Amit Goswami. (Quantum Physicist). From “The Quantum Doctor.”

Whilst our Government assures us that it’s “ringfencing the NHS” during our anticipated austerity measures, I’m starting to wonder which areas of our current medical system are worth preserving. Perhaps this point in our collective medical history is an opportunity for some replacement rather than preservation?

Emergencies and disease.

There are some good reasons for us to question Western orthodox medicine. Personally, I view our National Health Service as valuable for some things such as emergency treatment and diagnosis of disease. For example, I would welcome the arrival of a paramedic if I were involved in a road accident. I would approach my GP if I suspected a broken bone and wanted an x-ray or if I was keeping an eye on my iron count and wanted a blood test, for example. However, once I’ve got a diagnosis and when treating a disease, I avoid allopathic drugs if at all possible because of their toxicity. I will seek alternatives, usually from an herbalist or homeopath. I would also consider changes to my lifestyle and diet.

To promote good health, I would far rather approach an alternative practitioner than my GP. I don’t believe GP’s are trained in promoting good health so much as in treating disease and so I would not view them as a credible source of information and guidance in that area. I much prefer to be treated holistically and by somebody who views me as a whole person and is prepared to spend some time with me understanding my medical problem or my desire to optimise my health.

The limits.

As a child I fractured my spine and had surgery. My spine was fused in the lower lumbar region in order to prevent the possible loss of use of my legs and further paralysis in my lower body. I’m grateful to orthodox Western medicine for the skill of the surgeons who treated me, even though the surgery was only a partial fix. Subsequent to the surgery, I experienced a lot of pain in my back and some loss of feeling in my arms and legs. This stayed with me on and off all through my teenage years, my twenties and thirties and finally peaked when I was 35.

At this point it seemed that Western orthodox medicine was no longer able to help me. The best suggestion that the Orthopaedic Consultant could come up with to alleviate my difficulties was to prescribe a surgical brace which I was to wear all day every day until such time as the pain was too great to bear and I needed further surgery. He estimated that I would last about 2 years maximum before needing the surgery. He described the surgery as very risky and likely to result in paralysis. This sounded to me like the top of a slippery slope and so I researched alternatives.

There are other options

To begin with I turned to osteopathy to help me and then later, when I met a yoga therapist, I started a daily yoga practice under his guidance. I also took nutritional advice from a medical herbalist. Using these alternatives I have managed to alleviate all back pain (except for the occasional incident, usually when I lift something too heavy). My spine has stayed in good condition and I have strengthened the muscles that support my spine, something I would not have achieved by wearing the surgical brace. Thus I have also avoided having further surgery on my spine. Ironically, in middle age, my spine is probably stronger now than it’s ever been.

During the course of this particular journey, I’ve met many others – clients, friends, colleagues and family – who’ve reached the end of the road with Western orthodox medicine and have turned to  alternatives as a way to inform and support them in their return to good health.

Similarly, as a society, maybe we’ve now reached the point where we need to adopt a totally different, more holistic, approach to treating disease and promoting wellbeing.

Main differences in approach and outcome of Western Orthodox Medicine and Other Medical Systems.

1.    Western medicine views the body as a collection of individual organs and systems, much like a machine. Alternative medical systems view the body as an energy field and part of someone’s whole intimately connected mind-body-spirit.

2.    Western medicine sees its prime function as treating the symptoms of disease or disability. Alternative medical systems see their function as healing disease, preventing disease and promoting good health.

3.    Western medicine is not holistic in its approach and thus misses the connection between the mind, body and spirit. It generally discounts the existence of other valid methods of creating wellbeing, even dismissing the positive influences of the mind-body connection in healing as a “placebo effect”, as though this were irrelevant or inconsequential. Alternative medical systems are often holistic and recognise that understanding the link between mind, body and spirit is crucial to wellbeing.

4.    In the UK, Western orthodox medicine is the system favoured by our Government and is therefore free or low cost under the NHS. Most alternatives are not and as such this limits their accessibility for some on low incomes. So, there are important political and social barriers to seeking assistance from any alternatives.

In what ways might the NHS make the transition to a sustainable, national system of wellbeing?

