A Conversation with Oneself

Dear Friends,

The day will come when we can surrender, not to a war or enemy but to
ourselves. Until that day, however, we will continue to struggle for that which consumes us. Ironically, most of our lives are spent yearning for something we have yet to know.

It's October 2008 and the daily conversation of global climate change has been replaced by the talk of a steep decline in the economic climate. In this past decade, it has never been more apparent that our race has spent the last 100 years focusing on the bejeweled tip of the pyramid, forgetting that there is no tip without a base. We have grown into a socially and economically unstable culture, putting wants ahead of needs, lust over love, trials over trust, and most unfortunately, persuasion over the truth we once shared with one another. Through these changes we have become a volatile culture socially, environmentally, politically and economically.

We have become a culture that knows more about the human genome and about the furthest reaches of space than we do about the people we love. We are so curious of the unknown, yet we are constantly looking externally to quell our curiosities when, in fact, it is we who harbor the most complexities. I am a big believer in the concept of the pendulum theory, and it has never swung so far in one direction. There are now two paths from which to choose: one is the path of a revolution and the other is total chaos. So you say you want a revolution. 

The first step is to de-label yourself. You are not a republican, liberal or a democrat; you are human, and being human comes with more weight than any social or political thought or agenda that has ever been created. When we label, we create walls; when we create walls, we create confusion; when we create confusion we create hate; and when we create hate we are not creating at all.

Step two, become a visionary. A visionary is not somebody that sees the
future, they are just people who have a better understanding of the present. Their tools are the ability to love, listen and learn. When you use these, there is no reason for defense and the world will become your teacher.

Step three, lead by example. The world is watching, reading, blogging,
twittering, networking, taping, filming and instant messaging.

Step four - it finally seems that we are a culture that has learned how to vote for what we believe in. Voting doesn't stop after November 4th, and in fact voting has no beginning and no end. The strongest vote you have is the one you have when you vote with your dollar. The only difference between our political systems and a corporation is that one files taxes and one collects them, and that's about it. If we put as much time researching the companies that we support as the politicians we vote for, the world would be a much different place. There is suffering happening in every corner of the earth, not just in the Middle East and Dafur, but also in the factories that produce the products we buy everyday from L.A. to Shanghai. People are working for wages that cannot support themselves let alone their families. They don't have healthcare; they work in toxic work environments; and they
are producing waste that pollutes our earth and our bodies.

But we can stop this. It's time we start buycotting: buy only what you
believe in. Corporations only follow one thing, and it's not their CEO; it's the dollar, and when they see their dollars going to greener pastures so will they. Make a change. Buycott for a better future.

Step Five, and most importantly, have fun. Nobody wants to look up to people who don't know how to laugh.

Salut!
Joshua Scott Onysko
Founder & CEO
Pangea Organics

Planning for Vital Farms

Vital Yoga is embarking on a new and exciting endeavor--Urban farming! Imagine a world where your salad greens and tomatoes grow a few feet from your door, vibrantly-colored and alluringly-scented flowers attract butterflies and birds to flit about outside your windows, and you get to eat the freshest, highest quality vegetables while reducing the environmental impact of growing a green lawn. 

While we have many grand plans for our Vital Farms, none of them are a business plan. We need your help! If you or someone you know can help us out, please e-mail regina@vitalyoga.org. Our ideal helper is someone who believes in our vision and is willing to trade their talent in business plans for our talent in growing you the tastiest vegetables this side of the Mississippi! 

Regina Zwilling