Modern Hippie Mag » Steve McAllister

Sow Your Own

Steve McAllister — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:00:05 +0000

Cafe Direct is the United Kingdom’s largest 100% Fairtrade hot drinks company. By following their mission of changing lives and building communities through inspirational, sustainable business, they focus their social and economic impact in the developing world, by investing 50% of their profit back into the growers, positively impacting the lives of over 1.6 million people in 14 different countries. Through their new Sow Your Own project, they are affecting even more.

The project was started ” to inspire even the most garden-starved urbanites to grow their own great-tasting food.” Although Cafe direct is not available in the United States, I recently spoke with Jacquie Bance about the impact Cafe Direct has on so many people and how the Sow Your Own project is inspiring the United Kingdom to start thinking more sustainably.

Steve

In addition to serving as Managing Editor and contributor to Modern Hippie Mag, Steve McAllister is an actor, musician, accomplished author, filmmaker, and the man behind Your Daily Groove. His most recent novel, The McAllister Code is available as an e-book at www.themcallistercode.com. Find Steve on Twitter, @InkenSoul. Read his reviews and articles here.

Sow Your Own is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Podcast Movers and Shakers!

Steve McAllister — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:00:46 +0000

We are so pleased to announce that Podomatic, our podcast host, has named Modern Hippie Mag one of their Movers and Shakers! This means our show was among 50 podcasts in the top 500 that climbed the most number spots overall on Jul 23, 2010. We are now ranked number 398 overall and number 10 in our category! Thank you all so much for listening in and supporting us.

Of course, we also want to thank our guests, without whom we wouldn’t have nearly as much to talk about. In case you missed any of them, these are some of the most recent interviews…

Rock Meets Soul – Nice & Rough with Sheila Hardy

Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom with Dr. Rick Hanson

Source4Style.com – Connecting Designers with Sustainable Fabrics with Summer Rayne Oakes

Urthbags.com, Eco-chic Handbags with Monica Ralli

Working for Good with Jeff Klein

Possum Living – How to Live Well Without a Job and With (Almost) No Money with Dolly Freed

and, of course, our own Jaszy McAllister gave us our first video podcast with What Shade of Green Are You?

If you haven’t heard these already, you’re really missing out on some very enlightening talks. And if that’s not enough, just wait to see who we’ve got coming up next.

Podcast Movers and Shakers! is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Your Daily Groove – Beyond Objections

Steve McAllister — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:00:48 +0000

“Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.” – Samuel Johnson

In the realm of all things possible, the characteristics of everything that has ever been achieved vary from endeavor to endeavor. Some were easy; some were difficult. Some were simple; some were complex. Some were once thought to be impossible; others were a no-brainers. Nevertheless, everything that has ever been achieved has one thing in common – it was attempted.

Whether the tasks ahead of us seem easy, complex, or even impossible, the very attempt at them brings us closer to achievement. It may be that from this vantage point the objections over our endeavors loom too large. However, with each new attempt at achievement, we gain a new perspective and often find the answers to our objections in our attempts to maneuver around them.

We each have great possibilities of what we can do with our time in this world. Let us not waste them by cowering in the face of adversity, fear, and cynicism. For all that we envision, there are paths to manifestation if we only continue moving forward.

Steve McAllister

Your Daily Groove – Beyond Objections is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Buddha’s Brain

Steve McAllister — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:00:58 +0000

Regardless of your religious or cultural background, the image of the Buddha inspires visions of peace, tranquility, and well-being. Through the practice of meditation and the idea of being at one with the world, this mindset transcends religion and helps millions of people gain peace of mind in the midst of tumultuous times. Dr. Rick Hanson explores this phenomenon in his latest book, Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom.

Rick Hanson

“With the new breakthroughs in neuroscience, combined with insights from thousands of years of contemplative practice, you, too, can shape your own brain for greater happiness, love, and wisdom.”

I recently had the chance to speak with Rick about his inspiration for the book and some practical ways that we can calm our minds to find clarity, happiness, and greater productivity in our daily lives.

