Unemployment Is A Myth: Towards a new definition of employment

Let me start off by saying that I have struggled with the belief in employment too. I have felt worthless, I have felt like a freeloader, and I have felt like my life had no meaning or purpose. Mind you, I have also felt like this at times when I had a job, but somehow at times when I didn’t have a job, these feelings became magnified and all-encompassing, and sometimes even extremely hard to bear. So what made the difference?

The difference is in what society expects of people. People are all expected to “do their part”, which comes down to making enough money to pay your bills. You have to work 5 days a week, so that you can buy a house and furniture, and lots of stuff you don’t really need. You also need to earn money to buy the stuff you need so that you can work, such as a car to get there, or a TV and other distractions to de-stress after a hard day at work.

But wait a minute… where did it all start? We all need to do our part. What does that really mean? Does it mean sitting in a cubicle all day staring at your computer screen analyzing how your company can make slightly more profit? Does it mean attending meeting after meeting, where you are expected to be, without any meaningful outcomes? Does it mean selling people meaningless stuff that they don’t really need, and forcing yourself to believe in the product so that you can come across sincere, all the while lying to yourself? Does it mean spending most of your life with people you don’t really like doing something you don’t really enjoy and don’t even value?

I think most people rarely think about their job in this way. Many people are just happy they have a job. They don’t wonder what their job contributes to and whether they agree with it or not. They don’t wonder what life would be like if they would do something they would really enjoy. And some people don’t even know anymore what it is they used to enjoy doing.

If this is you, then it may be time for a change. Because you can do your part without having a job. You can have a fulfilling life without having a job. You can still employ your skills, qualities and abilities. You can be employed in doing something you really enjoy.

So ask yourself what you really enjoy doing. The keyword here is contribution. What is something you used to enjoy? Or what would you rather be doing than what you are doing right now?

Start doing that. Stop wasting your time doing what you ‘have to’ do. Stop wasting time chasing ‘air’ (unimportant things). In the end, all that matters is how you contributed to other people’s lives. How other people benefited from what you did. How the earth and all its inhabitants benefited from what you contributed. Anything that enriches the planet, other people, the animals and the plants and trees, will enrich your life too. Immensely so. Your life will never again feel meaningless. Never again will you feel worthless. And never again will you be poor, even if you don’t make any money.

1. Start small
2. Try out new things – all the time
3. Find something that enriches your life – if it is valuable, it will bring you joy and a sense of fulfillment
4. Share your new-found passion with others.

It is that simple.

Forget about the money. Forget about status and what society expects of you. If what you do is valuable to others, then money, the support and other resources you need will come your way automatically.

The following quote by Howard Thurman sums it all up beautifully:

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

(I also published this post on LinkedIn)

What's For Dinner? Living on rescued food

A lot of people have been worried about what I eat living on 'rescued food'. So this post is to show you what kind of meals can be created from rescued foods and how varied the meals are.

A special thank-you goes to the chef of these meals: Arno de Hoon:

The chef: Arno de Hoon

He is a meat-eater, so some of these dinners contain meat. I rarely eat meat nowadays; my own dinners are mostly vegan. But I think it is interesting to show the different kinds of meals that can be created from rescued foods.

Also, although I get most of these ingredients every day, I donate almost all of the meat, fish and dairy products to people in need. This is because I eat an almost 100% plants-based diet and because meat and fish are very expensive here, so people who do eat it especially need those donations. Also, I like the fact that when I donate meat and fish to people who would otherwise buy it, it takes away one more customer who would subsidize the suffering that goes on behind the scenes.

So the following dishes were only created to show you what happens on a daily basis at the supermarkets. These meals were made during one week and contain typical donated foods, whatever we got during that week.

I often find that particularly the more expensive products get thrown out, because less of them get sold (especially as they get close to the expiry date), which means they eventually end up in dumpsters.

A daily find, something we can always count on, is fruits and vegetables. I never run out and eat plenty of those. In fact, since living on rescued foods, I have lived a healthier lifestyle than ever before!

