Downshifting moving toward a new lifestyle

It would seem that many of the movements surrounding the concept of downshifting center around several common themes. Regardless of the theme each involves a change in attitude or mindset that moves one from their current status to one that will increase a person's independence and self sufficiency. These most often include; food, energy, resources, finances, health, time or leisure, aesthetics, and education.

Food - Its much more about knowing where your food has been as much as it is knowing what to eat. It most often is concerned with becoming self sufficient by organically growing an increasing amount of one's own fruits, vegetables, and herbs; hunting and gathering of fresh natural foods; support locally grown and produced foods; and preparing one's foods from "scratch" with less dependency on commericially prepared packed foods.

Energy - One of the keys to a future world is one mitigated by reduced carbon emissions and the reduction of other green house gases. Our current levels of consumption of fossil fuels produces untold damage on the environment. The two keys to downshift one's energy consumption lies in alternative sources of renewable energy and the reduction of consumption.

Resources - The concern for natural resources spawned the oldest of the modern conservation movement. The concepts of reuse, recycle, restore, and reduce have become synonomous with natural resources since World War Two. Resources are finite. Without improved management of resources they will simple run out. The real danger is not with the "if" but with the "when".

Finances - The key to downshifted finances is quite simply a "zero sum game" when the entire set of expenses are offset completely by income. Excessive income is budgeted as savings or investment. Excessive expesnses are reduced. The downshifting of income must be offset by reductions in expenses.

Health - Modern life is wrapped in modern unhealthiness. Our lives are too sedintary. Our daily lives lack adequate exercise: intake calories easily surprise calorie expenditures: our stress related health issues impact our lives.

Time - Time (and finances) are the two critical components of downshifting. In modern life, the cheif complaint is that there is never enough time! There are three types of time: Mandatory time, healthy time, and leisure time. Mandatory time is time that you must spend doing essential tasks. Most "nondownshifted" individuals spend much of their day in mandatory time. Healthy Time is time spent maintaining or restoring individual health. This may be time eating healthier, exercising, or spending time in activities that produce pleasure, self worth, or reduced stress. Lastly, is leisure time. This is time spent pursuing activities that not only please but also educate and support an increase in self sufficiency and independence.

Aesthetics - Aesthetics are the skills and crafts that produce objects and efforts of beauty or pleasure to the senses. Most of these are the activities that people call crafts or arts. Devfeloping these in order to complete one's self is as essential to downshifting as other themes.

Education - In a downshifted life, life long learning is key. It provides the knowledge necessary to implement the goals of downshifting, simplifying life, and making wise choices in the future. It provides the mechanism that allows the continuing evolution of the downshifted lifestyle. Evolving a downshifted lifesytle is a journey that can last a lifetime.

Where has all the time gone? - The Beginning Pt 1

Where has all the time gone? I can recall nearly every day as if they were just yesterday. It doesn't seem like 20 years ago that I moved here and began working for who would be my last employer. It seems unbelievable that I'm now 55 and headed toward retirement.

Well, actually, I'm not exactly retiring, but more like what is called "downshifting" in Europe and elsewhere. Here in the States the concept goes by a variety of names: self-sufficiency, hobby farming, semi-retirement, slow-down, living with a smaller foot-print, the good life, natural living, frugal living, "5 acres and Independence", and lots of others.

The point of these all being reducing one's life by reducing one's dependencies on others for basic needs. It's about time and money. Time that never seems to be available in the modern, urban lifestyle - and money that never seems enough trying to maintain an urban lifestyle in a rural environment. Its about doing for one's self that has become the basis of dependent living rather than independent living. Its about knowing your food and where it came from. Its about developing a skill set essential to be independent in a modern world.

Its not about being poor - but a lower income is a part. Its not about living in a tent, isolated from the rest of the world - but it is a rural mindset. Its not about the "edges" - but it is about "centering". Its not about never having what you want - but it is about wanting what you have. Its not about dirt - but good land is needed. Its not about dawn to dusk laboring just to make ends meet - but it is about laboring to bring the ends in closer. Its not about stress and worry - but it is about freedom and happiness.

And now, its about me and my journey from one end point - as an urban city dweller, maintaining a professional lifestyle on a 6 figure income, long days of work, stresses to get the job done now, and not having time to smell the proverbial roses. - to the other - as a gentleman farm living in a rural environment and providing for my needs directly through my labors. still working long days, but not noticing, and having the time to not only smell the roses, but to grow them as well.