I stumbled upon the most astonishing and ambitious web site i have ever seen. Called Six Billion Others it is the grand work of photographer Yann Arthus Bertrand. In an effort to help the world understand itself he dispatched 5 photographers around the globe to conduct interviews with all sorts of people about big life questions and the result is this interactive website. You can create an account and share your own perspective, you can assist with translation and site maintenance, you can share it with your friends. He also completed a movie that was released for free download called Home that he hopes people will share and use to inspire our collective imagination and commitment to save the planet before its too late. This man is a true champion and should be celebrated for his visionary approach!

Keeping track of what is important can be very challenging, especially when there is so much other less important stuff to keep track of. I have been struggling with this lately. And so have my clients. Every day we are bombarded with dire predictions, very real dilemmas and devastating circumstances stemming from the complex assortment of economic, social, ecological and emotional happenings. This comes hand-in-hand with tender encounters,  bursting buds of spring, the sound of laughter, babies being born, heart ache, memory, desire, and of course the hugely annoying fact that we are simply exhausted from the relentless task of  choosing brand A over brand B….X,Y,Z (think toothpaste aisle). Much of the time it seems we have a handle on things. Our ability to multitask is held in high regard and being busy is a badge of honor.

But what about the important things? To investigate this questions  I suggest doing a thorough Attention Inventory of your current mental and physical activity. What specifically holds your attention throughout the day? Explore a typical day from beginning to end and review what captured your attention. This can be a very sobering exercise. You are likely to discover the degree to which you are fully, or not-so-fully present with people, issues and ideas. And this inventory will reveal to you the extent to which you are or aren’t  attending to the things that matter most. To get me started on my own Attention Inventory I am committing, this very minute, to a spend some time every evening answering the extraordinary and thoughtful questions that the late poet/philosopher John O’Donohue composed– I invite you to do the same. Your comments and insights will be very much appreciated.

What dreams did I create last night?
Where did my eyes linger today?
Where was I blind?
Where was I hurt without anyone noticing?
What did I learn today?
What did I read?
What new thoughts visited me?
What differences did I notice in those closest to me?
Whom did I neglect?
Where did I neglect myself?
What did I begin today that might endure?
How were my conversations?
What did I do today for the poor and excluded?
Did I remember the dead today?
Where could I have exposed myself to the risk of something different?
Where did I allow myself to receive love?
With whom today did I feel most myself?
What reached me today? How deep did it imprint?
Who saw me today?
What visitations had I from the past and from the future?
What did I avoid today?
From the evidence—why was I given this day?

I’m sipping hot lemon and honey. It’s early and I awoke to the sound of the rain with a very sore throat. We’re back, my daughter and I, from a trip gone wrong. We had opted for a real travelling adventure which i hoped would offer consecutive days of lazing in the sun and sand as well as a good stiff peek into the human condition beyond the comforts of home. We got the stiff peek, especially my daughter who contracted e coli upon arrival and subsequently endured the discomfort until a diagnosis and treatment protocol were made.

So here are the top two issues that broke my heart and made me think about world:

1. There is no paradise. I had always wanted to spend time languishing on the shores of the Caribbean Ocean. The blue is truly breathtaking.  Seeing the coast line from the ancient steps of Tulum one can imagine (briefly) what a tropical paradise might have really looked like. But it is gone. Our modern lifestyle and throw away culture is choking the oceans and beaches not to mention the fish and birds that mistake brightly coloured bottle caps for fish and eventually die with a belly full of trash. For more on this urgent situation visit Algalita and the work of Captain Moore and be sure to click on the TED lecture at the bottom of the home page.

2. The cost of clean water. It used to be when you travelled in Mexico that hotels placed the big blue water bottles of purified water in courtyards for customer consumption. But not anymore. Now however it is all about the disposable water bottle. The beaches and trash cans of idyllic places like Caye Caulker Belize, or Isla Mujeres Mexico are overflowing with discarded water bottles. And they aren’t cheap. In three weeks, staying at budget hotels, I only encountered one place that offered refills. Currently the fifth World Water Forum is underway in Istanbul and even there, the hidden corporate agenda of water for profit is alive and conniving. For additional insights into the issue visit the Council of Canadians.

This little bit of writing is all i can manage for today. There is more to share, and I’ll get there. Thanks for reading.

We’ve packed, sorted, repacked, re-sorted, and set our alarm for an early take off. Montana can’t sleep, I’m drinking rum. Shot glass. Money (check), Travellers Cheques (check) Carccasonne (check)…oh thats the board game we’re taking-minus the board. On top of that we have a tonne of homeopathics and i figure if we run out of money i can set up a little natural pharmacy on the beach and charge pesos for consultations. This trip is such a big deal. Truly. For both of us. Tomorrow night we’ll be feeling the heat of the Caribbean night. Buenas Suertas.