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Today I have a special guest here on Evolving Beings – author, speaker, researcher and environmentalist – Mike Nickerson.
Mike is from Canada, but his message of sustainable living is universal and so timely in our society today. Mike has just released his 3rd book – Life, Money and Illusion. You can read my detailed review of the book here.
So what does sustainable living have to do with spirituality and consciousness? Everything!
Every single day, every single choice you make from what you eat, what kind of a car you drive to how much water or electricity you use affects the environmental resources, the future of the planet and our collective happiness. Every day you can choose to make these choices consciously from a point of unity for the whole planet, rather than the singularity of selfishness or greed.
Mike is currently on a cross country tour talking about just that. His main ideas stem from introducing the “question of direction“. This encourages people to think and talk about changing their habits that aim for and benefit from material expansion, to ones capable of maintaining long-term well-being, while decreasing impacts on the planet and each other.
As Mike was in my area, I was delighted to have a chance to meet up with him and in an interview talk more about his book, sustainable living and the future direction of our world as he sees it.
In the interview, Mike explains where his passion came from for spreading this message, how economic growth and decline really works, how to live within planetary limits and so much more! Mike offers ideas and explains how we can become part of the solution, and be guardians of the Earth to ensure a viable and promising future.
Mike leaves us with the question of direction – “where we are going, depends on what we see as the goal for our future” and shares some breakthrough ideas of how we can work less and have more, as we take on a mature role of caring for our home – planet Earth.
Here is my interview with Mike Nickerson. It is about half an hour long – just press play on the blue button below to access the interview.
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To learn more about Mike or purchase his latest book “Life, Money and Illusion – Living on Earth As If We Want To Stay” visit his site: www.sustainwellbeing.net
*Photograph provided by Michel Filion
About the author:Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is the main author of EvolvingBeings.com where she writes about spiritual and personal development. She hopes to inspire people, to truly live out the life of their dreams and awaken the highest version of themselves. She is also a nutritional science and holistic health expert for optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow Evita Ochel on Twitter.
11 Comments to “Interview With Mike Nickerson: Sustainable Living, Money, Happiness and the Environment”
I can see us putting into effect a system where all products available for consuming should come along with a documentary, verified through localized feedback and the workers themselves, that shows the entire process of the final product. Where do the materials come from. How are they mined or molded and how does that effect the environment from which they came. What poisons were used in the making of the product. How much do the workers make. What percentage of the final product do they earn. We can live in a system where nothing is hidden and all is open to be viewed and learned from. How does the disposal of the product effect the earth. With full and honest disclosure, we know where our food or merchandise comes from and we learn to respect the components of nature and the economic system which is an extension of the self.
Growth can be redefined as to what we can let go of within ourselves and therefore restore into a state of wholeness. Products can be purchased with the idea that they are tools to show us greater connectivity and how we all fit together through our uniqueness. Therefore, economic growth can take on a whole new meaning, whereas currently it takes into a realm of seperation.
As we develop our inner selves, mass products will no longer be the norm. When we begin to express our dreams, we will not partake in what the exterior world thinks is fashionable. We will gravitate and overlap with things that excite us, which may not resonate with someone else, which is fine. Therefore, we will be purchasing ideas and products that are specialized to enhance our personal energy fields. The goal then is not to sell something, but to have a product that is useful for someone’s growth. Therefore, money will no longer be necessary. We will be looking to give away our talents and ideas to feel good about ourselves, and therefore, to make people that relate with us to feel even better.
I really enjoyed this interview. Thank you Evita! I thing we all realize that our current system can not last much longer…
Hi Evita,
A few days ago, we watched the documentary “Food Inc”. Even though I knew all of the information that was stated in there already, it was a tough movie to watch. I have been a vegetarian for twenty-one years and the one thing that really makes me sad is that food is no longer food. As a result, our environment is paying a price due to all the crap that comes out of the factories and slaughter houses.
Our planet is suffering due to the greed of corporations. There is nothing wrong with making money but there has to be a way to make it without endangering us all. I think it is great that there are people like Mike (and you too) who are spreading awareness.
@ BERNIE – I so agree… I think money, the way it is set up today has a limited life span. Some of us may think this system is working, but it proves otherwise on so many levels.
And the idea of the documentary is fantastic! Many great documentaries are coming out more and more today, especially about eating and where our food comes from, so perhaps one will be done about the “stuff” too. The closest I have seen something to that is Annie Leonard’s “The Story of Stuff”
http://blog.evolvingbeings.com/posts/10/the-story-of-stuff/
That is what we need so much I think too for more people to “wake up” and start making more sustainable choices – disclosure. Today from our stuff to our food, everything is neatly contained in pretty packages and the whole process of how it got to us is ignored, almost deleted. And so it is for many…out of sight, out of mind.
Fantastic views as always Bernie – thank you!
