I was looking today at my favorite blogs and found an inspiring graphic design piece. At the Scoop, Emily posted a link to designer PT Chmiel's Wise Investment poster. You can look at the full poster with card text here.
Although the text of the card is a little Armageddon for my liking, I appreciate the emphasis of refocusing our lives on not accumulating more debt and material possessions, but rather focusing on community & family, rebuilding, and sustainable living. My favorite part of PT Chmiel's piece is here:
"Life in years to come may not be the same life we enjoy today, at least in a material sense, but it can be a lot more rewarding than the work/shop/TV/sleep/die life that most of us now lead. The key to weathering the storm lies in joining together in closer-knit groups of family and community; the solutions will not be coming from the top-down, they will be happening from the ground-up...and that is empowering.
This is a friendly nudge imploring you to take stock of what you have, imagine the worst-case scenarios, and learn how you can come out with an advantage no matter what the future holds. All of the things I suggest are things that you can probably use anyway, and most make good common sense. Keep in mind that your money could become worthless, and ponder what a tragedy that would be. If you’re hungry and there’s no electricity, your priorities will change; you might gladly trade your iPhone or flatscreen for a few potatoes. I hope it never comes to that, but please don’t consider it an impossibility, either. Try to stay positive and find strength in your family and community."
For many people, the recession is forcing us to rethink our priorities, our values, and even details of our daily lives. My hope is that as we weather this storm, new ideas of sustainable living, values, and interconnectedness emerges as we learn to create a new type of lifestyle for ourselves. My hope is that gratitude replaces fear, sustainability replaces materialism, and connection replaces distance.
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