How would you like to have more peaceful relationships with others?

You can, and though the work is not easy, the process is simple, and today Ethan Hughes shares with us how he and others put this idea into practice day to day at The Possibility Alliance, as well as in the Permaculture Design Courses held at the Peace and Permaculture Center. T

his audio comes from the first video session with Ethan, recorded while I was at The Possibility Alliance. For those of you on mobile, if you'd like to watch this video, I’ve included a direct link to the YouTube page in the resource section.

These conversations with Ethan, a beautiful synthesis of the wisdom of others with his own experiences of living in community, continue to change and transform my life and lead to new discoveries. As I apply the lessons learned along the way I find that they work. There is less strife and more understanding of others, while also decreasing the sense of other or enemy identity. I won’t say it is perfect, and we call these things practices for a reason, but the improvement is there. By changing ourselves, we change the world. Now imagine all the possibilities.

If there is anyway I can assist you on your road, wherever you are in that journey, get in touch by leaving a comment below.

Resources
Conflict Transformation video (YouTube)
Ethan Hughes - Necessary Simplicity

This show is a best of featuring the two interviews with Ethan Hughes combined into a single episode with a running time of over two hours. The first half was originally released September 14, 2012, and was titled Radical Possibilities. The second came out on November 26, 2013, and was called Practical Possibilities. Listening to both of these together, in preparation for this new release, I got caught on Ethan’s words that his lifestyle is a “Necessary Simplicity,” which lead to the current title. Of all the material I’ve recorded and produced in the nearly five years of creating this podcast, Ethan’s time with me, totalling about four hours over two different days before being brought down to what you will hear today, stands as the most popular and influential thus far. If you are new to the podcast, listen and hear the possibilities in Ethan’s words and know why that is the case. If you have heard these before, enjoy them in this new way, and be inspired to make even greater change. After listening to this share it with others. Get the word out about all the incredible possibilities, radical and necessary, that are open to us if we begin to truly embody what we believe in. Until the next time, take care of Earth, your self, and each other. Learn more about The Possibility Handbook, a book Ethan and I are writing together. Contact Ethan The Possibility Alliance 85 Edgecomb Road Belfast, ME 04915 207-338-5719

Our conversation was conducted over one of the few pieces of technology at the site, a landline telephone located in a space that is separated from the rest of the living area. Ethan, his wife, and the others who share the homestead with them operate the on a gift economy. The short and quick way to explain this is that they give gifts freely and have others give gifts in return, though not necessarily on a one to one or quid pro quo basis, which we clarify more fully in the interview. Though it initially sounded impossible to me, they are able to do this and support 9 full time adults and 2 children on the site, while still receiving over 1500 guests through their space for tours and classes. I wanted to call this episode Radical Simplicity, but changed it to Radical Possibilities because the powerful message that came through from the conversation was the power we have to create change when we open ourselves to the numerous of opportunites available and of human beings ability to creativily solve problems, especially when guided in a meaningful way. Overall this interview challenged many of my previous notions about the personal requirements to transform the world. Many of the examples I encountered previously dealt with people who spent years saving, paying off debt, and then leaving the western lifestyle of working to live, though they retained a certain level of wealth and financial independence. Ethan made his changes utilizing non-financial capital, relying on friends, neighbors, and other contacts to do good work. He and the community he lives in made, and continue to make, choices that allow them to live freely on very little of money, but with lives full of abundance. Ethan and his community are an experiment and this lifestyle may not work for everyone. Please do not compare your life and choices to his or anyone else. Take the steps necessary to live your better life by your own making. David Holmgren's 12 Principles of Permaculture 1. Observe and Interact. 2. Catch and Store Energy. 3. Obtain a Yield. 4. Apply Self Regulation and Accept Feedback. 5. Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services 6. Produce No Waste 7. Design from Patterns to Details 8. Integrate Rather than Segregate 9. Use Small and Slow Solutions 10. Use and Value Diversity 11. Use Edges and Value the Marginal 12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change. Ethan's Contact Information The Possibility Alliance 85 Edgecomb Road Belfast, ME 04915 207-338-5719 Resources Aprovecho Charles Eisenstein Sun Oven Contact the Show Email: The Permaculture Podcast Voicemail: