Talked with David, my stockbroker, whose specialty is socially responsible investments.\u00a0 He said when things are doing a little better, he\u2019d like to get me invested in new start-up companies that are geared for sustainability.\u00a0 I like the idea.\u00a0 Talking to David reminded me of the relief I felt when I sold out the family inheritance and invested in socially responsible stocks.\u00a0 I hadn\u2019t expected it.\u00a0 I\u2019d always felt scared at the idea \u2014 I wasn\u2019t able to do it until I\u2019d started Somatic Experiencing and began to feel less fear.\u00a0 I\u2019d made the decision for moral reasons, not practical or emotional ones.\u00a0 I had to pay a huge capital gains tax to the government, and I knew there was a possibility that I would have less income.\u00a0 So I was surprised at the enormous relief I felt, that I was no longer invested in \u201cbusiness as usual.\u201d\u00a0 In fact, my socially responsible investments have performed just fine, sometimes better than the mainstream ones.<\/p>\n
Another time I experienced that sense of astonished relief was when I went to Findhorn for the first time.\u00a0 Findhorn is a \u201cNew Age\u201d community in Scotland on the south side of the Moray Firth, just east of Inverness.\u00a0 I stayed in a largish house that was available for guests.\u00a0 The first time I used the toilet, I noticed a sign on the wall that said \u201cThe Living Machine thanks you for your contribution.\u00a0 Please don\u2019t put anything in the bowl but human excrement and toilet paper.\u00a0 The Living Machine can\u2019t digest anything else.\u201d I got a good laugh and thought \u201cGood for them!\u201d In the morning when I went down to make an early cup of tea, I was standing there waiting for it to brew, and saw a row of bins under the counter.\u00a0 They were labeled \u201cPAPER\u201d, \u201cPLASTIC\u201d, \u201cMETAL\u201d, etc. And there was a bucket with a lid on the counter labeled \u201cCOMPOST\u201d.\u00a0 Something deep inside relaxed in a way I\u2019d never felt.\u00a0 I understood what it cost me to live \u201cagainst the stream\u201d in a culture that didn\u2019t care about the earth and throws things away without thinking about where they\u2019re going.<\/p>\n
David Hills is a member of Veris Wealth Partners<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Talked with David, my stockbroker, whose specialty is socially responsible investments.\u00a0 He said when things are doing a little better, he\u2019d like to get me invested in new start-up companies that are geared for sustainability.\u00a0 I like the idea.\u00a0 Talking … Continue reading