@ HANLIE – My pleasure Hanlie, I really admire Mike’s work and am more than happy to promote it in hope’s that more and more people see the urgency of this message.
And yes I so agree, the system is aching for change, our Earth is telling us that more and more…
@ NADIA – That is great to hear Nadia, and should I say “what a coincidence” – LOL :) I too watched Food Inc. last week and like I you I knew the overall message, but still wanted to see it as I love movies like that.
I will be doing a full review of it soon on Evolving Wellness, but in the meantime, I did think the movie was good overall, great on some points where it really exposed for people the back end of their food. But also left a little to be desired when it came to solutions in moving to a plant-based diet, which we know today is the most environmentally sustainable, not to mention healthy.
Coming also from a health and holistic side of things, I am super passionate about the food issue especially because people really are not realizing just how much health and environmental damage more than 75% of food at the local grocery store is causing. We have accepted what we see there as “food” but it is far from it. Now add to this the inhumane treatment of animals just so we can “fit in” or so it seems into society, and the whole system in my opinion is severely out of balance.
That is why no matter what, I applaud any documentaries today that raise awareness about changing our habits to the “more healthy for us”, and “sustainable for the environment” kind.
In the age of awakening, I feel these are huge issues that each of us has to start looking at, no matter how uncomfortable they may at first feel.
Thanks so much for your thoughts Nadia!
I love the idea of sustainability, and like Nadia, saw Food, Inc. recently and it helped change many of my habits. I now ask myself the question before I buy or do something, “Is this sustainable?” In many cases, if it isn’t, I make a different choice.
As you said, those of us who live from and for love need to be more responsible in our choices. How we live our lives DOES matter – from the reusable shopping bags we carry with us, to just plain not shopping for things we don’t need to survive. (So excess clothing, unnecessary food items, etc.) There’s so much more, but I’ll stick with that for now.
Thank you for conducting this important interview and bringing this topic into clear view.
Great article and interview. Having been involved with environmental education for a couple of decades this is an important concept to me and one we live daily.
I have also been thinking about living spiritually sustainably so that we are taking care of ourselves and this ripples out to the earth. I hope we are in a time of revolution of what it means to care for ourselves, our surroundings, and each other.
Keep spreading the word.
Katie
@ MEGAN – Hi Megan, my pleasure and thank you for sharing your input about this topic.
I think what you said is so important. Some people think it is so hard to make changes, but it starts with us asking ourselves a very simple question and then considering other options.
We are all in this together after all, and I think today most of us realize that it is not just all about us. There are kids that we are bringing into this world that would like to enjoy it as well.
In our part of the world, we live in a place of abundance. There is so much more than we would ever need to have happy lives. I just think that some of us really got sucked into this whole idea of always “new” and always “more” and it just takes some awareness to bring us back to realize that while all these things may be great, they do not bring us more happiness most of the time, but the contrary – hardships. We have to work more to have more in many cases, and this takes away from just being, enjoying ourselves and living life.
@ KATIE – Hi Katie and thank you for your comment.
I think we really are at a critical point right now where there is a lot of “revolutionary” changes when it comes to many of these ideas. We may not all be doing the same thing, but even by many of us doing many little, different things, we are making changes and thus making a difference.
Thanks again for your support!
Change = Diversity = Abundance = Good
We do see the world from our culture. Sometimes we get too caught up in what our beliefs are we are afraid to change them.
Money doesn’t have any value attached to it, until we give it a certain value. We want it to make us happy, but it can’t. Only we can make ourselves happy. It’s usually from the small things. A smile from a loved one, a walk on a trail in a park or a butterfly landing on the chair next to you. We can’t buy these things. We can only enjoy them.
Evita, you highlight that raising awareness is such an empowering process. People can easily decide to examine labels on products, to take an interest in their food’s origin; how where its grown and how far it travels. Such details affect the environment. How attuned you are to how you feel relates back to what you eat, how its grown, harvested and packaged or not. Thanks for underscoring how everyone has opportunities to reclaim their health and well-being in part through raising consciousness and in part through making choices that enable good feelings from the inside out.
@ BERNIE – Awesome addition Bernie!
@ KARL – Hi Karl, I totally agree. We do get so caught up in “traditions” and the way things “were” that we often don’t stop and realize that it is no longer serving us.
As we head into the new decade many of us know that we must make changes if we are going to improve, or at least not deteriorate any further the conditions on this Earth.
And yes indeed, it is those simple things that mean so much in the end!
@ LIARA – Hi Liara and thank you so much for your thoughts on this. I really feel that because we are spiritual beings, who at the moment have our awareness focused into the physical, we must respect and take care of that aspect too. This to me means looking at our physical health, environmental health, etc.
When we are in balance ourselves with life, everything is healthy. But when we are out of balance with any area, it seems to pose a problem that can make our physical life difficult for many.
This is why the way I see it, sustainable living brings us back to striking a balance, with nature and even with each other.
Thank you again for your feedback – I really appreciate it!