Change the Focus

Twice in the past day or so, I've bumped up against a comment that made me cringe a little inside. The first time was from Green Bean, whom I was teasing for being unwilling to give up her cookies for my challenge. Her response, in comments on her blog, was as follows:

I'd love to do your challenge, I really would. You are one of my favorite people whom I've never met. In all honesty, though, you are catching me in a bad, or should I say really good place right now. After finishing Simple Prosperity and nearing the end of Break Through (like part of the book, the other half mixed), I'm all about getting things instead of giving up things. I have a post about it (written before I knew about your challenge!) coming up tonight. Saying I'm limiting myself on x, y or z, hasn't really worked for me. Perhaps I could approach this as I will eat more fruits and vegetables and drink more water, instead of I will eat less junk food when the kids aren't looking?

She followed up this morning with a great blog post about focusing on what her life has gained rather than lost recently.

Then this morning, I dropped by Daharja's blog and read her latest post about how movements and organizations often fail to motivate people to make real changes. Instead of focusing on reaching a particular number, such as 350 ppm carbon dioxide, organizations might be more successful if they take a cue from the advertising world and hook people by appealing to their desires rather than their fears. She says,

People are inspired by love, by joy, and by the promise of better things. We get inspired by beauty, by passion, and by the hope of a life where we can live in peace and plenty.

She continues with a beautiful section on the possibilities that are out there in a post-carbon world. It is inspiring. In the comments, comes the stinger for me.

Environmentalists focus on the wrong things. They tell people what they must do without and live without and stop doing and stop using and stop enjoying, and of course they fail.

I have been guilty of what both bloggers say, focusing on what should be given up. Two of my previous challenges were about cutting back and getting rid of stuff. The current one is definitely about giving something up. Thank goodness I had a couple challenges that weren't primarily focused on what people should give up!

From the information I've read in books, research, press, and blogs, I think our world is changing. All of my regular readers know this. They may not agree, they may think I'm overstating the situation, or they may flat-out think I'm a paranoid nut. (I'd like to agree with the last assessment, because then I could stop worrying so much!) There are plenty of resources available online for people to learn about peak oil, oil dependence, climate change, and what it means for "life as we know it." I've linked to a few, and they link to many other sites. There are also many sites out there that will assure you that I am a nut. As they say in science, statistics can be manipulated to tell you anything. Read and come to your own conclusions.

My conclusion is that we are going to have to adapt to different conditions and get used to a different way of life. Luckily, humans can be quite adaptable. That is, after all, how we've managed to thrive. However, we've also gotten used to a certain way of life, greased by a non-renewable source of energy. Without cheap oil, the dynamics change. We may very well have to make do with less.

And this brings me back to the focus of the current challenge. I am asking you to examine what you can live without and what you may have to live without in the future. No-one likes to feel deprived; we want to enjoy our lives. I want to point out, though, that giving something up can have very positive benefits.

It frees up your resources for focusing on what you want in your life. Giving up an expensive smoking habit frees up money for purchases that won't harm you. It also gives you a healthier life that can be spent doing more enjoyable things than standing outside a building inhaling smoke. Not watching television frees up time to spend with your family, playing games, talking, or going for bike rides. Not using the clothes dryer gets you outside where you can slow down your pace, breathe fresh air and listen to the birds sing. Giving up store-bought food reconnects you with real food and the joy of cooking from scratch. Going through the process of giving up something brings self-awareness and insights, as well as the pride and satisfaction of choosing the life you want to live.

Remember to focus on what you will gain during this challenge. This may very well be the key to successfully beating your addiction.