaborate with people on the other side of an issue? You might be wondering, “why would I collaborate with someone I don’t agree with?”. Well, the answer is simple.  That’s how we co-exist.  Further, that’s how we progress. The world is full of differences in opinions, beliefs, needs, wants, etc.  Because we can benefit from finding common ground, we must collaborate beyond just our allies. Take a Seat Collaboration is about more than working with people on the same side of an issue.  It’s about finding a seat at the same table as your “opposition”.  If we are all in this together, then solutions must come from all sides. How can we meet in in the middle if we’re forced to take sides? Triple…
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Sustainability Sweet Spot

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Ever tried to fit a square peg into a round hole?  How about a round peg into a square hole?  I have, and the results are amazing. You see, I always believed myself to be a round peg.  And after researching the term a little bit deeper, it's all so clear. The origins of the idiom are attributed to the 19th-century British philosopher and cleric Sydney Smith who uses the word “misfit” to define the peg.  Of course, that makes sense – mis-fit. Another part of the example I found quite interesting – “trying to combine two things that do not belong or fit together”.  That one triggered an interesting memory. The Big Question It was fourth year of university, and as I was standing in front of the students in…
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Purchase with Purpose

All Posts, Triple Bottom Line
There is a fine line between conservation and hoarding.  Seeing value in so many things can lead to not throwing items away.  To be completely honest – despite being a Virgo – I am not very tidy.  My older Sister (by only 22 months) has been a role model to me ever since I can remember.  She has been there for me in one way or another for decades and I am so grateful for our commitment to each other.  Luckily one of her expertise and hobbies is Clutter Crackdown and I was her guinea pig. It took a long time for what she was saying to sink in, however, over the years her voice (echoed by my mother’s) finally makes sense.  I am finding liberation and enjoyment in getting…
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Waste not, want not

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Everybody wants to get ahead. Well, what it we got ahead of ourselves? Why not slow it down? Take a decade just to catch up with the information and developments. We are revolutionizing products every second. The new & improved are coming out faster than we can keep up with. As a result, having the latest trends is indebting us to jobs we do not love and a lifestyle we cannot sustain. Technology is wonderful, in so many ways. The example of me being able to share my blog online rather than mail it out randomly to the world is simply incredible and efficient. The amount of lives that have been saved with new development of old practices is astonishing. Transportation, education, agriculture, entertainment, and many other parts of our…
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What Makes a City Sustainable?

What Makes a City Sustainable?

All Posts, Fair Trade, Triple Bottom Line
Do you live in a city that practices sustainable development? For me, the desire to live in a truly sustainable city inspired me to become a student again. Luckily this time around technology offers a unique opportunity to learn from great teachers located around the world for free. The online course taught by Prof Jeffrey Sachs offered through coursera.org was eye opening. Sustainable Development based on the key principles of Social Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, & Economic Development is a great objective for the road ahead.  The course concluded last week leaving students with an abundance of knowledge and tools to help us work together at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations. Conscious Consumption Being an entrepreneur teaches me many things that I never would have learned in…
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