So here are some meals created from rescued foods:

A quiche with onions, mushrooms, red pepper and eggs.

A vegan vegetable dish with spicy tomato chutney.

Potato gratin with broccoli and sirloin steak, with mushroom sauce.

Beautiful vegetables with salmon and creamy sauce.

Some more beautiful vegetables, this time with pork chops.

Homemade pizza with onions, tomato sauce, green/yellow/red peppers, mushrooms and cheese.

Veggies with crispy bread crumbs and organic sour cream with sausages.

Eggless quiche with lots of veggies and some flour.

And finally, some deserts:

Banana cream cake.

Marzipan vanilla-cream cake.

So as you can see, there is something for everyone. High quality foods get thrown away every day. Why go shopping if you can eat like this every day for free? Let the shops know it is not okay that they throw so much good stuff away! Let's start donating and spreading the goodness that we find :)

How to ask a shop if they want to donate their food/waste

A meal created from rescued foods

Before you go into a shop and ask for the manager, it would help if you have some network of people you can donate to, or at least a plan of what to do with all that food, because if they say yes, you will end up with a lot of food. And this is food that you need to get rid of quickly, as it is already expired. So it usually needs to be sorted out immediately and then stored in a suitable place (cool and dry, fridge or freezer). So you need a lot of space, because if the food that is meant to stay in the fridge is not picked up within an hour after coming out of the fridge, then that makes it less safe. Obviously it also doesn’t help that it is usually expired, but keep in mind that you store the food as best you can. After all, we want to save as much of it as possible! And always tell the people you donate to what happened to the food, especially if it has been outside the fridge for a while. Also make sure to tell them to check the food before consumption (look, smell, taste...)!

When I place an ad offering free food, I usually include the following text (or something like it):

“Free food, which has to be picked up today. Some of it is expired, so please consume at your own risk and check the food thoroughly before consumption.”

If you want to be sure, it might be good to check the legalities of donating food beforehand.

Also, it might help to prepare a letter that you can hand in, in case they have no time to talk to you, which includes the benefits of their participation and other important information. Below is the letter I wrote and still use. It says 'Folkekjøkken', because that is the name of the charity that got me started on this path (although now I run my own subcharity and only donate food to families in need):

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Folkekjøkken Trondheim

What is it?

Folkekjøkken is a national non-profit organization, consisting of volunteers who collect rejected foods (food waste) to cook for the community and to donate food to underprivileged families. At our kitchen, everybody can join in and eat with us for free. We try to cook several times a week. Our main kitchen is based on Strandveien 23 in Svartlamon. The rest of the food that we pick up is donated to people in need.

Benefits to you:

-       We collect and sort your waste for free

-       We sort out the food and separate usable from non-usable products and can throw non-usables in the container for you

-       No extra resources are needed: just leave wasted products in a separate trolley for us to collect and sort out

-       It will save your employees time to let us sort and collect the waste

-       You can choose to remain anonymous as a participating supermarket, or we can spread the word, so that you get positive publicity  

Also, by contributing to our cause, you:

-       Help people who are going through a challenging time in their lives

-       Help save the environment, by minimizing food waste, which reduces carbon emissions and thus helps combat climate change.

-       Practice responsible waste management

How can you help?
We collect food and non-food products that are about to be thrown away by supermarkets. Everything is welcome and we will try to recycle as much as possible. For example: bread and baked goods, fruits, vegetables, nuts, meat, fish, dairy products, pizzas, pastas, sauces, sweets/desserts, but also cooking utensils, appliances, toilet paper, etc. Basically, anything that gets thrown away, we can use.

We will take full responsibility for the safety of the food and inform everyone that consumption is at their own risk. We will check all the food thoroughly before we cook and if there is any doubt about safety, we will throw it away. Safety is our first priority along with serving the community, and the second is minimizing waste.

The procedure 
It would be great if refrigerated items can stay refrigerated until we pick it up. The food does not have to be sorted. We can sort through the items/products and select what is still usable and what is not. So everything can be put in a trolley and we will pick it up and separate the good from the bad.

