“Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you stepped out of your comfort zone and let go of your attachments to material possessions?”

This was the question Aussie couple, Bessie and Geoff Barker asked themselves, only they decided to answer it…and in a big way.

The Barker’s answer took the form of The Life Change Experiment.

Step one was the bold task of giving away ALL that they own. Yes, they gave it all away. For free. Nothing was sold. Their car, bikes, scooters, laptops, jewelry, furniture, clothes, books, iPods and even their 2 businesses were up for grabs.

All the potential recipients of their possessions had to do was send them an email with what they wanted and why. Bessie and Geoff then chose the person who most needed each item.

Step one has been completed. They are now at the stage where they are possession free. In Geoff’s own words;

“It is a VERY surreal feeling. Sitting here today with little more than the clothes on my back as possessions. I feel so incredibly FREE for the first time in years. I feel almost ELATED!!……… WE DID IT!!

This crazy, stupid, irresponsible, wonderful, enlightening, thing! My god it was a trial, but stage one is over and I REALLY AM sitting here a changed person. With a spring in my step and lightness in my heart like I have not experienced since I was a teenager.”

For the Barkers, being possession free was really the beginning of the experiment.

So what now? Well, the short answer is; they don’t know! 

Step two involves staying what they call “in the flow” and seeing what happens. On their site, The Life Change Experiment, they are calling for ideas on where they can go, who they can help and what they should do next (for Aussies, if you know a great location they should visit, a person they can help in some way or inspirational people they could visit, send them an email at help [at symbol] thelifechangeexperiment [dot] com).  

Their plan is to travel Australia with their young daughter BlueBelle in a Winnebago “going with the flow and helping people as they go”. 

In a world where most are consumed with consumption, control and achievement, the Barkers really stand out.

Having been through the post-divorce-let-go-of-possessions-and-take-off-overseas-with-2-bags thing myself, I can somewhat relate and am intrigued to see how they go. So intrigued in fact, I’ve invited them to stay if they ever make their way to the Sunshine Coast. Hope they can cope with impromptu Flashdance routines!

So what do you think about the Barker’s experiment? How would you go giving away all your worldly possessions?

Related posts:

• Friday Question – What You Wouldn’t Change Photo by The Ninja Monkey The end of the week...
• Kick Arse Question – Tides of Change Photo by The Ninja Monkey This week’s question is inspired...
• World Domination & Pet Lemmings For All Photo by jurveston My goal of blogging world domination is...

Every time we turn on the box at the moment it’s all doom and gloom headlines like; “XYZ Company Lets Workers Go” or “Homeowners Foreclosing in Record Numbers” or “Board of Directors Give Themselves a Great, Big, Dirty Bonus for Buggering Up Big Time.”

Without diminishing the challenging situations quite a few people are now finding themselves in, it is possible to be thankful for the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), challenging situations or not.

“What?” I hear you say, “Thankful for the GFC? Do you have kangaroos hopping around in the top paddock?” Well, yes, it could be said that I do have a tendency towards lunacy and do perhaps have the odd kangaroo skipping around up there, however, I believe I have a sound argument (and all the voices agree).

1. Tighten your belt. The GFC has resulted in many people having to reduce their spending and learn how to budget. Knowing how to manage your finances, understanding your financial situation and making sure that the money going out is less than the money coming in seems common sense, but clearly it’s not common practise. The GFC is forcing people to get conscious about their money, take responsibility for their situation and start new (and improved) habits.

2. What’s important. When you’re in survival mode you quickly learn what’s really important to you and it generally doesn’t include the hot pink, leather sofa imported from Bahrain or the promotion to Vice Assistant Manager of Management of Vice. When the job, the title, the status and the material possessions are stripped away (metaphorically or literally) you’re left with; you, your health and those close to you -ie, the really important stuff.

3. Chance to invest. I’m no financial planner but it seems to me that now is a great time to invest if you have the funds available and assuming you have a very good handle on your financial situation. House and stock prices are lower, interest rates are lower, building and renovating prices have come down and there are sales aplenty.

