[Chapter_Fourteen] Zone Zero

[Rachel A. Buddeberg]

Lindsey asked: How does living a path with heart inform stewardship?

To me, stewardship is about taking care of the earth in a way that is regenerative and sustainable.  Zone Zero reminds me that there is more to regeneration and sustainability.  The way we live our lives can be destructive to ourselves - we can be tied up in a stressful job that is draining rather than nourishing us.  Living on a path with heart allows us to regenerate ourselves, we slow down - and practice yoga between two busy streets in the sunshine, like i did today (thank you, Lindsey!).  It also meant for me to listen to my heart, which was screaming at me to quit my job and take a chance to figure out how to make a living in a way that is nourishing to myself and others, rather than making a dying in a job that contributed (in a very small way) to the financial crisis.  Living a path with heart, in my case means to honor the memory of a friend and co-worker who died of a massive heart attack on the job.  It is to understand deeply how destructive our current mainstream culture really is - to the Earth and to all that is living on it, including us.  And it is sowing the seeds for something else: a way of live that lets us connect with others more deeply. 

Rachel