One of the most powerful ideas in permaculture is simple: nature produces no waste. In forests, gardens, and ecosystems, everything has a purpose. Leaves that fall from trees become nourishment for the soil.

"Attention is the beginning of devotion," - Mary Oliver In a cafeteria of 400 students, one little note made a child feel seen. Not many months ago, while talking with my daughters, I asked them a question: “If you had to choose just one, what is the happiest memory you keep from your childhood?” Sofi, who is 20 years old, answered almost immediately, “Your little notes in my lunchbox.”

Returning to What We Carry in Our Bodies There are places that do more than welcome us. They remember us. Uxmal is one of those places. Nestled along the ancient Puuc Route in the Yucatán Peninsula, Uxmal is not simply an archaeological site — it is a living landscape shaped by cycles, ceremony, and feminine intelligence. Built in harmony with the movements of the sun, the rains, and the Earth itself, Uxmal speaks in quiet ways to those willing to listen.

One of the most important — and most misunderstood — principles of permaculture is Apply Self-Regulation & Learn from Feedback. At its core, this principle asks us to pause before pushing forward. To notice patterns before forcing change. To listen — not only to the land, but to ourselves. In natural systems, self-regulation is what keeps balance intact. When something grows too fast, other forces respond. When resources are depleted, the system adapts. Nothing is shamed

January often arrives with a quiet invitation—to begin again. But balance is not created through urgency. It’s designed. To design a balanced year is to pause long enough to observe what is already present: What nourishes you. What deplete Tosepan Titataniske—which translates from Nahuatl as “Together we will succeed”—was formed in response to scarcity and inequality. What began as a local effort to access basic goods has grown into one of Mexico’s most inspiring Indi

Normally, for our family, summer is a time to rest — to soak in the ocean, surf, sunbathe, garden, travel, and reunite with loved ones. But this summer was different — a first. It taught me something I thought I already knew: That seasons shape us. That everything is cyclical. That using time and space — along with problem-solving and hard work — will always lead us to natural succession.