The New Downshifters

Movember Mayhem

Well the month formerly known as November is amongst us and that means the ever popular fundraising event Movember has arrived.  This year is the first year that I have decided to take part in the event to raise money for two worthy men's health organisations - beyondblue and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.  For more information and to donate, check out the links below.

During Movember (the month formerly known as November) I'm growing a Mo. That's right I'm bringing the Mo back because I'm passionate about tackling men's health issues and being proactive in the fight against men's depression and prostate cancer.

To donate to my Mo you can either:

1.     Click this link https://www.movember.com/au/donate/donate-details.php?action=sponsorlink&rego=1811156&country=au and donate online using your credit card or PayPal account, or

2.     Write a cheque payable to ‘Movember Foundation', referencing my Registration Number 1811156 and mailing it to:

                                            Movember Foundation
                                            PO Box 292
                                            Prahran VIC 3181

Remember, all donations over $2 are tax deductible.

The money raised by Movember is used to raise awareness of men's health issues and donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue - the national depression initiative. The PCFA and beyondblue will use the funds to fund research and increase support networks for those men who suffer from prostate cancer and depression.

Did you know:

• Depression affects 1 in 6 men....most don't seek help. Untreated depression is a leading risk factor for suicide.
• Last year in Australia 18,700 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 2,900 died of prostate cancer - equivalent to the number of women who will die from breast cancer annually.

For those that have supported Movember in previous years you can be very proud of the impact it has had and can check out the details at: [ Fundraising Outcomes ].

Movember culminates at the end of month Gala Partés. If you would like to be part of this great night you'll need to purchase a [ Gala Parté Ticket ].

Thanks for your support Mark.

More information is available at http://www.movember.com/.

 

Movember is proudly grown by Holden and Schick.

Movember is proud partners with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue - the national depression initiative.

One Giant Leap for Mankind

As part of my ongoing personal development, I have recently become involved with the Mankind Project Australia - www.mkpau.org.  Last weekend I embarked on my first staffing or "rookie" staffing as it is known throughout MKP.  As a typically left brained male, I have been attempting to reconnect to my creative or spiritual side, often referred to as the right brain.  In buddhism though, the mind is often described as being formed in two-parts, the conceptual and non-conceptual mind.  The latter being a combination of body, mind and heart, akin to the  'soul' in Christian terms.  The idea behind all of this is that it is our feelings and emotions rather than our 'rational' mind are what we need to increasingly respond to and base decisions  on because it's source is our own fundamental truth.  With this in 'mind' I participated in a great weekend at MKP, witnessing the honesty and emotion of other men and through that - transformation.  A real positive aspect of the weekend was the focus on bringing cultural diversity to the table, with many indigenous Australian men participating in the weekend side by side with other Australian men from a variety of backgrounds.  We were even luck enough to have a few New Zealander's, including Maori men - who added to the uniqueness of the weekend with their viewpoints and traditional customs.  After 3 days in wet conditions on a farm South of Sydney, I returned home exhausted, yet fulfilled hoping that I can continue to explore my inner self with a sense of connection to other men and the daily issues that we face as part of the ongoing challenges and joy of life.

Back on Board

Well my friends, it's been a while - over 3 years in fact since I've posted to the Downshifter's site.  I've recently moved back to Melbourne from Perth and rekindled my passion for discussion on the topic of simplified living.  What I've realised from living in Perth, is that although location is important to the creation of a simplified lifestyle - it doesn't really matter where you live, it's how you live that is the key.  Home is where the heart is as they say.  I look forward to providing my thoughts on the topic of downshifting and the link between simpler living and sustainable, eco-friendly practices in daily life and would love to hear your thoughts on the topic too.  In the meantime, do yourself a favour and have a look around the idealbite.com site for tips and ideas relating to eco-friendly living.

The Universal Language

The concept of downshifting relies heavily on the slowing down of our lives  so we can get a better perspective and develop a sense of awareness and enjoyment in what we are doing at a particular moment.  Sometimes however in our quest for simplicity and meaningfulness, our old habits rear up, which clutter the mind and take us away from our true selves.   Isn't it great then when a good book, film or conversation from a stranger brings us back to reality and reminds us of how we can be sidetracked by inconsequential events.  Such a film was sent to me last night.  The beauty of this French film was in its simple delivery of the message that living life is about taking your time and fully being in the present moment.  Joy and satisfaction come out of the development of true human relationships and no matter what tragedies or negative events have happened in the past, the things that really matter are those happening right now along with the beauty of giving love and being loved.