1.    By prioritising the promotion of good health, rather than the treatment of disease.

2.    By recognising and embracing alternative medical practices so that the patient has a choice of low cost, low toxicity, holistic routes to take.

3.    By making long-term health and wellbeing (as distinct from health and safety) a priority in the food and leisure industries, education, town planning, transport and every other area of public life.

4.    By decoupling the pharmaceutical industry from the national health system.

In our transition to a life-sustaining society, we could view our public health provision as a mirror of our personal attitudes to health. In that case, perhaps our personal transition to optimum health would include:

1.    Maintaining our personal good health, rather than waiting for disease to strike.

2.    Recognising and investigating alternatives to the current NHS, so that we have greater choices.

3.    Making health and wellbeing a priority in every other aspect of our lives.

4.    Valuing our health above our short-term productivity.

“It’s a question that’s not asked enough – where does clothing come from, and how is it made? The clothing industry is notorious for the proliferation of child labour, disregard for the environment and the more practical challenges – such as the need to freight goods large distances due to the geography of the market. So how can we, as shoppers, know how to buy environmentally-friendly, ethical fashion? When you think about it, it’s almost impossible to find out what you’re buying into.

Rapanui is an Eco-Fashion company from the Isle of Wight that, unlike the typical earth-mother organic clothing companies, has recognised the root cause of the problem: brands aren’t communicating enough. They’ve not only designed some of the worlds greenest clothing – Organic, Sustainable fabrics in a Fairwear Foundation Audited, Wind-powered factory, but also created an innovative system to allow shoppers to trace where their products come from and how they are made on Google earth, with videos, pictures and figures showing the product and the people making it from the planting of the seed to the stacking on the shelf.

All this and the founders are only in their early twenties – a fact that they say helps them keep their finger on the pulse of current fashion styles and gives them a unique advantage: with their 12-strong staff all under 25, this company is perhaps one of the only fashion houses completely run by, and for, young people.

The company is as much about fashion design as it is about research and innovation into sustainable textiles and eco marketing; a mix that has helped them take a clean sweep of the 2010 eco-awards calendar including winning the 2010 Sustainable Business Awards and a finalists place in the Enterprising Young Brits Awards.

Founding brothers Rob and Mart Drake-Knight say the brand name, Rapanui, the native name for Easter Island, “was stumbled upon as a place we wanted to go to on a surf trip, but turned into much more: the story of Rapanui, where overpopulation led to a collapse of resources, is a great metaphor for the ‘big picture’ challenges we face in sustainability today”

The brand was founded by brothers Rob and Mart Drake-Knight in 2008 with just £200 worth of savings (still don’t know how they did it) and the brothers are now listed on the Future 100 list of Top Young Entrepreneurs, with Rapanui being recognised as one of the top 100 startups of 2008.

“Fashion is like no other medium in that you literally drape yourself in what you believe in. Whilst we make every endeavour to excel in eco-fabrics, renewable energy powered manufacturing and ethical trade, Rapanui is about more than just ticking the green box. The power of market demand and supply, and the influence of brands in our lifestyle is a power that we want to use to do some good. We’re not pretending to be some earth-saving organisation, but if we can succeed in making eco-fashion cool, and by wearing Rapanui we can influence people to make wider lifestyle choices in going green, we will have done our job in making a significant contribution towards sustainability,” says Mart Drake-Knight, Rapanui Director.

If you are still curious and want to find out more do so by going over to check out their eco pages and find out more about traceability.”

(c) Rapanui 2010

It can be a chaotic and challenging undertaking to be self employed or running a small business in these unprecedented times of climate change, peak oil and global economic crisis. What does it mean to “surf” the recession? How do we perform this complex balancing act?

Surfing any waves of change and transformation involves:

•    Choosing our surf-board and learning our surfing skills – being prepared as best we can.

•    Paddling and resting in the shallows, riding the waves, observing currents,  ebbs and flows – being courageous in handling circumstances as they arise in the moment. Being open to change.

•    Getting back on the board when we fall off – accepting and learning from our mistakes.

