Meet BiG Thinkers: Sarma Melngailis, Kris Carr and Anthony Anderson

Alright, Green-Gogetters.

It’s important to me to give a bit of attention to the people who helped make BiG happen. It was really a treat to get the chance to hook up with these green scene stars on the phone for a one on one call about what will make the world a better place and inspire us all to take a bit more responsibility for the way things are.

Green Urban Goddess Sarma Melngailis is about a lot more than mouth-watery desserts and classy restaurant. It was fascinating to get a sense of all the work that goes on behind the scene. We see malomars and chocolate mint cookies, but there’s so much more to it. Listening to her talk about her uncompromising commitment to organic, raw ingredients inspired me is a reminder that we vote with out dollars!

It takes guts to make hippie a hip thing to do, and the thing I loved most about this call was when she shared a bit about the fact that she goes out of her way to choose staff who are not vegetarian or raw to ensure that she creates a comfortable experience for anyone who comes into her restaurant.

Sarma’s got style and there’s no denying it. You can catch her interview when you sign up for BiG and learn more about how you, too, can be a lucky duck when you check out her online store and score yourself some of her treats and eats!

Next time you’re sitting there feeling sorry for yourself about not having enough money or time or having too much to do, then pull out tonight’s interview with Kris Carr and listen to it again and again and again!

The fact that she’s taken one of the heaviest words out there and turned it into a “crazy sexy” thing means she’s tapped into her superpowers in a BiG way! THAT is the power of thought, the power of attitude and gratitude and living in joy, and that’s exactly why we asked Kris to be a part of our Believe in Green project.

Lucky for us, she said yes! You’ll love this inspiring interview with Kris and after listening you’ll want another dose of her positivity and you can dose up here.

The only man on our BiG thinkers panel was Anthony Anderson, also known as “the raw model.”

And now that you’ve seen his picture, I know what you’re thinking, but that’s not why I invited him, you frisky critter!! I invited him because he loves getting his fingers in the dirt and has some amazing advice and inspiration for BiG thinkers like you. He’s passionate about permaculture and by the end of this call, you will be too!

I was so impressed with the content he shared in this call and had more positive feedback about this call than any other. He was in a fantastic space for this call and I hope you’ll sign up for Believe in Green so you can soak up some of his wisdom and wonderfulness. (Even though this event has ended, you can still access the calls for free!)

A Teacher Named "Rain"

For this week’s post, I dashed to the computer on Monday to write about an overall sense of gratitude I was strongly feeling at the time. I began: "I’m feeling excitement coursing through me today. There’s nothing out of the ordinary going on, though. I’m just feeling grateful. Oh how a sense of gratitude can make a mom feel. This overall feeling of gratitude is causing me to document a few things I’m grateful for. In doing so, perhaps I can be an inspiration to the next mom."

Typing quickly, my gratitude list began growing rapidly. I got as far as writing about being grateful for a nature course I’m taking, but then something pulled me away from the computer. Later, when I returned to my incomplete document, I somehow shifted to writing about my son’s high interest in numbers…money…and his extreme love for the game of Monopoly. Yes, I was on a whole other topic, which might very well be next week’s post. (Then, as it turns out, Joanne’s Tuesday post was about precisely that: children and money!)

Back to Monday! It was clear my mind was in overdrive and I should go to Monday evening’s yoga class to help slow down my thoughts. It wasn’t until that class was over and after completing my nature homework that I really knew what today’s post should be about.

For homework, participants enrolled in the nature class were to "go into the most unspoiled, attractive natural area." We were told to "let your webstring of reason work for you in connection with nature…….Thoroughly try to know the natural place or thing that attracts you in a non-verbal way, similar to the way Earth and nature knows it. You may accomplish this way of knowing by focusing your thinking and feeling to the word ‘attraction.’ It is a variety of natural attraction webstrings that hold the Earth community ecosystem together in balance. Say ‘attraction’ repeatedly again while touching, smelling, hearing, and viewing the attractive colors, sounds, shapes, motions, smells and sensations that are present in the natural area. Do this with eyes both open and closes……."

There were additional specific instructions, but you should get the gist from the above. Here’s my how my nature encounter turned out!

While I had great plans to go off to a secluded nature spot, the rain obviously had this hands-on assignment all mapped out for me.

It started from indoors, actually. The rain usually gives me a good feeling when I’m inside and hear it, so today (Friday, March 7), from inside my home office, as I heard and saw the rain coming down in a gentle fashion, I felt as if it was beckoning me outdoors. I put on a thin, blue rain jacket, pulled the hood over my head, and off I went. Turns out, the rain was inviting me to get to know, to really begin getting to know, my backyard.

