It can be difficult sometimes to really see a clear choice when real life decisions about critical issues are somewhat nebulous. How do we make decisions when there is often no black and white answer? This is not just a question about life management, but also one that relates to Permaculture Design.
In Permaculture, we often think of our designs as if they were works of art. Each work is unique, each has strengths and weaknesses, and each one is an ongoing process of design, observation and adjustment.
Even when all the main decisions are spot on, there is always a new development coming around the corner. Often in well executed designs those developments have wonderful outcomes as nature steps in and makes supportive connections we could never anticipate. The designed system is not only productive and sustainable, but beautiful intrinsically.
But sometimes we miscalculate, or don’t see complications that end up taking us backward in time and energy. These things happen, and it is rare that anyone gets it all right the first time around. Our “mistakes” though can become great teaching aids.
Our lives can be thought of like a design also. We make decisions sometimes with incomplete data. Things are not always clear black and white, and all possible outcomes cannot be known in advance. So the wheel spins around and we pick the best option we know, and if it turns out it needs adjustment, we make a change the next time around.
The point here is that we live our lives or we hide from them. We go out there and build a design or we spend our time theorizing and afraid to take action.
What’s the worst that can happen? We make a terrible mistake, learn from it, and try a different approach next time. Just keep the three basic ethics as general guides.
Earth Care
People Care
Return of Surplus
Those ethics don’t work just for Permaculture, they work pretty good for living also.