To be truthful, I don’t think anyone can be sure of the perfect way to surf the recession that guarantees sustainability.  I offer you my ideas for today based on information and experience that I’ve accumulated so far. I’ve stated them in terms  that my astrologist friend calls “suitably broad and vague,”  leaving you free to interpret and adapt them to your own unique circumstances.

I imagine you will have your own thoughts to add to these, so please do comment and let’s share what we know.

People

1. Remind yourself of your business purpose and mission statement. What’s your core business? Focus on this. If your gut feeling is that your business purpose needs reorienting in the light of recent changes, act now.

2. Educate and inform staff on your business purpose/mission statement and how to hone in on it.

3. Identify firefighting activities (‘urgent but not important’ tasks or distracting activity) and seek to eliminate them through identifying their cause.

4. Learn some conflict resolution skills as personal stress levels are likely to increase. These will help you in your relationships with employees, suppliers and clients. Remember “Fair Trade and Fair Treatment.”

5. Make time for relaxation, spiritual practice, your family and friends in your working week. You still need to nurture your health and wellbeing. This is more, not less, important when handling additional challenges.

6. Pay attention to education and training for your place in a life sustaining society. Formal qualifications and accreditation are likely to be less important in a post peak-oil, post industrial growth society than sustainability and self-sufficiency skills.

7. Devise a power-cut plan.  How will your business keep running during a break from energy supplies?  Make a contingency plan and test it out.

8. Keep it light when you can – add some fun, lightness and love to each day by noticing the ridiculous, the charming, the tender, the beautiful and the humorous in everyday situations.

Planet

9. Remember that cutting your costs usually cuts carbon too, so make sure the two go hand in hand.

10. Keep reminders in your work space of your connection to nature and how your business benefits your environment – plants, natural light, images, fresh water and herbal teas. Spend some time in your garden, the park, or the great outdoors every day.

11. Review the planet part of your business plan (energy, transport, stationery, packaging, food etc used in your business) for opportunities to collaborate with others, work remotely, piggyback tasks and eliminate waste.

12. Investigate local suppliers of everyday consumables, use them in preference to others and keep their details handy.

Profit

13. Budget at least 6 months ahead and keep on top of your cash flow.

14. If you’re not already banking with an ethical bank, make this a priority now.

15. Review insurance and pension arrangements to make sure they are with sustainable, ethical companies.

16. Increase your supply of ready cash for everyday purchases (petty cash) and receiving cash payment from clients (float) as power cuts and financial shocks are likely to affect the operation of everyday banking, electronic  financial transactions and cash machines .

17. Stay in frequent contact with your suppliers and customers and contract for payment in advance with any whose financial position looks tenuous, if this is not already written into your terms and conditions.

18. Maintain margins wherever possible. Add value, durability, flexibility and ease of use rather than reduce prices.

What additional suggestions do you have?

Working from home is something we are hearing more about at the moment. More and more people are changing their lives around to do it, due to a number of reasons.  I’ve idetnfied 10 ways you will benefit from working from home in a garden office or studio:

1.    Working in a secluded space away from the hustle and bustle of your home will give you the chance to concentrate and get the most out of your working day. Meeting your targets and deadlines is just as important whether you are in a shared office or in your garden studio.

2.    Environmental psychology is known as the interplay between ourselves and our surroundings. It basically acknowledges the importance of our wellbeing and that we become more relaxed and can work better when we are in an outside environment. Natural settings help us relax and concentrate better letting us leave our working day feeling regenerated and ready for social or family activities.

3.    Eating green is an important part of everyday life. Working at home will give you the chance to eat homemade lunches with fresh ingredients, or even take advantage of last night’s dinner It will also reduce waste from drinks and snack cartons throughout a working day.

4.    A natural environment can reduce stress. Even taking breaks outside can help. This is shown via the Attention Restoration Theory where spending time in places where the clouds are moving in the sky and leaves are rustling in the breeze helps you relax and in this case produce higher levels and amounts of work. So if you are self employed or wanting to start your own business, a garden office will help you achieve the results you want.

5.    Flexible hours can come in handy when it comes to childcare and school runs. You would have the chance of taking turns with your neighbour to pick the children up from school.

6.    Your garden office laptop is more likely to be quicker and more efficient than those in a large organisation. Why? Because they have a lot of people to manage and have to put restrictions on services. Not to mention that fact that laptops use a fraction of the amount of energy compared to the desktop computer and even have the ability to heat up your whole energy efficient garden office!

7.    Your morning drive to work in rush hour can be stressful and is not a good start to a working day. It is obviously cheaper and more environmentally friendly to walk down the garden to your office in the fresh air and relaxed atmosphere.

8.    Lunch and petrol costs can mount up throughout the month. So, working from home is a simple way to cut costs.

9.    Mobile communication is the cheapest and the best option at the moment for home workers. Some people are dumping the landline altogether and only using mobile phones as these days great deals on unlimited calls are available. Not to forget they are useful when on  the road. So, there’s no need to install an extra phone line for your garden office.

10.    Motivation and work levels will increase working from your garden rather than from inside your home.. Taking away the ever-present sense of ‘work’ can result in a calmer, generally more relaxed environment which lowers stress levels, benefitting your health and wellbeing.

(c) Dawn Kubicek. www.decoratedshed.com. Decorated Shed garden office buildings have the ability to change your life drastically and give you the chance to build up a more prosperous business where you will be on top of all your tasks and generally be in a better, more productive state of mind where work becomes a pleasure once again.

What is the approach?

It is operating from a perspective of being connected to the great unmanifest, of being vessels, of seeing what wants to come into being through us (the coach and the client). The client does not need to be aware that the coach is taking this approach, or even to have any spiritual beliefs. I’ll endeavour to describe the four main attributes that make coaching from a psychospiritual perspective special for the coach and the coaching client: Presence, Ego, Intuition, Intention.

Presence

For me as the coach: This is a different, more relaxed way of being with someone. It is about holding the space but from a heart connection rather than merely as part of a performance or business transaction. It is about nurturing (and sometimes taking steps to manage) the energy in this alliance and riding the tide of any strong emotions that emerge.
For the coachee: They feel “held” in a space of acceptance, respect and trust and allowed to be exactly who they are. Ideally, it is open and authentic for them. It feels safe to own up to blocks, assumptions and limiting beliefs that are unearthed during the course of the conversation.

Ego

Coach: The focus is on minimising the unconscious influence of the ego, keeping mine out of the coaching alliance except when operating consciously from it. In order to achieve this, I actively cultivate awareness and understanding of ego states, their manifestation and influence. I remain open to my higher self for guidance.
Coachee: They are encouraged to cultivate an awareness of ego states and manifestations and how to deal with them. They learn more about how to function from one’s heart and soul. They are also supported in cultivating the four divine states – loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity if and when they are open to this.

Intuition (connection to the great unmanifest)

Coach: Daily practices (yoga and meditation in my case) help me to cultivate intuition so that I can tap into it naturally and with ease during a coaching conversation. This benefits the client because questions appropriate to the moment then arise naturally and with ease. Similarly, it is easier to recognise when to remain silent.
Coachee: They are encouraged to recognise (if they don’t already) the value of intuition and how it operates. Awareness of it is cultivated: e.g. “What is your intuition telling you in this situation?”. There is also a heightened appreciation of the benefits of intuition in terms of creativity, thinking outside the box and transforming limiting beliefs.

Intention and Vision.

“Your imagination is your preview to life’s coming attractions”. Albert Einstein.

Visioning and setting intentions takes us a step or two beyond goal setting and I’ve found that it greatly enhances performance and fulfilment. Why is this? I believe it’s because this approach engages us to a much greater degree emotionally and spiritually and, at the same time, allows us the space to let go of outcomes. This might at first sound like a contradiction. In practice, though, being emotionally and spiritually involved leads to inspired decision making that’s more likely to be flexible and creative enough to keep us on track with our vision. In contrast, being attached to particular outcomes, rather than being commited to an intention, can lead to: entrenchment; frustration and guilt; feelings of unworthiness and unwillingness to engage in the learning that emerges.

Coach: I do my best to remain aware of my intention in the coaching relationship. Usually before each coaching session, I make an intention to be present and to serve my client in the optimum way for them and for anyone else who might be affected by the decisions made.

