Medium Short: Self-Medicating

That thing where I take my own advice for (a) change

I spotted the same street artist’s work as last week. It seems fitting that this kitty keeps catching my eye as Joni doesn’t fully understand about the move yet. Nor do I. (Photo by me in Montreal, June 2023)

Welcome to the latest Medium Short, a weekly accountability practice highlighting what I’m up to along the unmarked trail towards #IndustrialHealing. Reminder: all my Medium articles are linked for free here.

The cloak of doubt set itself upon me this past week. That leaden layer of terror that tells me I’m a fool to think I can do what I’ve set out to do (“Industrial healing? Who even wants that?! Pfff!”) It freighted me in my sleep, serving some of the most grueling nightmares I can recall in a while — and I’ve had some gruelers. It gagged and choked me as I awoke.

And then I remembered: I have an app for this.

In this week’s Short I review the prescriptions of my own medicines.

Take 10 breaths, combine with intention, add love

I was keen to get another piece published in the Matereal World — the substack I launched last month with industrial healing-oriented recommendations backed by solid data from my decades in the ESG trenches.

But this next piece was coming out very slowly, and in ALL CAPS. I was YELLING. It began as a more detailed exposition of what I said in response first to Paul Greenberg about the current fires in Quebec, and then to Ev Williams re his piece on deforestation in the Amazon. I was angry about the narratives they were reenforcing, which I believe are part of the problem.

But then I took my medicine: I stopped yelling. I sat quietly with my troubles. I spent time with the river. I asked wise friends for feedback on my ideas.

And then I did what I should have done all along: I stuck to my knitting. Knitting is love. It is not yelling.

Net Zero: a knot of naught

I must have done something right because in under 24 hours, Net Zero: a knot of naught has had…