Focusing on the Now

One of the most difficult things that people face when they decide to downshift or change direction in their life is the ability to concentrate on the present moment and not let the mind slip into the past or race forward to the future.  This can be extremely difficult for people who have been career and financially oriented for most of their lives.  A certain level of trust is required in the knowledge that you are making the right decision for you.  Often, the path to greatness does take a long time and there will undoubtedly be greater obstacles on the way than just conforming to the status quo.  The benefits of living life how you want to live it however far outweigh being stuck in a situation that you feel you have no control of.  Attitude and the mind therefore play a huge part in making your downshifting move a success.  With more time on your hands, there may be a tendancy for the mind to want to worry about what lies ahead, i.e Will we have enough money? What am I going to do for a living? How will I make new friends? etc.  At the other end of the scale, the mind can also get stuck on issues that have happened in the past and have contributed to where you are today.  Whilst these are important to review and learn from,  it is important to focus on what is happening right at each moment.   If you are in a conversation with a friend or partner, focus on that discussion and listen intently.  If you are having a meal at dinner time, turn the TV off, limit your senses to focus on sensations and tastes that the food can provide.  Whilst difficult at first, such focus can be learned over time, just by intently concentrating on what you are doing at any given moment. Even when you are washing the dishes, you can practice on training the mind by focusing on cleaning each plate.   Every time you drift away from the moment and start thinking about other things, gently bring yourself back to where you are and what you are doing.  Enjoyment in simple things will increase tenfold and you will be able to get a greater level of concentration on the things that are important.

Blame it on El Nino

Well,  after touting Perth as one of the best destinations in Australia for weather last week, the weather gods have certainly made me eat my words.  Today was one of the worst storms that Perth has had in 20 years and May 2005 is fast becoming the wettest May in this fair city on record.  As  I look out the window now, the sun is peering through the glass, but earlier this morning it was a completely different story.  There was even a mini-tornado that ripped up the street a few suburbs away from where I live, tearing roofs of houses and causing traffic chaos. 

Mental note - never again boast about the weather.

Research on Downshifting

When exploring the concept of downshifting I  came across a lot of research being conducted in Australia.  In particular, Clive Hamilton from the Australian Institute has focused much of his research on the topic and the idea that, (and I quote) "Australians are three times richer than their parents and grandparents were in the 1950s, but they are no happier".  This notion has lead to an exploration of why this is the case and what people are doing to reverse the trend and create a more balanced and sustainable life for themselves.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation also has a page dedicated to the topic on their website and provides a good overview of the phenonema and links to further research.  Check it out!

Experiment Night

The beauty of downshifting is that you have more time to pursue the more important things in life.  Cooking is one area that you can use to unleash your creative talents on your unsuspecting friends and partners.  Believe me, taking the time to cook  a healthy meal, perhaps with a glass of Margaret River wine  in the hand can be more than a chore and is actually a pleasurable experience.  It's a sure fire way to spice up your relationship as well. Excuse the pun.  Try setting aside one night each week called "Experiment Night".  This means that you have to cook something that you have never cooked before.  Get a recipe off the Net or come up with your own concoction, it doesn't matter.  Just remember to make a pledge that if it doesn't work and the result tastes like something that even the dog would turn its nose at, there is to be  no fingerpointing.  Whilst you're eating the back up meal of Vegemite on toast, you can have a laugh and plan out what to try next week.  The point is to take a risk and you never know, it may bring out that little bit of Naked Chef in you that is hiding in all of us.

Perth - The Downshifting Capital

I gotta say, after spending an hour this morning walking along the Swan/Canning River near Applecross with the Autumn sun reflecting on the water, Perth is the place to Downshift!  I know Melbourne is having a few rare weather triumphs at the moment (above 20 degrees) in May, but you cannot beat Perth for coastal and river scenery and consistently beautiful weather.  I'm saving my beans to get a digital camera, so hopefully will be able to put some happy snaps up soon so you can have a squiz.  For now though, especially for those experiencing the cold at the moment, you'll have to take my word for it.

Getting Started - Saving Coinage

For most people who have made the decision to Downshift, there is a requirement to reduce spending habits because there is less income coming in.  Based on experience, you will find that a lot of the money that was being spent in the past was being wasted on material items that were truly not necessities but were purchased because you thought you needed them.  Most of these items, (like that third DVD player for the kitchen so you could watch movies whilst you cook up your two minute noodles) are completely unnecessary.  Perhaps some would argue that even one DVD player or TV is more than enough.  Anyway, I digress, the first step in getting your finances in order is to start monitoring where you are spending your money.  Map out your fixed costs on a spreadsheet such as Home Phone, Mobile/s, Rent, Electricity, Internet Connection, Banking  etc etc and get a clear overview of where your money is currently being spent.  From here you will begin to see where costs can be reduced and often it just takes a little bit of research to find a better deal, especially with regard to things like insurance, phone and other core utilities like gas and electricity.  Determine what costs have to be made on a regular basis and weigh this up against your income coming in.