Coachee: They are encouraged to use visualisation and to articulate their intention in order to manifest the life and livelihood that they would like for themselves. Part of this is acknowledging where one has control and where one doesn’t. This is also about being at ease with change, with uncertainty and exploring ideals in terms of qualities and attributes, as well as in terms of people or things. Relationships become more important than the material. Growth becomes more important than acquisition.

Dear reader, this is a brief summary of my approach to coaching from a psychospiritual perspective. So, I welcome questions and requests to be more specific about any particular areas mentioned or to offer examples.

What is the past? What is history? I would suggest that the past is only what we choose to remember, whether that’s what someone’s recorded in a history text or whether it’s our personal recollection of an event. The memory begins with a present experience after all and what we choose to remember about it is up to us, when we do that consciously. We also have a choice about how we use any memory to affect us in the present.

Of course there are some memories that become embedded in our subconscious and, where these are painful, for example as a result of trauma, that may require specialist intervention to bring them into consciousness in a form that can be dealt with. However, this is not what I’m addressing in this article.

The Case for Forgiveness

When someone has upset us or done something that has harmed us, what is the best course of action for the benefit of our emotional wellbeing?

We can choose to distinguish between what we choose to remember about the facts and what we believe were the intentions of those involved.  Rather than following the traditional route of seeking revenge, we can focus instead on transforming our approach to what happened and the consequences that resulted. How do we do that?  By connecting  compassionately with the perpetrator, whether that’s someone else or ourselves, we can begin to ease the tension around the situation. By understanding the needs in them that triggered the response that resulted in harm, we can begin to soften in our attitude and our perspective on our grievance.

What I’m suggesting is that forgiveness is a non-violent alternative to the more traditional, aggressive response of revenge. Forgiveness, whether directed towards ourselves or towards others, generates love and understanding rather than anger and resentment, feelings that only serve to prolong the suffering caused. So, forgiveness has to be more beneficial for our emotional wellbeing than seeking revenge or harbouring grievances.

What forgiveness is not.

A common misconception concerning forgiveness is that it “let’s us off”. In other words, that it somehow condones the harm that was done. This is not the case. Rather than deny or justify the suffering  and wrong-doing, forgiveness is a way to understand what happened and to heal any negative consequences that still persist through feelings of resentment or grievance.

Forgiveness simply allows us to:

•    Accept that what happened, happened.

•    Have compassion for the perpetrator, whether that’s ourselves or someone else.

•     Understand what triggered the misdeed, the feelings and unmet needs behind it.

•    Choose to have an alternative perspective on it.

•    Transform our pain.

“Only in an open, nonjudgmental space can we acknowledge what we are feeling. Only in an open space where we’re not all caught up in our own version of reality can we see and hear and feel who others really are, which allows us to be with them and communicate with them properly.” Pema Chodron.

In coaching, holding a grievance against somebody can often show up as a block, stuckness or resistance to taking action. A grievance takes energy to hold onto and to feed those kinds of feelings, energy which can be put to much more constructive use elsewhere. So, it’s important to forgive from an energetic standpoint too.

Transforming the Pain

Although it can seem counter-intuitive, it is perfectly possible to forgive someone else without needing to talk with them about the incident that resulted in harm. However, if we do feel ready to chat it through with them, it can be beneficial in helping to understand both points of views. Another advantage is that it allows us to openly and honestly reach closure on the event with the other person involved and to dispel the charged feelings associated with it.

Forgiveness is a process of transformation and some patience may be required. Whilst the need to forgive can present us with many challenges, the benefits are many and include:  strengthening of character, release of energy and improved physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.

Suggested Further Reading

www.theforgivenessproject.com

Perhaps some of you are familiar with Sir Ken Robinson’s video from 2006 where he talked, very memorably, about how schools kill creativity. In this, his latest TED talk, he urges us, in his characteristically funny and touching style, to shift from our current standardised learning system to one that is more personalised, creating learning environments where children’s natural talents can flourish.

For those of you who home educate, the ideas Ken Robinson presents may be very familiar and it’s heartening to see such proposals getting a more mainstream airing. But, does he go far enough, do you think, with his revolution?

