useful waste

This year and this journey are something of a sabbatical for me - time to rest, disengage (to an extent) from my previous life and to re-gain energy, focus and direction. Oddly enough, this has been a bit like the creation of humanure...

Humanure intrigues me mostly because waste is transformed into a useful and valuable product. Once it's collected (see my post on composting toilets), it's left to decompose with a proportion of carbon like leaves or straw and as long as the temperature is within a certain range, the pathogens die off and not too long afterward, you have rich and healthy soil - from poo!

To me, this is amazing: nothing is wasted and nothing is beyond use. In a way, there's a redemptive quality to humanure as what was previously destined for the sewers is re-directed and re-created into something productive. And that gives me hope - that given time and the right conditions, our lives can become beautifully meaningful and contribute health to the world around us.

For me, these are some of the "right conditions" that regenerate my soul:

- being outside - in nature, exploring cities, being in the sun

- climbing mountains

- spending quality time with people - both in person, over the phone and via video

- sleeping

- having meaningful conversations with people about life, the world, spiritual things and hope

- being creative

What are the things that foster the "right conditions" for the waste in your life to re-generate into health?