Revolutionary Community Design

Imagine a life of freedom –a life of balance and harmony. What do you see?

Are you excited to get out of bed in the morning? Do you awake feeling well-rested? Do you feel like have to go somewhere to start your day? Do you eat when you’re hungry, and rest when you’re tired? Do little challenges frustrate you? Are you living in the present moment? Are you happy?

These are just some of the infinite questions we could be asking ourselves, and each other; but there seem to be other questions that toss these into the back of our minds. Questions like: Do we have enough money for food this week? Where the hell are the keys? Why is the car making that sound? Did I eat when I fed the kids? Why are you driving so slowly? Why does her yard look nicer than mine? Do I look fat today? How is he still in the bathroom? Can I just take a goddamn nap?!

That internal dialogue is always screaming in our minds, and sometimes it feels more like a monologue –arguing with ourselves because we can’t yell at our boss. We take so much of this confusion, frustration and exhaustion out on ourselves; and when we just can’t take that abuse anymore, it spills out onto those around us –like: yelling at your husband for being in the bathroom for twenty minutes, instead of simply saying, “Hey, I’ve gotta shit too, you almost done?” We fill ourselves with a level of urgency that can never be fulfilled, and then we wonder why we never pursued the dreams and creativity we’ve been carrying around for decades.

Most of the pain and discomfort we experience is actually self-inflicted, because of the way we respond to challenging situations. A traffic jam isn’t just a traffic jam when you’re driving three kids to two different schools, then trying to get to work on time so you don’t get fired and starve to death. Something seemingly so simple –a bunch of cars not moving on the highway– suddenly turns into the image of being homeless. This is a life motivated by fear, so I wonder if it’s really a life at all.

However you believe humanity was created, I think many of us can agree that the purpose of life is not fear and struggle. To a certain degree, of course, fear is a natural motivator. But as humans, with giant, squishy brains, we’ve completely warped that fear response –once we’re done running and the bear is out of sight, it’s time to shake it off and continue living life. However, we experience minor, non-life-threatening situations every day, and we continue to focus on them so much, our bodies think we’re still running from a bear attack. It’s a wonder we’re still a thriving species, since we seem incapable of working with nature.

Working with Nature.

Let’s go back to that image of freedom –a vision for a calm, balanced life. Does it seem desirable? Tangible? Possible? It may seem overwhelming for some people, or even impossible, given the current structure of society. When I share my vision for a natural, harmonious life, the response is usually a sarcastic, “Good luck,” followed by an eye roll; or just straight-up disapproval. Even those who crave a life like this still think it’s too hard to create, or that it will never work. For some reason, we continue to believe in a world that has proven to harm us, instead of supporting a new vision –a vision that has the potential to lift us up higher than we could have ever imagined.

I’ve decided to stop living my life for others, at the detriment of myself. I want to be a writer, so I am a writer. I want to live in the forest, so I live in the forest. I want to build hundreds of self-sustaining homes, so I am. No one else gets to operate my body, or make decisions for me, so there is nothing limiting me anymore. I am no longer following the masses of emotionless marchers I used to walk behind. I’ve ventured off the path, now turning into a trench. I am free to live in any direction I choose, and I am running to the forest.

The Most Revolutionary Community Design in the World!

Talking Trees’ Holistic Community is indeed the Most Revolutionary Community Design in the World! With no laws, and a few simple guidelines, this vision is so much more than just a bunch of off-grid buildings in the forest. Our foundational belief is, “Do no harm; cause no loss,” because we should be free to make our own decisions, as long as we’re not causing harm or loss to ourselves, the Earth or others. We also strive to keep this a space free of judgement; while that may seem impossible, remember that judging isn’t a natural human behaviour –babies don’t judge other babies, it’s something we learn.

The other two pillars that hold this community up are what make it unique from anything I’ve seen before –Sovereignty and Holistic Homes.

Every building within this community is built with the six principles of the Earthship (passive heating & cooling; renewable energy; water collection; sewage treatment; food production; built with natural & recycled materials), ensuring that they are all entirely self-sustaining, and will stand strong for hundreds of years. Pairing these incredible buildings with the concept of sovereignty is what sets this community apart from all others.

Read, "Reusing is the Goal," for more on Earthships and Holistic Homes.

Recognizing that we’re all sovereign beings means taking responsibility for ourselves as individuals. I am responsible for my behaviours and actions, as well as the health of my mind, body and spirit. I do not need to ask permission to build the home I desire, because I can take responsibility for anything that may go wrong. When I’m upset, it’s no one else’s responsibility to fix; and the same can be said about my health. While living in a community with 500 others, who are also following their passions and accepting self-responsibility, we have the opportunity to develop inter-dependent relationships.

When we join together with other independent beings, we can support each other and create abundance, without being dependent on one another. You see, there is a difference between supporting each other, and depending on each other.

For example: you’re able to grow and prepare your own food, so you’re not dependent on an external source to provide nourishment for your body. However, you’re not able to build your own home. Your friend is an amazing builder and has built his own home to keep himself warm and sheltered –but he isn’t able to grow and prepare his own food. You form an agreement with your friend –he builds you a home and teaches you many things along the way. In turn, you feed him from your garden, and help him create his own. In this way, you’re both adults –independent in many ways, and accountable for your own actions. You join together to share your knowledge with each other. You each move forward having acquired new skills that you are responsible to continue to nourish, and you helped guide a fellow independent being in the process –A beautiful example of an interdependent relationship.

So, picture this…

You wake up in your comfy bed, feeling well-rested. You wash your face with filtered rain water and pick an apple from the tree in your living room. You make coffee with beans your neighbours grew, adding syrup from a tree your brother tapped, and milk from your father’s cow. You do yoga with your kids, and no one is rushing off to school or work. You eat a nourishing, organic, home-grown, home-cooked meal with your family, as well as the neighbour’s kids who wandered up the road. You don’t have to 'walk the dog' because he’s always free to roam, and you ride a horse to your friend’s house. You play with her baby and make her lunch while she showers, then you join four other moms and their countless kids to the community park. Some people are cooking, some are playing, and others are sitting quietly under the shade of ancient trees.

You don’t love to cook, but someone else does, and they make a meal in the community kitchen every night. You’re not good at math, but someone else is, so they teach your kids long-division. You don’t know how to make socks, but someone else does, and she welcomes baskets of apples in return.

In this space, you’re free to do whatever brings you joy; and if you don’t love cooking, someone else does. When we’re all listening to the whisper of our hearts, we’re all doing what we love; and when we’re all doing what we love, everything gets done.

It’s not a coincidence that we’re all drawn to different things. If we all loved baking, we’d have far too many cakes and not enough houses. If we all loved building houses, we’d run out of clothes to wear while building them. We’re all connected, and the stronger we are as individuals, we strong we are together. If one of us ignores the whispering of our heart, the rest of us will feel it.

• Part 1 – Follow Your Highest Excitement
• Part 2 – Making a Life, Not Earning a Living