I can collect the food at a set time each day, or you can call me when you have food available for pickup. 

Thank you for reading this information!

If you have any questions, you can contact Liselotte Roosen (PhD Candidate Environmental Psychology at NTNU): Mobile: 93606823

liselotte.roosen@ntnu.no 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

So here is what you can do in the shop:

1.       Ask for the manager, or check with staff beforehand what would be a good time to talk to the manager (or get an appointment). If you know someone who works at the store, you could even ask them to check with the manager if they would be interested.

2.       Explain who you are and what you do: Tell the manager you manage a charity and that you donate food that would otherwise be wasted, to people in need. Explain that it would not lose them any business because these are people who cannot afford quality foods. Also, emphasize that they can stay anonymous if they prefer (which means you’d have to be willing to remove all store labels, if this applies).

3.       Tell them a bit about how it works. The store can keep all food waste in a designated box or trolley (preferably in a cool room with fridge-temperatures) for you to pick up at set times each day, or they can call you whenever they are cleaning out the store. 

4.       Ask them if they would be willing to contribute to your charity and if so, how they would like to proceed: What time can you come over? Do you call them in advance? Is a certain person going to be in charge? You can also do a trial period to see if the store feels okay with the new arrangements. Make sure your request doesn't sound like a demand! People don't like to be told what to do. **(Practice Nonviolent Communication)

5.       (Most important of all) Show up every day! Or at least according to agreement. Too many volunteers that I have seen ruin a good working relationship by not showing up, or only picking up half the stuff. This is not a good idea. Remember that the shop is going through extra trouble just so that you can pick up their food. They store their waste in a room that is probably meant for storage of new deliveries; it is in the way; they have to be more careful with the food and be more conscious of storing it correctly... So if you can’t make it one day, make sure to let them know well in advance or schedule a replacement person who can pick up for you. I believe an important reason why some stores are unwilling to donate is because of negative previous experiences with charities or volunteers.

6.       Make sure to let them know how they are enriching people's lives! For example, bring them notes of the people who have received the foods. You will probably get messages with stories of gratitude from people who tell you about how they have some sense of security now that they can pick up food from you, or how they can sleep at night because they have less to worry about, and so on. Alternatively, you can take photos of the beautiful meals you make to feed hungry people, or of the people enjoying the food. It feels great to share this with the store manager and their staff, because they made all that possible in the first place! They may even put the text or photos in their lunchroom or storage area, as a reminder of what it is all about!

Regarding number 3, I have found it works best if you just agree to come by every day to see if they have anything for you. You may have to be persistent in the beginning. But always be polite and tell them it is no trouble for you to come by and check; even if they don't have anything. And eventually they will trust that you will be there every day and then they will start saving food for you.

Good luck! :)

10 Ways to Adopt a More Environmentally Friendly Lifestyle

Below are 10 tips to change your lifestyle and live with less impact on the earth and your environment. But before we start, make sure to check your foundation often; the place where it all starts. This consists of what I call the golden rule.

The Golden Rule: Be present. If your mind is polluted (or 'in charge'), then it is hard to clean up your surroundings. If you are not conscious of the impact of your actions on the earth and its inhabitants, then why would you change anything? One way to raise your consciousness is to follow a path of passion. Meditation also helps. The objective is living in the present moment, so whatever helps you be more present; do more of that! And then, practice, practice, practice.

Being present has so many benefits. It helps you be a good role model, because you are no longer defensive or dogmatic about your views on life. You allow people to change (or not) in their own time. You are able to communicate your message with love and confidence, without hurting others. You are able to really listen to others, which makes them more open to listen to what you have to say. And your relationships are loving, nurturing and fulfilling.

If you are present, you are naturally open and doing what matters. Presence is the key.

Read ‘The Power of Now’ for more on this topic.

