Food, fiber, fuel and flora. Getting these resources in large, cheap volumes is the primary objective of traditional agriculture. Biodiverse flourishing, non-poisonous practices and the well-being of all species are not values of traditional agriculture. Big, homogenized crops that yield a monetary profit is what drives this industry.
I object to the reckless, short-sighted industry policies that allow the perversion of perfect seeds, the poisoning of crops we are to eat, the erosion and mineral depletion of our topsoil, and the crippling of our pollinators... all because of faulty metrics that are quite safe from the ecocide we not only partake in, but make a way of life.
So, there's that.
And as I thought about WHY BigAg does what it does (because of greed, eco-illiteracy and moral indecency) I also thought about how I actually agree with this 3rd permaculture principle that BigAg notoriously abuses, and that is to obtain a yield. Get something for your effort or offering. Symbiosis is all throughout nature -- mutually beneficial situations abound. Something about that feels balanced and orderly to me.
For the strangest reason, every time I thought about those three words: obtain a yield, I got struck with the strongest impression: obtaining a yield is why we do what we do. It's our first and primary cause. For everything. Uncovering our most compelling motive for why we do whatever it is we do gives us access to renewable energy from inside ourselves. All you do is peel back as far as you can, with an ever deeper "Why?" until you hit your truth. Repetitive self-inquiry.
Example: Obtaining a yield from a job even if you dislike it.
Why do you keep that job you dislike?
I need to earn money.
Why do you need to earn money?
I have bills to pay, and also there are things and experiences I'd like to have.
Why do you pay your bills, and why would you like to have certain things and experiences?
[Note: Even if this feels awkward or silly, stick with it. The felt boost you'll get will be worth it.]
Continuing: I pay my bills because I got use out of a product or service, and I want to continue getting that use. And I want to have certain things and experiences because some of them enrich my human experience.
Why do you want your human experience enriched?
Because I believe life is to be enjoyed.
I believe life is to be enjoyed. That is my Most Compelling Motive... I could also probably call it a guiding principle... the driving WHY behind my WHAT. And tapping in to that strong rootedness lets me see that, based on my Most Compelling Motive, which is the belief that life is to be enjoyed, I am in violation of myself when maintaining a job I dislike. For someone else, who's Most Compelling Motive is more along the lines of felt security or predictability, maintaining a "good enough" job may actually be the truest thing for that person to do.
To sum up: We are designed to obtain a yield, to exchange with each other. Through a simple process of self-inquiry, we can uncover our Most Compelling Motive in any situation. Keep asking "Why" until an answer comes that has no precedent. It will be a complete statement in and of itself, and because it'll be a home vibration for you, you can always re-center with it whenever you feel lost or off-base.
Try this! If you get "an answer that has no precedent" -- a first-cause statement with no beginning -- I would love to hear about it. Come to empathicwriter.com, and share your comment there for Episode 10. Or call in to the number given at the end of show...
...which is coming now!