When we purchased this house almost four years ago, one of the features I thought was most attractive about it was the trees and shrubbery that surrounded it. It was the perimeter — the area of the yard that would be untouched even when the grass got cut, etc. — that I loved. I was attracted to the "wildness" yet "order" of it. That "wildness" is our nature-made hedge that gives us privacy from the houses behind ours. Several friends have also commented on all of this attractive "nature," too.

As I stepped to the left side of the yard today — the area that feels very sacred to me, the area I call my "Garden of Eden" — I enjoyed the pitter-patter sound of the rain on the variety of green shrubbery out there. Rain represents cleansing and nourishment to me; it’s as if every single part of nature that needs water where it’s raining gets to have it at this time. It’s like a water party for all, which today reminded me to increase my water intake, because I felt I had not consumed enough of it the day before.

Although the rain was gently falling to the ground, and at times the sound of thunder was rumbling over my head, I was still very much attracted to carry on outside. I gravitated toward some red berries growing amongst the shrubbery. I had just noticed those berries within the last week while sitting out in the yard doing homework with my son. Had those little red beads been growing there for quite some time? Had I just not been observant enough to notice them — until recently?

In the rain, I walked over and studied their beauty. Tiny red berries growing on dark green leaves. The colors of Christmas. I then moved on to see if a spider web I noticed on those same leaves a few days prior was still there. Yes, it was! I studied the web closely, amazed by all of it’s perfect precision and the way bugs or things in general get caught up in it. The web reminded me of the webstrings I’m learning about in my nature class. A spider web seems an ideal symbol to visually show us the many connections in life and how we’re all intertwined.

There on that hedge in my yard, the spider web hung so sturdily yet fragile, because at any minute any unconcerned passerby could tear it down — damaging such beautiful art. Like life, huh? If we don’t learn the tools to stay rooted, our beings could begin crumbling at any moment. We must be careful of that, so during what felt like an outdoors museum walk, I only looked at the spider web. I did not touch. I did not want to disturb it, so I respected its being.

As I moved along, observing the different colored leaves that had fallen to the ground — red ones, yellow ones, brown ones — I decided to collect a few of them and other nature items that were lying loosely on the ground. I wanted to share my findings with my son once he came home from school. A part of me was saddened that he wasn’t there in that moment with me. One of my favorite things about when we home-schooled, were these sorts of impromptu teachable moments. I longed for him to also be a guest at this "rain party," especially because he would have found exploring amidst the raindrops to be plain ‘ole fun.

Continuing on, I observed a branch that looked dry while everything to either side of it looked wet. How was that possible? It had what looked like green moss growing on it that didn’t look as attractive to me as it’s surrounding beauty. What was the deal with that part of nature? As I’m typing, I’m wondering if that was a reflection of the "person" who eventually gets all dried up" when falling out of touch with whom they really are — feeling brittle and old when they don’t have to? Or, was that tree simply bare, preparing to display gorgeous new life come Spring?

I moved along some more and saw another branch that was virtually bare apart from what looked like miniature acorns growing on it. Eventually, I was greeted by some "smiling" pink flowers growing amongst the bushes, and then some purple ones whose silky texture captured my heart. It’s easy to understand why Eckhart Tolle opens his book, A New Earth, discussing the influence that flowers have had on human consciousness.

I scooted across the yard a bit, and there was a large bush confidently standing alone.  Its dark pink flowers had fully blossomed. I couldn’t help but soak up that beauty for several moments. For a quick second, I felt ashamed for not knowing the names of all of this beauty in my yard, but I was quickly comforted by the fact that nature knows no language. It just is what it is! Isn’t it first and foremost designed to balance our emotions? Who cares that we can’t always name it? I knew I was smart, simply by being open enough to feel these outdoors connections. In time, I’m sure I’ll be able to list these items that live amongst me. (In fact, I’m thinking about inviting my naturalist friend over to teach me the names of my new "friends" in my backyard.)

I eventually returned to a chair set in my "Garden of Eden." There, I sat for a few moments — with eyes closed — embracing the sound of the rain and inhaling all that I had just received. I felt so connected and free. My spirits were lifted as the rain fell down. I said a prayer of gratitude, sat with palms facing upward as if receiving all nature had to offer in the palm of my hands. Later that day, whenever people referred to the rainy weather as horrible, I just couldn’t relate to their feelings.

I believe we can overcome that ‘dreary’ feeling we can sometimes get from rain by focusing on it’s value! Think so?

Penny