So what are some things that matter? What are some of the ways you can start living more in balance with the earth, your fellow humans and all the other creatures on earth? Here is a list with some suggestions (each with several options):

1.       Dumpster dive, only shop local organic, or grow your own food

There are many benefits to dumpster diving. By dumpster diving, you can save food from ending up in landfills, you can feed others and experience the joy of giving, you can raise awareness about food waste and you can show supermarkets that the food they throw out is still perfectly okay to eat (most of it anyway). But dumpster diving is not a solution in itself. It is a form of ‘treating the symptoms’.

To make a statement with where you spend your money, choose options that are good for the earth. That means supporting local, organic farms. Get your food straight from the farm if possible! If the food was produced locally, then that means they are fresher and usually not treated with chemicals to keep them fresh. Of course the transport in itself causes a lot of pollution too. Another benefit is that if you choose local foods which do well in your climate, chances are that you will do well on them also. They provide what you need where you are at that moment.

And if you really want your food as fresh as possible and know exactly how it has been treated, find a space where you can grow your own food. It does not have to be your back yard. If you don’t have a back yard, maybe you can initiate a community garden or a shared space to grow food. Or perhaps you know someone with an unused patch of land where you can get started. Make sure the seeds you use are organic too!
Here is my little garden with rescued plants (from dumpsters or donated by the store):

Me and my little veggie garden with rescued plants and herbs

2.       Consider adoption or make the decision not to have children

With a world population of 7.3 billion people and a current annual growth rate of 1.14 percent, it is clear that this is unsustainable. Each additional person uses up natural resources and takes up space, which means that more native flora, habitat and wildlife are lost and even more air and water becomes polluted. Therefore it is strange that having children is considered so normal (almost 'mandatory') in our world. Because of the situation we are in now, it is not a decision that can be taken lightly. Do you really need to reproduce in order to have a fulfilling, meaningful life? Perhaps not. And if you want to experience parenthood, there are other ways than going through childbirth, as there are many homeless, underprivileged or orphaned children longing for a loving home. What about them? And if you love going for walks in nature, just imagine what would happen if the population keeps growing. Will you still be able to enjoy that? What kind of world are we creating for the children on earth?

3.       Eat less meat/fish/dairy, choose organic meat and dairy, or eat only plant-based foods

The meat and dairy industry not only contributes to huge amounts of pain and suffering to innocent animals and the people who have to work there, but also contributes a lot to climate change. If you want to learn more about this, watch the documentary Cowspiracy.

Fish is also not a good alternative, because the oceans are overfished and fish populations are decreasing at an alarming rate. But the good news is that we can live happy and healthy lives on a largely plant-based diet. And if you are not ready for the change yet, you can still get your meat from dumpsters! That way you are at least not supporting the industries financially.

4.       Drive and fly less, take public transport more, or travel only by bike and foot

I sold my car last year as I was not using it much anymore anyway and I was moving countries (from the Netherlands to Norway). Now I only have my feet and my bike and I have not really missed my car since then. Even in winter, when it gets very cold and the roads get icy, I find myself more in touch with my surroundings and being more present when on the road. This is especially true when I am going somewhere on foot.

5.       Buy less stuff, or stop buying stuff for a while to make yourself more conscious of consumption and what you really need

Every time you want to buy something, ask yourself: do I really need it? Maybe there are other ways to get the job done, like borrowing things from others. Sharing and exchanging not only results in great friendships but also cuts out the need to buy everything. Also, you’d be amazed of all the things you can find in dumpsters. So if you need something, first check the dumpster of the stores that sell it for a while. And if you end up borrowing someone else’s stuff, make it a habit to always give back in some way, even if it is just by making it cleaner than it was when you borrowed it.

6.       Become aware of the amounts of (natural) resources you use each day, try to minimize your use of resources, and eventually move towards a self-sufficient life off-the-grid / build an eco-home (such as an earthship)

You can harvest your own electricity/heat, water and food. Install rainwater tanks, re-use gray water, insulate your home with natural materials, collect solar power… There are many ways to make your home and lifestyle more resource efficient (the term energy efficient doesn’t really cover everything, so resource efficient is a better fit). When you simplify your life, you find that you don’t really need much to live a great life. And simplifying means that you will have more time and other precious resources to do the things that really matter to you.