Why have we bought in to convenience?

In theory, convenience is supposed to offer us less effort, less responsibility, less time and personal energy used and feelings of being in control. Convenience, or rather the efficiency and ease that we believe it gives us, has become part of our conditioning and we have wound up believing that if we can only attain a particular level of efficiency, through using methods of convenience, then that will give us happiness, security and more leisure time.

So, how is it that, with all the “modern conveniences” we now enjoy – fast food, quick fix pharmaceuticals, personal computers, cars, cells phones, satnav, the internet, white goods and a whole host of other things, most of us still feel over-stretched and over-stressed?

The answer, I believe, is to be found in what we risk surrendering to convenience when we are enticed by it. We risk surrendering our soul, our personal power and relinquishing control of our health and wellbeing. Time saved is often spent on more of the same -earning a living- rather than on leisure, time with friends and loved ones, or attending to our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.

Perhaps we are not aware, in the moment, of how our decision making works when we automatically choose convenience. To help bring this into our awareness, I’ve come up with some questions that we can ask ourselves at times when we’re tempted to favour convenient options over and above other benefits.

Here’s my Convenience Decision Checklist:

•    If I save time by doing this, what will I use that time for?

•    How does that serve me?

•    If I save personal energy by doing this, what will I use that energy for?

•    How does that serve me?

•    What is my short term gain from doing this?

•    How does that affect my longer term wellbeing?

•    Am I abdicating responsibility for myself by doing this?

What I’m not suggesting here is that we never opt for convenience. Rather, I’m attempting to distinguish True Convenience, which offers benefits in the short and longer terms, from the type of convenience where we opt for short term gain at the expense of long term advantages.

Let’s take eating a meal and wanting to meet up with friends as an example. An unsustainable,  but convenient, option might be to quickly grab a take-away meal on the way to our meeting, so as to arrive on time. An option of True Convenience (which is more sustainable in the long term for our health, wellbeing and relationships) might be to suggest to the friends that we meet and share a fresh, self-prepared meal together. So, I’m urging us all to make conscious decisions about how we spend our time and energy, rather than unconsciously succumbing to the advertising techniques of those who promote convenience products.

How do we make the most of the opportunities for convenience in our lives in a sustainable way i.e. in a way that promotes our health, wellbeing and happiness over the longer term?

I would suggest the key elements to aim for are:

•    Simplicity – reduce the number of tasks we are committed to doing.

•    Reclaiming responsibility for ourselves – through healthy eating, exercising our minds and our bodies, addressing our face to face social needs.

•    Rediscovering self-trust – faith in our ability to do what’s right, rather than attempting to do everything on offer in the hope that one of those choices will turn out to be ok.

In the old “business as usual” paradigm it’s ok to exploit others for your own gains. Ethical, sustainable business seeks to challenge this perspective and to encourage a more responsible, caring and sharing attitude to those with whom we work and collaborate.

Anil Gupta is on a mission:  to support grassroots innovators, who are rich in knowledge but not in resources, who would normally have their ideas exploited by others. He began this venture when he came to the realisation that he himself was guilty of making a living from writing about social justice, but was not practising it.

Anil Gupta has since resolved to seek out indigenous entrepreneurs from around the world. He asserts that their ingenuity, hidden by poverty, has the potential to change the world. “Minds on the margin are not marginal minds” he says and “Scaleability should not be the enemy of sustainability.” He uses the example of cellphones, which for many people are over engineered and therefore wasteful of valuable resources.

I have a feeling that this type of product/solution localisation, and the recognition and appropriate nurturing  of grassroots innovators, will yield significant and important solutions for a post industrial, low energy economy.

]]> http://www.sallylever.co.uk/2010/05/13/encouraging-grassroots-innovation/feed/ 0 http://www.sallylever.co.uk/2010/05/13/encouraging-grassroots-innovation/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SallyLever/~3/qd8m70ptq9U/ http://www.sallylever.co.uk/2010/05/04/forsight-midsight-hindsight-a-formula-for-sustainable-change/#comments Tue, 04 May 2010 09:46:39 +0000 Sally http://www.sallylever.co.uk/?p=858 What is sustainable change?