4. Exposing cracks. The GFC is not only exposing cracks in our own financial management but that of big business and governments. Transparency can only be a good thing. In my opinion, the public are becoming tired of greedy, uncaring, environmentally unfriendly and dishonest practises and they are starting to vote with their feet (and their cash). I have noticed a shift with many of my friends, family and people I meet (both online and off), away from big business and towards the more socially and environmentally conscious local guy or smaller companies. Vote 1 David over Goliath!

5. Lessons to be learnt. As with any challenge, the GFC is teaching us (and importantly, kids) many lessons; Financial management, learning to do without, understanding what’s important, patience, strength, courage, persistence, asking for help, helping others, being resourceful, authenticity over image. This list could go on.

6. Reduced consumption. Tightening of belts means less consumption. Whilst this isn’t great for the economy, it is great for our environment. There’s less production, manufacturing, transportation, etc and therefore, less burden on resources.

7. Family as a priority. Along with number 2 is making family a priority. As the focus shifts from spending and stuff to what’s important, those we care about take more of the spotlight, which is how it should be anyway. Instead of dinners at a restaurant, home cooked meals are had around the table at home. Instead of holidays away, families experiences camping in the backyard. Instead of the latest video game, kids learn other ways of having fun. Instead of going to the movies, conversations take place, etc, etc. 

8. Opportunities. With hardship, also comes opportunities. When a job is lost or a house taken or money is running out, could it be time to look at a different career, a different place to live, a new start, a new way of living, different priorities, new experiences, new lessons? If you look past the fear and pain, there are always opportunities waiting.

9. Practise having faith. This too shall pass. Have faith. It’ll work out even if there’s seemingly no immediate solution. You just never know what’s around the corner or what can be gained from the experience.

10. Getting back to basics. The GFC is teaching us all, no matter what situation we’re in, the art of getting back to basics. We’re learning to enjoy the simple things in life, to be grateful for what we have, to live more simply, to help and support others where we can and to stop keeping up appearances and get real.

As challenging as it is, maybe, just maybe, the global financial crisis is just what the world needs.

What are your thoughts?

Related posts:

• Kick Arse Question – Surviving a Crisis Photo by The Ninja Monkey This week’s kick arse question is...
• Friday Question – Relationships as a Top Priority Photo by The Ninja Monkey Last week’s Friday Question, (If...
• Friday Question – A $53 Million Question   Photo by The Ninja Monkey In Australia, we recently...

A quick note before I get started on this post; The responses I received on my last post (She’ll Be Right Mate) were very humbling and meant a great deal. Your support and encouragement is very much appreciated. Thanks a lot guys. You rock! I’m keepin the faith so on with today’s shenanigans…

Not too long ago I posted about a charity called Modest Needs (you can check out the post here). Their slogan is “Small Change. A World of Difference” and they do great work linking individuals and families who are struggling with short term emergency expenses (eg phone, gas, electricity, rent, medical, etc) to those who are able to help them out. It’s a much needed concept, especially during this current economic climate.

If you visit their website you’ll see the recipients of their funds are incredibly grateful for the help and often wanting to pay it forward when they are able to. The funding goes a long way to helping people get back on their feet.

Here’s a clip profiling Modest Needs;

I recently received an email from them asking for help. Here are parts of the email; 

I’m writing today with big news from Modest Needs. In short, we’ve just had a major gift unexpectedly fall into our lap, and I need your help in order for us to realize the full potential of it.

Since February 2009, when we first learned that we’d be losing a substantial grant that we’ve been able to count on for the past couple of years, I’ve been plugging away, submitting proposal after proposal in an effort to replace the funding we unexpectedly lost. It has been a long and difficult road, I’ll tell you. But finally, last week, after months of work, we hit the jackpot.

A private foundation that loves the work we’re doing – one that has never supported us in this way before – has offered Modest Needs a new matching grant: up to $200,000.00 in new funding, and at a time when we’ve never needed the support quite as much as we do right now.

But there’s a catch: this foundation is intent on making the most of its money during this difficult economic time. So in order to claim any of this $200,000.00, we must first raise at least $100,000.00 from individual donors who support Modest Needs. And we have until 30 June 2009 to do it.

