Carl Shuller

Growing up, it turns out my parents practiced many tenets of permaculture: organic gardening, seed saving, raising bees and rabbits, composting, food preservation, people care, and sharing the surplus (it seems like we supplied the whole county with rhubarb).

Despite the example set for me by my parents I soon found myself chasing the elusive “American Dream,” forgetting this slower more resilient way of being. The wonderful thing about forgetting is that we still have the ability to remember. A series of synchronistic events led me to RDI in June of 2007 where “re-membering” seems to be the name of the game.

It seemed odd at the time, telling my co-workers that I was going to spend my annual 2-week vacation sleeping in a tent and learning about “organic farming” (aka, Permaculture Design Certification or PDC). The PDC not only opened my eyes to a new way of being and gave me a renewed sense of hope; it also introduced me to a community where I felt completely safe. It was within the safety of this new found container that I was able to begin processing the tremendous grief that came up for me around chasing such an unsustainable, unfulfilling dream for so many years.

RDI played a significant role in helping me to open my heart and see the possibilities that lie far beyond what a consumer-based society had always expected of me. Six months later, I made the commitment to participate in the Ecology of Leadership (EOL) program. Again, I had little idea what I was getting into! What EOL continues to be is another amazingly safe container in which I can continue to heal. I was given a set of tools and a new “operating manual” for creating a life vision that empowers me to take my gifts back out into my community. During the second month of EOL, I resigned from my 17+ year corporate career with the clear intention of pursing a livelihood that was more meaningful to me.

While the PDC held space for grieving, and EOL for healing, the Art of Mentoring (AOM) was a living example of how 150 loving and lovable human beings can truly “be” in community. AOM was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. It was a strong call to action for me: a reminder to follow my heart, pursue my passions, and live a more authentic life.

In the short time I have been involved with RDI, I have become active as an Awakening the Dreamer (ATD) facilitator and embrace the vision that “together we can bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on this planet as a guiding principle of our times." I am also serving on the Steering Committee for the 2010 Sustainable Enterprise Conference which is held in Sonoma County each May.

Last but not least, I am excited to be on staff at Transition US where we are supporting the growing number of Transition Initiatives that are sprouting up across the country. My work within the Transition Movement allows me to take an active role in what Joanna Macy calls the ‘Great Turning’ and to begin helping others to “re-member.” It is all part of an “ideal scene” that began at RDI, and continues to unfold. I have it on good authority that we are alive at a time like no other in human history and I am eternally grateful for RDI helping me realize the profound responsibility that goes with it. Please visit my website if you would like to contact me for any reason.