I believe it’s when we are able to cultivate a new habit, a novel way of being or doing, and maintain that long term. We might find this very easy to do for some habits, for example finding an alternative route to work and sticking to it, or deciding to wake up 15 minutes earlier each day. However, larger changes, those that test our beliefs and conditioning at a much deeper level, can be far more challenging.

One of the methods that I encourage coaching clients to follow is called “Foresight, Midsight, Hindsight”. Although the way in which this is used can vary considerably from one person to another, here are some general guidelines:

Hindsight

We begin with Hindsight first in order to understand what our usual pattern is and how we’d like it to be different.
Let’s use the example of Greg, who wanted to reduce his car use.

Reflection and Contemplation – At first, Greg realised that he hadn’t really given his car use much thought, that it was a habit that was well established and ingrained. He found it quite painful to tot up his petrol bills and his carbon emissions for a typical month. However, this exercise gave him the opportunity to formulate a goal to work towards and he decided on a 50% reduction of both within 3 months.

Forgiveness – Initially, Greg was quite self-critical at not having tackled this issue before and at having put on weight due to using his car rather than walking. However, simply through expressing his disappointments, he soon turned this attitude around to forgiveness for himself and a resolve to make his plan work.

Wisdom and Insight – Greg became more aware of the alternatives to using his car, or indeed of taking some journeys at all. We discussed his reasons for using his car and how he’d like to re-prioritise certain aspects of his life, particularly his health.

Celebration and gratitude – Gradually Greg’s attitude towards this change in habit transformed from seeing it as an insurmountable problem over which he had little control, to regarding it as an opportunity for self-empowerment, to express his authenticity and to reclaim respect for his wellbeing.

Foresight

Vision – With Greg’s new found enthusiasm for this project, he allowed himself the freedom of his imagination. He then easily expressed his vision for how and when he wanted to travel.

Planning – He set himself the task of gathering information on walking routes to the bus and train station that took less than 10 minutes, downloading bus and train timetables from the internet for easy access and blocking out extra time in his diary for travelling. There was also a new travel budget to consider, and Greg researched travel passes and train ticket options that reduced his costs. He investigated cycle routes and bike/train/bus combinations.

He also listed useful and enjoyable tasks that he could carry out on a bus or train and gave himself permission to enjoy his walks and to walk leisurely. He identified people with whom he could share lifts for most of the remaining car journeys where other options were not suitable.

Intention – Greg wanted to find a way of reminding himself to set an intention for travel on each day. He felt this was important to prevent him slipping back towards his old car-dominated habits. He found an image that conveyed the concept well for him and put copies of it where he did most of his planning – by his computer and in the shower room!

Midsight

Presence – Awareness of our actions, in the moment, is a crucial step in embracing and maintaining a new habit. This was the part that Greg found most challenging.  With encouragement and support in the coaching, he began to understand how his thoughts preceded his actions and how he sometimes sabotaged his efforts by thinking that what he was trying to do was crazy or impossible. As time went by, he cultivated the ability to watch his thoughts and to develop more constructive ways of talking to himself that supported his efforts to change his travel habits.

Acceptance – Some of Greg’s journeys did not go at all according to his plans! He was filled with anger and despair at times, mainly aimed at other road users, local authorities, bus and train companies. It could be a very frustrating business! However, he soon realised that he could start to accept some situations as they arose and that the mental calm that resulted helped him to make wiser decisions in the moment.

Enjoyment – There were some journeys that Greg found totally delightful, very enjoyable and a fruitful contribution to his day.

Enthusiasm – And some walks and cycle rides came to light that Greg decided to indulge in for pure pleasure and relaxation.

I’ve presented the concept of Foresight, Midsight, Hindsight as a linear process here when actually it’s cyclical. For best effect, we repeat this cycle many times over in order to refine and embed our new habit. To begin with, Greg viewed each day using Hindsight, forgiving himself for his transgressions and using the lessons learned to tweak his planning. As his new travel habit became embedded, he quietly celebrated his successes and expressed his gratitude for his renewed self-confidence and sense of wellbeing.