Once we’ve hit this $100,000.00 threshold, the private foundation I’ve mentioned above will match the full $100,000.00 we’ve raised from our individual donors. The foundation will then match 100% of anything else that we raise over and above that $100,000.00, up to the $200,000.00 maximum value of the match, so long as those funds are collected from our individual donors by midnight Pacific Time on 30 June 2009.

So right now, together, we have the chance of a lifetime – the opportunity to take advantage of a new matching grant that, if fully claimed, will result in Modest Needs (and our applicants) receiving a full $400,000.00 in new funding right away. And this is a goal that we can certainly reach together. In December 2008 alone, individual donors gave more than $250,000.00 to Modest Needs. Raising $100,000.00 from individual donors is no small task – but it is totally doable, provided we all work together, just as we always have in the past.

And that’s why I’m writing to you today.

In the interest of claiming this tremendous matching grant in full, I’m writing to ask if you’d please consider making a tax-deductible, one-time contribution. If you’re willing to help out, you can do so securely – in two minutes or less – just by visiting https://www.modestneeds.org/donation/online in the amount of your choice.

Right now, with such a very large amount of funding at stake, any help you’d be willing to offer really does have the power to make a world of difference, particularly to our applicants, and I’d like to thank you in advance for your kindness, your generosity, and your willingness to help us claim the full value of this extraordinary new matching grant.

A $5 or $10 donation seems a small price to pay towards helping them reach their goal. I’m sure $400,000 would make a world of difference to many families in need. We’ve made a donation. If you’re able, it would be great if you could help too.

Related posts:

• Modest Needs Photo by psd   I was recently introduced to a...
• Murray’s Story Starlight Children’s Foundation is a fantastic charity who I’ve previously...
• So All May Eat The idea for SAME Cafe was born out of Libby...

This post was going to be a little overdue but given this site was down for over a week and I’ve been feverishly getting it back on track, it’s now a lot overdue. I did um and ah about whether or not I’d publish it but came to the conclusion that I’m all for a good news story (even a late one) so I thought what the hell. Enjoy…

I recently wrote about Earth Hour 2009 where everyone was encouraged to switch off all lights for an hour as a vote against climate change and a vote for Earth. The purpose of Earth Hour was to raise the awareness of climate change and influence our world leaders who’ll be meeting in Copenhagen for the Global Climate Change Conference in December 2009.

This conference will be used to determine official government policies and actions against global warming and will replace the Kyoto Protocol. Earth Hour was a chance for the people of the world to cast their vote and make themselves heard.

Here are some of the key results of Earth Hour as published on the Earth Hour website;

• Nearly half of all Australians (47%) participated in Earth Hour.
• Australia’s major icons switched off: the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, St Kilda’s Luna Park, Story Bridge, Parliament House, WA State Memorial, Rundle Mall Lantern.
• 4088 cities, towns and municipalities in 88 countries across the globe, including China, India, Russia and Brazil participated.
• 18 out of 20 G20 countries took part.
• 9 out of 10 of the world’s most populated cities switched off.
• Famous landmarks that went dark: the Pyramids and the Sphinx (Egypt), Eiffel Tower (France), Vatican (Italy), Acropolis (Greece), Big Ben (UK), the Las Vegas Strip and Empire State Building (USA), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), Bird’s Nest (China) and the Petronas Twin Towers (Malaysia).

Check out this news story on the Earth Hour 2009 Worldwide roll out;

Related posts:

• Earth Hour 2009 At 8.30pm this Saturday, March 28, vote Earth for Earth Hour...
• 2009 Australian of the Year Source: Australian of the Year website.   Professor Michael Dodson...
• Young Entrepreneur Photo by sailormoon001 By Adam Bluestein Source: Reader’s Digest “Everyone...

The idea for SAME Cafe was born out of Libby and Brad Birky’s experiences in volunteering at food banks and shelters over a number of years. The cafe, based in Denver Colorado, has a great philosophy; “Everyone, regardless of economic status, deserves the chance to eat healthy food while being treated with dignity”.

