think and act big – don’t do anything that can’t reach a million people

I choose this 'secret' because it is the one I have the most resistance to. I live in quite an innovative way--probably spending less than $2/day, and I do it in a place where most people spend far more. My life is comfortable and possible because I live in a niche where there is very little competition.

Were I to try to encourage a million people to follow my example I do not think my simple way of life could be so easy or relatively luxurious.

I wish to focus my work not so much in Africa or the global south, but in the Global North where there are enormous advantages to be realized by reducing consumption.

So what could I do in the United States and even in southern California that could encourage others to reduce the amount of income and also consumption required in their day to day lives?

People there can:

• find ways of living without using cars
• find ways of drastically reducing or eliminating any rent they pay
• find ways of reducing utilities, food, energy, and other life-maintenance costs

And what could I do in that way that would reach a million people--and encourage them to act on it?

There have already been movements such as "voluntary simplicity", and other things in that vein.

So-- I've thought about this secret, but have not come to any clear ideas about how to apply it in the culture I am choosing, so far, to work within.

For the time being I may continue to not 'think and act big' but rather to seek and target niches where few people are. I am seeking work guiding trips in the back country, and in particular seek to guide walks for others to centers of earthcare and peoplecare.

By learning to live in the wilderness and walk, they will begin to learn how to live more simply when they are out of the woods as well.

http://directory.ic.org/22140/Los_Padres_Walkers

is one example of the kind of social innovation I have been most interested in working on.

best wishes and blessings,
Colin