Steve

Buddha’s Brain is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Your Daily Groove – The Spirit of the Sixties

Steve McAllister — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:00:35 +0000

“For me, the lame part of the Sixties was the political part, the social part. The real part was the spiritual part.” – Jerry Garcia

It may very well be that the attempt to control forces outside of themselves led to the downfall of the first Hippie movement. As noble as their intentions may have been, the fight against the war and the political powers that pushed it forth may have played a big part in diverting their energies from the inner journeys which guided them toward the ideals of peace, hope, and community in the first place.

All these years later, wars are still being mounted and political powers are still pushing them forth for personal gain. And yet there is also a renaissance of those ideals of peace, hope, and community burning in the hearts of people all over the world. As we see the same mistakes being made by the political powers, trading only jungle for desert, let us not fall into the same routine and make the same mistakes, but realize the magnitude of the inner journey. For the changes we long to see in our society and our world will not be made by the force of brutes, but by the power of the spirit.

This is not to say that we should not be against war, pollution, and political corruptness, but that we should be all the more so for peace, natural living, and integrity. For these are not political aspects, and trying to force them to be so will only end in disillusionment, as we have already seen. The fight we must wage is for our independence from the folly they engage in, seeking a revolution of spirit and a solidarity of purpose which will guide us toward the future we envision.

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Your Daily Groove – The Spirit of the Sixties is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Your Daily Groove – Beauty is Truth

Steve McAllister — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:00:53 +0000

“‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty,’ – that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” – John Keats

It is somewhat sad that in this day and age our concept of beauty is often based on Photoshopped magazine ads of painted on faces. There is a certain standard manufactured and cultivated into the popular mindset on which we gauge our ideal of beauty. However, beauty is more than we often give it credit for.

Beyond the facade that brings a glimmer to our eye, the depth of one’s character and the brightness of a soul still shines through. By looking upon the work of a generous heart or the compassion of helpful hands, we get a glimpse as to what true beauty is. When we look deeper into people, we realize that beauty is not skin deep, but something that permeates all of reality.

Take a closer look at the people around you today and find that spark of beauty that you may have missed yesterday. When you are able to see it in them, you will find your own beauty shining back.

Steve McAllister

Your Daily Groove – Beauty is Truth is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Working for Good

Steve McAllister — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:00:20 +0000

I first became aware of Jeff Klein through LinkedIn when he was offering a free eBook to augment his latest book Working for Good: Making a Difference While Making a Living. I was immediately inspired by his theories on social entrepreneurism and was very excited once the book hit the shelves.

Jeff Klein

Beyond the book, Jeff puts his theories into practice through his company Working for Good, Inc. and Conscious Capitalism Inc. a non-profit dedicated to “Liberating the Entrepreneurial Spirit for Good,” which was cofounded by John Mackey of Whole Foods Market. In both of these endeavors, Jeff inspires people of business to find and follow their purpose, merging their passion for their business with their passion for their community.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jeff about conscious capitalism and the opportunities available in this economic climate.

Steve

Working for Good is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Your Daily Groove – Care For Your Earth Suit

Steve McAllister — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:00:54 +0000

“Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Photo by Erik Johannson

As we prepare each day to go out and face the world, we put on our best outfits in order to impress, to exude an air of confidence and class, not only for those we meet, but to feel better about ourselves. Should we give any less consideration to the bodies which fill out our outfits?

From those who consider themselves as spiritual beings having a human experience, I’ve often heard the body described as an “earth suit.” As such, it is vital that we spend the proper amount of energy to ensure that our earth suits should bring us just as much confidence and class as the clothing we put on to cover them. Just as we want our outfits made of the finest material, we must consider our diet and the vitamins and minerals which will compose our bodies. Just as longer wear makes an outfit more comfortable, exercise makes a body more livable. And just as we seek out the best detergents to get the stains out of our clothes, we must be cognizant to remove any impurities that would pollute our bodies.

Regardless of what outfit you put on to cover it, the earth suit you’ve got on is the only one you get. Make sure to care for it and make it last.