One of my personal goals in the long run is to build a simple eco-home somewhere, preferably from found materials, where I can live in harmony with nature and be largely self-sufficient. 

7.       Recycle whatever you can, reduce your amount of waste, or go zero waste

Choose unpackaged food products (from the market or directly from the farm), bring your own bags to the shop, reuse items at home or give them away to others… There are many ways in which you can reduce your amount of waste. At the moment I technically don’t have any waste because I am living off of society’s waste, but even now it is shocking that I have so much plastic waste. This heap of trash is only 2 weeks worth of products’ packaging:

Only 2 weeks worth of packaging from rescued foods :(

8.       Disconnect from appliances and connect more with life. Spend time in nature.

Although all the appliances we think we need seem to offer more comfort and ease, they also come with the price of disconnection. For example, watching TV robs you of valuable time that could be spent in nature or with friends. Spending time in nature is a good reminder of what it is all about. This is what you are working for. To protect the animals and the plants and the trees. To be able to sit quietly in nature and enjoy the oneness of just being.

9   Reduce your dependency of substances, or go substance-free

This can be medication, tobacco, caffeine, alcohol and other drugs. All those substances make you very much dependent on others and most of them also have quite a big impact on the environment. Even the pill can be replaced by a non-hormonal variant, such as Ladycomp (although this does require some dedication). As with all forms of contraception though, there is always a risk of getting pregnant, so the safest option is to get sterilized.

    10. Learn more: Watch inspiring documentaries!

It is always interesting to learn about alternative ways to live your life and the impact your life choices have on the world. The following documentaries have really helped me to put things in perspective:

* Cowspiracy

Brilliant documentary about the dairy, meat and fish industries: consumption and ‘production’ (which is really a strange word to use when talking about other beings, which implies a lot of things that could be questioned).

If you want or need to see the hard, horrible and depressing truth of animal industries, I can recommend Earthlings – however, the images can be quite traumatizing! I only managed to watch the first 29 minutes with tears running down my face for the entire time, often covering my eyes in absolute horror, and even then some images remained stuck in my mind for at least a few months after. I still feel horrified just thinking about it.

* Zeitgeist: moving forward

Watching this documentary helped me to stop believing in money and seeing the importance of becoming more self-sustainable.

* Fat, sick and nearly dead

This documentary launched a revolution in my food consumption. I was already interested in healthy eating and into raw food at the time, but this documentary really gave me long-term commitment to feed my body with as many nutrients (from plants) as possible. At the same time I also came across the book ‘Peace Food’ by R. Dahlke, which provided me with the science and cemented my motivation to stick largely to plant-based foods.

* Just eat it

 Great documentary about food waste and dumpster diving. It shows how easy it is to find huge amounts of food (after some initial research) and to survive entirely on rescued foods.

How to start a new habit:

The way that works best for me is to treat it as a challenge! My Stop-Shopping-Challenge has helped me to stick to my goals, so if you want to change something, it might help to set yourself a temporary challenge where you can experiment with the new behavior and be motivated to complete the challenge. Make it long enough for it to be challenging so that you will need to problem solve, because if you can overcome those initial 'problems' it is a very empowering feeling which might lead you to extend your challenge!

Some words of encouragement...

When learning about the state that our earth is in right now, it can be very depressing and discouraging. It can make you feel like it doesn’t matter what you do and that you can’t really make a difference. But that is why it is so empowering to know that one person CAN make a difference and if we all do our part, life on earth does not have to end this way. And more and more people ARE doing their part, so you are not alone (even though sometimes it seems that way)!
We can live harmoniously with other creatures and share the planet. We can simplify our lives and live happier, healthier and more meaningful lives, with more freedom, depth and other things to be grateful for than ever before. It may take some work and getting used to in the beginning, but the journey is well worth it.