Natalie Audelo

Do you know someone who sees the world in a way that reveals new hues to you? Whose sense of self-awareness leads them to move with arresting originality, and invites you to do the same just by nature of being in their aura? It’s that quality I’m increasingly drawn to during these times when it’s all too tempting to see life in dark shades and dull... See more

Desire Infrastructure

I'm playing on the term "desire paths" here, the paths that show up where people actually want to walk, not just where the planners of sidewalks and roads want them to walk.

I believe that new ideas are born from demand. They are born from the courage and patience required to sit in the uncomfortable void of Not This while humbly waiting for an answer.

It’s frequently said that societal collapse is not a singular event, but a process. Jem Bendell’s seminal (and controversial) paper on the topic, Deep Adaptation, defines it as an “uneven ending of our normal modes of sustenance, shelter, security, pleasure, identity, and meaning.”

And there are consistent patterns that emerge from observing other organisms—winning strategies for thriving that are nearly ever-present across the Tree of Life. The Biomimicry Institute outlined a number of them in what they call Life’s Principles. There are 27 in total, but I’ll give you a taste with their six overarching principles: 1. Evolve... See more

Compliments are an other-oriented token that don’t demand a response from the person they are directed to. They also don’t usually require the receiver to reveal anything — the compliment affirms that what they chose to reveal has been seen and noted.

I might have approached the librarian with something along the lines of, “I love your dress. I had... See more

One lesson to learn from his death is that if we are to live well to the end, we need to be able to freely discuss when a life is complete, without shame or taboo. Such a discussion may help people to know what they really want. We may regret their decisions, but we should respect their choices and allow them to end their lives with dignity.

“One of the most satisfying feelings I know — and also one of the most growth-promoting experiences for the other person — comes from my appreciating this individual in the same way that I appreciate a sunset. People are just as wonderful as sunsets if I can let them be. In fact, perhaps the reason we can truly appreciate a sunset is that we cannot

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