Awesome Stories 278

/ July 23, 2016

This week Awesome Stories brings you farm pods, street medicine, reverence and natural optimism.

Instant Farm Pods

Mike Straight, CEO of FarmPod LLC, and his fiancée, Siria Bonilla have an awesome idea. They envision their Farm Pods as a solution to bring sustainable food supplies to food deserts, disaster areas, schools, or anywhere food is needed. The Farm Pods are based on aquaponics (a system of growing food with nutrient-rich water from fish that feeds plants in a closed loop system), but taken to a whole new level. They are designed to virtually run themselves with solar energy, computer programming and the aquaponic system set up in a shipping container. This also means they can be shipped and used almost anywhere. With only 1 prototype in Santa Fe, NM, they already have requests for 50 units, and are negotiating to start production soon. I love this idea. How about you?

Street Medicine

Dr. Jim Withers has been providing medical care to the homeless people of Pittsburg, PA for 24 years. When he realized the extent of the problem and number of people not receiving any medical care, he started visiting the streets of Pittsburg. Since that humble beginning, the Operation SafetyNett program has helped treat over 10,000 people with mobile vans, walk-in centers and advocacy for insurance to the homeless. They are part of the Pittsburg Mercy Care Hospital system. Their work has inspired similar programs to be set up in over 80 communities around the world. Watch the video to learn more.

Natural Optimism

I can relate to so much of what Gayan Macher writes about in this article on finding Optimism in the Dark Night. He talks about having to go through depression, tears, naming the pain and other ways of fully accepting what is before he uncovered a deeper natural optimism. His quest was related to the pain of seeing environmental degradation, which I also relate to. But ultimately, I don’t think it matters what stirs our pain. If we have the courage to feel it, explore it and find out what we are moved to do, we can find an inner strength, light and optimism. This optimism isn’t that things will turn out as we want, but that we (and spirit will find a way through). This is why I continue to work for peace. It’s not that I expect to see peace in the whole world, but that I stand for peace and am willing to keep offering peace to myself and others. And on a deeper level, I believe these challenges in the world are there more to help us grow than to necessarily fix the problem. I learn to be more compassionate, peaceful and persistent, but the world may never be peaceful. So the challenges help us tap our inner reserves and best qualities.

Reminders for Reverenceawe, reverence

Even though I try to live a spirit-based life, I still need reminders to look for the sacred in life. When I get too busy or focused on the material world, life seems to lose something for me. When I approach life with reverence, everything seems sharper, more vibrant and connected. It helps me remember how precious life is and to be grateful for the gift. In this Daily Good article, eight writers talk about why reverence matters. One of best ways for me to connect to reverence is being still in nature, watching and listening to the hum of life. Another way I practice reverence is to look for the inner beauty in people I encounter during the day. Do you have a reverence practice?

May we look for the beauty within and around us. Then as Rumi wrote, we can meet in fields of love. 

 

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28 thoughts on “Awesome Stories 278”

  3. It’s so easy to lose track of the sacred in day to day life, isn’t it? I try to remember to slow down and breathe during the day…despite meditating in the mornings, I often forget to do this. As always, thank you for sharing these awesome stories!

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  6. Wonderful shares Brad.. I was fascinated with the Farm Pods.. I have seen something similar in an echo farm, but nothing like the container idea.. Within such a small space you could feed a whole family all the year round and eat fish too 🙂

    That Dr, what a saint, he is bringing aid like that on the streets to the homeless and now he has built up a team of medical help.. Wonderful.. Such a sad fact to day that there are still so many homeless people in need of help.

    And yes Reverence for me is connecting to nature.. Was there at 7am this morning Picking Peas and froze them straight from the pods.. Picked flowers and now feet up time for an hour with WP 🙂
    Wishing you a wonderful New Week Brad

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  8. As with all your awesome stories, there is always one that captures a spirit I find inspiring. Dr. Jim Withers work is impressive. I think everyone I know wishes to be able to step out of their lives in some manner and do the things that Dr. Withers does ~ and watching this video I see it as a culmination of his life’s work in a sense. Operation SafetyNet came from his steady belief and commitment…very powerful.

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