Learnings through the Lens of Permaculture Principles
Observe & Interact.
OP 1A &B Life Design
More time for observation is really good. I am grateful that I am moving slowly into herbal studies and design management as I believe that these skills will naturally grow through time now that they are in my bones. For me Observe reminds me of PATO and I am recognizing how connected I become to systems through awareness/observation of the system.
Key Opportunity:
Establish contact and create time to engage/observe/be with the systems in which I want to be more competent.
Spend documentation/reflection time recognizing what my goals are and how that is going.
Work with Nature
This year has been more time in front of a computer than any other year in my life. I have enjoyed this process of literally slowing down and being wtith mental/digital design in a more intentional way. AND I do miss nature. I don’t think I would like to live in a city long term (or even suburbs).
Key Opportunity: Spend time observing nature. Read biomimicry. Utilize nature’s renewable resources: sunshine, perennial plants.
The problem is an opportunity
Always. I am aiming to find the peace that comes with gratitude for what is rather than seeking the slightly better hard won accomplishment of executing my design. Luckily design is iterative so with each new ‘problem/challenge’, we have the opportunity yet again to shift our course/perspective.
Key opportunity: Gratitude, positive reframe, acceptance.
Make the least change for the greatest possible affect
I believe that there are small tweaks that could drastically affect my life but I haven’t fully grokked this one. Probably mostly has to do with mindset. Acceptance.
Key Opportunity: Use life coaches, friends, etc. . . to help recognize where my areas of greatest growth lay to which I am blind.
The yield of the system is theoretically unlimited
Design has helped me fathom how much is possible
I recognize that there are so many ways to do any one thing. I reflect that as a youngest child, I often thought there was a ‘right’ way that the older kids knew rather than that my older siblings implemented 1 of a million ‘right’ ways.
Key Opportunity: Spend more time in protracted observation and goal articulation considering how I wish my life to unfold.
Everything is connected
OP 3, life
I saw this the most clearly in my Health studies — Herbalism.
The plight of our planet
The challenges of politics
The Bees. There is no single causal factor for CCD.
Key Opportunity: Health — I become increasingly aware that through good design in utilizing my vast breadth of information surrounding personal health, I have the capacity to share with others my renaissance approach to living the good life in the 21st century. My intention is for this to be OP 8.
Relinquishing Power
TALC & Life
Spiral Dynamics and leader-ful communities. The power of becoming vulnerable and delegating authority and responsibility is a large part of being a good leader.
Key Opportunity: Finding humility. Fully intending being a good follower when I am in the position of follower. When I am a leader, delegating/granting authority when I delegate responsibility. When I am in a community without clear hierarchy, then I need to find my positive attitude and not feel responsible for the ship.
Unknown good benefit
LoL/TALC
Gaia offered me content beyond my hopes as I came in largely to connect with Sangha and create structure for myself.
Key Opportunity: Stay in gratitude to what life IS offering rather than resistance to what plans are not emerging.
Succession of Evolution
The homestead in Baja was a very clear illustration for me of the sense that given time, nature does run its course. Allowing for the powerful plants to take over makes more sense than trying to save smaller plants. Design structures for both to exist separately rather than together. Allow in design for evolution of the system.
Key Opportunity: Let it Be. In design, understanding the cycle of things.
Cyclical Opportunity
OP 1 - 5
Each OP cycle offers me an opportunity to improve how I present myself and my information to others.
Key Opportunity: Design is cyclic. Allow for constant refinement. “Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good.' I have the opportunity to do stuff and even though I know it could be better, it still makes sense to do it in this cycle.
Functional Design
OP 4
Understanding a design methodology or a design process helps me undestand how it can be functional. I believe Articulating Goals and establishing clear actionable items (to do list) is a great approach to the functional aspect of design.
Diversity yields stability
It is not the number of diverse elements you can pack into a system, but rather the number of useful connections
Key Opportunity: Remain open to possibilities. Don’t burn bridges especially on principles that are myopic after time. I am grateful that I am continuing my studies in a wealth of topics and creating a broad base to stand upon.
Information as a resource
Design
Managing, organizing
OP 4 — sharing information is one of the key features of good management: templates, action sheets, feedback sheets
Information is infinitely available on the web. How to we evaluate/validate information is crucial. Access to information or knowing which information is validated feels significant. Can we trust the loudest, the most often spoken, the scientific, our gut, our parents. . . .?
Key Opportunity: Use design to make information easily organized, presentable and accessible. I like all of the content on my Permaculture page on my website but I need to scale back and actually make it aesthetically flow so that the information is useable (not just valuable)
Catch and store energy
OP 2 : Plants are the original PhotoVoltaic cell
Water, seeds, forests and soil are fundamentally how we should see energy in our natural ecosystems.
Love is a central energy to all life.
Key Opportunity: Open to love (and sunshine).
Obtain a Yield
My yield these days has been largely about presenting myself.
I have many skills but marketing is not among them (yet).
Flower Essence website demonstrates a yield that is becoming available. Utilizing yields seems to be more my edge than harvesting a yield. Too much abundance.
I am expanding into herbal products
Trees planted years ago are fruiting.
Capstone OP 2 & 4 Herbalism, Cordials & Chocolates
Key Opportunity: I have been tending my internal soil for decades, I think it is time to harvest myself.
Apply self regulation and Accept Feedback
OP 4 Catering Templates to refine the system implemented. Always good to create feedback loops for my own reflection and others input.
Key Opportunity: Recognizing that feedback in the moment of engaging with a system is one of the most valuable pieces of information that we have. I am seizing this opportunity to reflect more. In my management situations, I am seizing the opportunity to create sheets offering others to give me feedback.
Use & Value Renewable Resources and Services
OP 2 Solar Energy
Key Opportunity: Grid tie the inverter.
Produce no waste
Accepting Compost as a Resource simultaneously acknowledging that minimizing food put into the compost bin as product
OP 4 Set up infrastructure to REUSE not recycle the storage containers.
Key Opportunity: Learn and teach better methods of compost since soil health is a huge passion for me.
Design from Pattern to Details. . .
Deeper understanding of patterns this year from spirals and branching to include patterns of archetypes and themes. This crossover to my literary view of the universe adds layers of seeing themes in people and then becoming a fortune teller by designing from patterns to details. The same archetypes deal largely with the same issues.
Key Opportunity: Recognizing that archetypes are Patterns. I realize that I want to better understand the archetypes of humanity through Enneagram, meyers briggs and ayurvedic and chakric and seasonal patterns.
Use Small and Slow Solutions
OP 3 Farmstead Arts— Inviting people back into some hands on approaches to food and health.
Localizing anything (wax, food, fermentation, gardens, animal husbandry, honey, bees, pollination) is a small and slow solution to contrast the industrialization model of mono cropping efficiency.
Key Opportunity: In Baja, implement the simplest techniques as there is no long term plan.
Use and Value Diversity
Diversity in thought and skills
Planting seeds in sun and shade
In management — using the diversity of my staff with clear communication
Key Opportunity:
Use Edges & Value the Marginal
Edge this year is best represented as pushing my learning edge to grow. Digital literacy was a huge edge and many other edges have grown. Maximum growth near the edges.
Key Opportunity: Grow my edge. Right now feels like presentation/branding of myself.