Filling the Bathtub One Drop at a Time: Small Choices Matter

Posted on August 1, 2011 by zoeweil

I came upon this quote by Gil Fronsdal some time ago and tucked it away in a list of quotes I keep: “Just as drops of water will eventually fill a bathtub, so the accumulation of small choices shapes who we are.” It’s easy to dismiss the power of small choices. In the scheme of [...]

Filed under: changemakers, citizen activism, integrity, mindfulness, MOGO (Most Good), positive choices, systemic change, values | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Affluence and Affluenza

Posted on July 13, 2011 by zoeweil

The film and book, Affluenza, explores the mostly modern condition of relentless consumerism, debt, yearning for more, dissatisfaction and sluggishness, and a treadmill life that leaves people feeling empty and stressed simultaneously. In our recent Summer Institute for teachers, high school English teacher, Mark McGonagle, came up with an activity that explored affluenza through a [...]

Filed under: changemakers, consumerism, Cultural Issues, MOGO (Most Good), positive choices, simple living | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

I Married a Vivisector: Challenging Our Perspectives

Posted on May 4, 2011 by zoeweil

At a recent MOGO (most good) talk at the University of California at Berkeley, I spoke about the most good, least harm principle and how we can put this principle into practice in our lives, consciously and conscientiously. While I can’t remember the context for sharing with the audience the fact that I married a [...]

Filed under: compassion, MOGO (Most Good), perspective, positive choices, third side thinking | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

A Must Read: Half the Sky

Posted on April 4, 2011 by zoeweil

Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s book, Half the Sky, explores perhaps the most pervasive human rights violation of our time: the horrific abuse of women and girls, primarily in Africa and Asia. It is easy in industrialized and democratic countries to think that the struggle for women’s rights has largely been won, because in many [...]

Filed under: books, changemakers, citizen activism, human rights, oppression, positive choices, systemic change | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Changing Behavior in 1.5 Minutes

Posted on February 18, 2011 by zoeweil

Check out this commercial: Yes, this is an advertisement. Readers of my blog know the power of advertising. At the Institute for Humane Education we offer free activities for educators to download, and some of these activities focus specifically on learning to analyze ads. Ads are powerful. Even the best critical thinkers often become strangely brainwashed [...]

Filed under: changemakers, critical thinking, humane education, media literacy, perspective, positive choices, propaganda, social psychology, videos | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Ethics Without Indoctrination

Posted on December 22, 2010 by zoeweil

In an essay entitled “Ethics Without Indoctrination” in a now 20-year-old issue of Educational Leadership, Richard W. Paul writes: “If we bring ethics into the curriculum – and we should – we must take pains to ensure that we do so in a morally unobjectionable manner. This requires us to distinguish clearly between espousing the [...]

Filed under: accurate information, critical thinking, education, humane education, integrity, positive choices, propaganda, values | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Dive Into Darkness to Uncover the Light

Posted on December 15, 2010 by zoeweil

I love December. Amidst the festivities, the sparkling lights and candles to brighten the darkest month, the singing and celebrating, the craft fairs and concerts, the spirit of generosity (albeit too commercialized, but that’s another blog post), the gatherings with friends and family, there is also another opportunity I relish: the opportunity to dive into [...]

Filed under: citizen activism, Institute for Humane Education, integrity, mindfulness, MOGO (Most Good), peace, positive choices, responsibility, reverence, simple living, values | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Life Is Short. Stretch Your Boundaries

Posted on October 20, 2010 by zoeweil

This summer my son started CrossFit training, an intensive workout approach that amazed me. I watched one morning as he and a friend set a timer and for 15 minutes did repetitions of the following: 5 pull-ups 10 push-ups 15 sit-ups After the 15 minutes were over they’d done 45 pull-ups, 90 push-ups and 135 [...]

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Soap in Plastic?

Posted on October 1, 2010 by zoeweil

The simple bar of soap is becoming a relic. I remember when I first encountered liquid soap in a plastic container. It’s possible I uttered an audible moan. Of all things to package in plastic, this seemed preposterous. A bar of soap is a perfectly good means for washing; it does not need to be [...]

Filed under: consumerism, MOGO (Most Good), positive choices | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Environmental Responsibility — An Epic Pain in the Ass?

Posted on September 22, 2010 by zoeweil

I just read an excellent essay by J.B. MacKinnon, “In an Age of Eco-uncertainty,” reprinted in Utne Reader. MacKinnon begins: “Environmental responsibility, of late, is an increasingly epic-scale pain in the ass….” She goes on to say, “… every possible choice from diapers to cremation is overwhelmed by conflicting information about what’s better or worse [...]

Filed under: changemakers, Environmental Preservation, MOGO (Most Good), positive choices, responsibility | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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