Welcome (back) - moving towards a regenerative life [#1]

Hello friends,

how is life?

If you are anything like me, the world feels heavy right now.

The polycrisis is picking up speed and political leaders across the world seem to double down on economic growth, xenophobia and militarization.

Old solutions that have not worked in favor for the average joe or the living world.

We are experiencing what professor of anthropology Alexei Yurchak coined as ​hypernormalization​.

A social phenomenon when a societal system is failing, but no one can imagine any alternative to the status quo, and politicians and citizens alike are resigned to maintaining the pretence of a functioning society.

People will tell you that the system does work, it’s just you that is broken. You’re not capitalizing enough. There are no barriers to success. Hustle harder.

But it this is not true.

We have been hitting the ​limits to growth ​for a while now.

We will de-grow either forced by nature or planned by us.

We are in a time between worlds.

Old institutions and systems are breaking down.

Something new is emerging.

Governments won't safe us. They will keep going with the system until they can't.

They are in a growth trap: they have so much debt that they need to grow the economy further, even though we know that it requires more materials and energy, which are running out slowly but surely.

So it is up to us to build the new. Super daunting and exciting at the same time. ;-)

I have been working towards system-change in the agrifood ecoystem in Europe for the bast few years. Being introduced to regenerative agriculture and the regenerative movement as a whole, I became more hopeful for the future.

With this newsletter I want to take you on a hopeful journey towards regeneration.

Towards an economy and ways of living that are in line with nature and aligned with what we humans really need: affordable housing, healthy food, joy, connection, meaning & love.

A new system that is NOT based on selfishness, greed, and apathy.

In short: A regenerative life.

In February this year I moved to beautiful Galicia, Spain, and started building a regenerative village with it’s thyme (​check out the video about the project​). I once again had time at hand to read, explore and write. And now I'm ready to share.

This is an invitation to learn about integrating ancient wisdom and knowledge to change our western way of living, building, relating with the goal to experience more well-being and work to increase the capacity for life, not destroy it.

Collaboration instead of competition.

Authentic relating instead of superficial, shallow relationships.

Holistic health instead of treating symptoms.

Systems-thinking instead of a mechanical, linear world-view.

Real bottom-up governance instead of top-down hierarchies.

Free expression of our authentic self rather than following society's script.

Digital privacy instead of surveillance capitalism.

A life affirming economy, rather than extractive capitalism that seeks to profit from our fears and lack of meaning.

I (and the IPCC) believe we need to radically change how we live, if humans are to survive on this planet.

And luckily there is a way that improves our well-being at the same time.

My goal here is to paint a picture to a new world and share what solutions are out there that can help us get there.

In short, inspiration and education to live a meaningful and joyful life in changing times.

Expect stories and practical tips & frameworks around what I think and learned will get us there:

• Education on life-purpose skills to increase meaning in our lives
• Tools to deal with a changing world
• The why and how of building regenerative villages
• Bioregionalism - a way of localizing regeneration efforts
• Systemic innovations that work towards system change
• Tips on improving digital privacy & digital minimalism to secure the independence of the mind
• anything else that will get us to evolve into regenerative cultures :-)

Are you in?

Happy regeneration,

Jonas