The cafe doesn’t operate as you would expect, which is reflected in their slogan; ”wonderfully different”. Instead of a set menu, cash register and all patrons paying for meals, SAME Cafe uses fresh, organic produce and an ever changing menu, a donation box for customers to leave whatever amount they feel the meal was worth (+ a little more as a donation for someone less fortunate if possible) and a “work for your meal” concept for those who don’t have enough cash to pay. If a customer cannot cover the cost of their meal, they work for an hour instead.

Check out this news story clip; SAME Cafe.

SAME Cafe is simultaneously filling bellies with healthy fare, improving self worth and building community. We’ve made a donation. Here’s the link if you’d like to do the same; Donate to SAME Cafe.

Related posts:

• Modest Needs Needs Help A quick note before I get started on this post;...
• Going Organic Photo by thebittenword.com   2009 is the year I’m determined...
• Murray’s Story Starlight Children’s Foundation is a fantastic charity who I’ve previously...

There are, however, few friendships more odd than Tara and Bella’s, both of whom reside in an elephant refuge in Tennessee (I’ve previously posted about this very cool place. See Refuges for Elephants). Theirs is a friendship that looks past their major differences but also endures a tough time for one of them…

Just another lesson from the animal kingdom the human race would do well to really adopt.

Related posts:

• Refuges for Elephants Photo by digitalART2 60 Minutes Story (shortened transcript) Reporter: Elizabeth...
• Twas a Couple of Nights Before Christmas    Photo by Carrie’sCamera To all my awesome, brilliant, kick...
• Murray’s Story Starlight Children’s Foundation is a fantastic charity who I’ve previously...

First up, a warning: I’m on my soap box and not feeling like getting off it any time soon! Just so you know.

A pet peeve of mine is the amount of bad news we’re subjected to on a daily basis. If you were somehow born into the world as an adult (that would give a whole new meaning to the term labour pain – ouch) and given the daily newspaper and 6 o’clock news as your first introduction to the planet, you’d be forgiven for thinking the world was wall to wall full of death, destruction and violence (and Britney Spears, but that’s another story). You’d also be forgiven for wanting to crawl back in from whence you came (ouch again).

I don’t watch the news anymore and I’ve changed my previous news-type Internet home page, as my small boycott against the continual and unrelenting bad news we’re fed. The only reason the media outlets feed us bad news is because we consume it. If there wasn’t a market for it, they wouldn’t sell it. The marketers should add “bad news sells” along with their “sex sells” adage.

Fair enough if you want to keep up to date with what’s going on in the world but be selective in what, how and the amount you subject yourself to (I find the Internet and print media the best ways to keep informed - you can be more selective in what you read). The truth is there is a lot of “bad” going on and I’m not suggesting we stick our heads in the sand and pretend it isn’t happening. What I am suggesting is that we (and the media outlets) take a look around and see the millions of things going on that are not just good but phenomenal. It’s easy to think there isn’t anything or anyone great out there because we never see it.

There is however, good news all around us. Case in point; we are lucky enough to have a local organic grocery store called The Natural Foodstore. Unless you were local to the area where we live it’s unlikely you would have ever heard of them and yet, they are a very positive force for the community. Apart from only offering organic produce and grocery items, they provide free information sessions, organize food hampers for families in need at Christmas, buy locally made where possible and donate money to The Sunshine Coast Environmental Council to combat plastic waste in our environment (and these are just the couple of things I’m aware of). This is one, very small but not insignificant example of good news out there that the public is unaware of. If you look around, I’m sure you’ll find examples of your own.

Let us all unite in this fight against bad news polluting our lounge rooms and our minds. Let us stand up for the promotion of all that is positive and good. I implore you citizens of the world, please stop consuming the news in its current form and turn back the tide of bad news obesity! Wow, sometimes I scare myself with how much I sound like a politician. Eww. Ok, I’m now officially off my soap box, for 5 minutes at least.

