“The subtext of most self help is to isolate yourself and work on yourself so that one day people will like you and you’ll be successful. They say improve your mindset, build your skills, clean your room... the rich sad person... there are systems in place in society that keep people miserable, so self improvement only goes so far, but I don’t hear... See more

“The more he forgets himself - by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love - the more human he is and the more he actualises himself”

“Joanna Macy writes that until we can grieve for our planet we cannot love it - grieving is a sign of spiritual health. But it is not enough to weep for lost landscapes; we have to put our hands in the earth to make ourselves whole again. Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choos... See more

“Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and an open heart”

“Greek political philosophy had a strong sense of public service and the duty of the citizen to engage in public affairs... so much so that the ancient Greeks used the term ‘idiotes’ to denote those who did not operate in the public sphere; to put it harshly, if you were only concerned with the public sector, you were an idiot. So if you were a wea... See more

“Recent research shows that the smell of humus exerts a physiological effect on humans. Breathing in the scent of Mother Earth stimulates the release of the hormone oxytocin, the same chemical that promotes bonding between mother and child, between lovers”

“Our most memorable encounters with homeless people tend to be with those for whom mental health issues or drug abuse are evident; you may not notice the family crashing in a motel, but you will remember someone experiencing a mental health crisis on the subway”

“In the Western tradition there is a recognised hierarchy of beings, with, of course, the human being on top - the pinnacle of evolution, the darling of creation, and the plants at the bottom. But in Native ways of knowing, human people are often referred to as “the younger brothers of Creation.” We say that humans have the least experience with ho... See more

“One elder said, “This sustainable development sounds to me like they just want to be able to keep on taking like they always have. It’s always about taking. You go there and tell them that in our way, our first thoughts are not ‘What can we take?’ but ‘What can we give to Mother Earth?’ That’s how it’s supposed to be”