Steve McAllister

Your Daily Groove – Care For Your Earth Suit is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Your Daily Groove – The Next Agricultural Revolution

Steve McAllister — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:00:43 +0000

“The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.” – Michael Pollan

Photo by Faey Szeuw

The onset of the Industrial Revolution brought with it a forceful mindset, one beset with the notion that we can bend nature to our will. For over two centuries now, we have progressed in this mindset to the point where we have little concept of a world outside of industry. Yet we are fortunate that the Agricultural Revolution is coming around again. Not in the way that it did the first time, but in a much more localized manner whereby people are yearning for that connection with the natural world once again.

Be it the rise in popularity of farmers’ markets or the rebirth of the backyard garden, we are once again realizing how beautifully nature can provide for us when we work with it instead of against it. Although a garden has the order needed for us to be organized, it also teaches the simplicity of work, rest, and growth. Whether you buy your fruits and vegetables from a local farmer or grow your own, take time to appreciate the gifts nature has for us and start to imagine all of the other ways we can learn to live in accord with it.

Steve McAllister

In addition to serving as Managing Editor and contributor to Modern Hippie Mag, Steve McAllister is an actor, musician, accomplished author and filmmaker. His most recent novel, The McAllister Code is available as an e-book at www.themcallistercode.com. Find Steve on Twitter, @InkenSoul. Read his reviews and articles here.

Your Daily Groove – The Next Agricultural Revolution is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Weekday Vegetarian

Steve McAllister — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 16:00:27 +0000

Ever since reading The World Peace Diet, I’ve been toying with the idea of becoming a vegetarian and vaguely considering the idea of actually making the shift to veganism. For those of you who have made this shift, you know that it can sometimes be difficult. For those of you who haven’t, you probably think it impossible.

For me, it’s not necessarily that it would limit my epicurean options. After all, I have Natalia, a wonderful raw food chef, who shows me several vegan recipes in our video series In the Kitchen with Natalia. Nevertheless, eating meat has been ingrained in me since I was but a young ‘un. Other than the mornings I had cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, pretty much every meal I had revolved around some type of meat – pot roast, spaghetti with meat sauce, broiled chicken, barbecued kielbasa, pork tenderloin… okay, you get the picture. I mean, I was raised as a Baptist. We have barbecue for communion, for goodness sake.

Yet I know that American meat consumption is way over the top. The new KFC Ultimate Double Stack Artery Blocker is a testament to that (replacing the buns with fried chicken breasts? I mean, come on!). I know that the methane emitted by beef cows is not good for the environment and a possible contributor to global warming. I know that the practices used by many of our factory farms is far less than humane. I know that it takes more crops to feed livestock than it does to feed people. And I know that the runoff from these factories causes a great deal of our pollution. Even with all of that knowledge, giving up meat is no easy task.

But I did challenge myself to become a vegetarian for the month of July. And I must say that I’ve done pretty well. The first nine days went off without a hitch. I was eating plenty of leafy vegetables, Boca burgers, and raw foods. I even had a Chipotle burrito without the carnitas. Then my wife had a craving for a rotisserie chicken and I fell off the wagon. Nevertheless, I crawled back on, and I’m proud to say that I went to the all you can eat buffet at Troyer’s Amish Restaurant and managed to eat no meat. I had a great salad, potatoes, stuffing, corn, green beans, broccoli, and topped it off with cake and ice cream. And while I humbly admit that I slipped up in my vegetarian commitment, I’m not beating myself up over it.

What’s important to me is cutting down on my meat consumption. One of these days, I’m sure I’ll become a total vegan (especially if they invent a barbecue tree), but for the time being, I’m taking baby steps. I think too many people, myself included, get so caught up in the “all or nothing” mentality that they end up hating themselves for faltering while trying to change a lifelong habit. I’ve got plenty of things to get mad at myself about. I’d rather rejoice when I do well than get down on myself when I do bad.

Recently, I saw the following video on TED by the founder of Treehugger, Graham Hill, where he talks about his own struggle with going vegetarian. He brings up some pretty good points, and I thought I’d share it with those of you who are considering the transition, but become grim when holding your “last” hamburger in your hand. As for me, I’m taking one day at a time.

Steve

Weekday Vegetarian is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.