Related posts:

• Write On! Photo by tosaytheleast Today is our friends’ wedding day and...
• 8 Ways to Laugh More Photo by Zanastardust So a grasshopper walks into a bar...
• Hero on a Roof   Here’s a good news article to come out of...

Note: it’s lights out from 8.30pm to 9.30pm local time wherever you live on the planet.

Related posts:

• Earth Hour 2009 Results   This post was going to be a little overdue...
• 2009 Australian of the Year Source: Australian of the Year website.   Professor Michael Dodson...
• Good vs Bad Photo by James Cridland   First up, a warning: I’m...

The band, The John Butler Trio (or JBT as they are affectionately known), with frontman John Butler, bassist Shannon Birchall and Michael Barker on drums are an Australian based band with a difference. Not only are they extraordinary musicians (you have to hear John Butler on guitar to believe it) but they have a very strong social conscience as well. In fact, their entire existence, what they sing about and how they live is all about the importance of family, looking after the planet, social equity, artistic integrity, ethical business and looking out for those who need a leg up.

The interesting thing is they’ve become incredibly successful using (and living) this platform and they now have a huge following from countries all around the world. Just to prove it, some of their career highlights to date are; two sold out shows at the famous Fillmore East in San Francisco, a standing ovation at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, selling out the prestigious Grand Rex in Paris, performing at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, becoming the highest selling act at the Cambridge Folk Festival, performing main stage at the world famous Glastonbury Festival, and even a television performance on the David Letterman Show. They are also Aussie favourites and pull big crowds whenever they play here.

CD covers and promotional material printed on recycled paper, performing aid gigs (eg Wave Aid Tsunami Relief Concert, Make Poverty History Campaign), donating proceeds from tickets to causes (eg Refugee Action Coalition, The Wilderness Society, Save Ningaloo Reef Campaign) and setting up The JB Seed Arts Grant Programme (a programme “designed to explore and encourage the social, cultural, and artistic diversity in Australian society” by providing up and coming artists with their knowledge, money and time) are just some of the ways JBT are contributing.

Their music is sending out strong, positive and sometimes controversial messages that I believe the world needs to hear. Their popularity is now resulting in those messages being sent far and wide.

JBT are a great example of people living what’s important to them and not just talking about it.

To check out some of their tunes, head to the John Butler Trio website and you can buy their CDs here; John Butler Trio.

Related posts:

• Kick Arse Question – Music to My Ears Photo by The Ninja Monkey This week’s question is taken...
• Refuges for Elephants Photo by digitalART2 60 Minutes Story (shortened transcript) Reporter: Elizabeth...
• Articles Some of the best…   Funny Side of Life How...

I was recently introduced to a great website; modestneeds.org. This organization links people who are struggling with various bills to those who are able to help them out. It’s an especially useful resource for many people given the current economic climate.

There are a number of examples of people on the site who’ve been helped with paying phone bills, rent, mortgage payments, hospital expenses and much more. Many of these people are really struggling financially and to have complete strangers pay a bill that is causing them a great deal of stress is a huge relief.

The way it works is, those who need help submit a request for assistance online. Modest Needs then vet the request to make sure it’s legit. Once legitimacy is confirmed, the person’s story is put up on their website for others to start donating to. Donors get to choose who they’re helping by allocating points to whichever applicant they choose (1 point = $1). Once enough points are received, the person’s bill is then paid for.

You’ll see from testimonials on the site that not only does having the bill paid make a huge difference to the recipients financially but often it triggers a pay it forward type mentality where they feel motivated to help others once they are able to. On top of that, those who give get a kick out of knowing who they’ve helped and that they’ve made a real difference in that person’s situation. A win-win if ever I’ve seen one!

We’ve donated money towards the rent bill of a single mum with 2 kids. Her hours were cut back at work making it very hard to keep up with the rent. So far she’s received 28% of the points required to fund her application. If you’d like to help make life a little easier for someone, check out Modest Needs.

Related posts:

• Modest Needs Needs Help A quick note before I get started on this post;...
• The John Butler Trio   Photo by jeaneeem   The band, The John Butler...
• Hero on a Roof   Here’s a good news article to come out of...