I’m Disturbed

I was in the airport on my way to a speaking engagement when the coronavirus got my attention for the first time. How could I miss it? It was on every TV in every room. China was in a major lockdown, and before we knew it, that news had spread to America, where gatherings were limited, quarantines in place, food shortages widespread, mask mandates enforced, and now talks of vaccine passports. I've been teaching folks how to homestead for years And the usual appeal has been the ability to save money, connect with our food source, get healthy, or do something positive together as a family. However, the case for growing food became so much more urgent in 2020 when a phrase like food shortages entered our vernacular for the first time. Folks were rushed towards the homestead movement for a new, very powerful reason: food security. Seed companies were backed up, homestead supply stores out of stock, and hatcheries were filling every nook and cranny with incubated eggs. It's like homesteading went from a novelty on the outskirts of society to an awesome trend that included real solutions to some of our newfound problems. No doubt the entire world has gone over some sort of precipice, and it's likely you've gone through your own as an individual, whether it's related or not. My permaculture teacher Jeff Lawton pointed out that it usually takes going over a figurative precipice to enter into positive change. Often it takes a disaster for wonderful things to happen. You have to have fire to get beauty from ashes. Folks, I wish it weren't the case, but if you look at nature, it won't take long to realize that every day something dies so that something else can live. There's simply no escaping. I understand pain and mourning. I have chronic illness, dad is dead, and I'm disturbed by the new world that we live in. I understand that no one wants to do a rain dance when you're in a drought. I get that. Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die. But there is something comforting about knowing how nature works. Her greatest miracle: life comes from death, good from the bad. The great news about the shadowy valleys we go through is that there's light at the end of the tunnel. We'll rise to a new height because of fertilization we get from decomposition. That all sounds good, but what should a person do specifically? The problem seems so large and you feel helpless. The good news is the path to positive change is literally in your hands. I'm reading from this, like, you're supposed to be reading this. The path to positive change is in your hands. There's so much out of your control, but you can focus on what Stephen Covey dubs your realm of influence. You can, as Lucas Nelson sings, turn off the news and build a garden. Turn off the news and build a garden. Or in the case of this book, which is about raising animals, turn off the news and tend a chicken. After work, you skip the sterile gym, opt to roll up your sleeves and get your hands absolutely filthy. Taste a little of that soil even. Don't be afraid to accidentally step barefooted in holy cow squat. It won't kill you. In fact, it will make you stronger. Exposing ourselves to the germs of the farm is extremely beneficial for our microbiome. Actually, I caught Joel himself drinking out of his cow's water.

The final thing you have to do is get your microbiome fed.

Okay. Oh my goodness, nice.

You want to feed your microbiome?

Can I?

Sure, this is good well water with a little bit of cow slobber in it.

After he did that, he exclaimed, this is why I haven't been sick in 20 years. I took a sip, and guess what? I'm still here. And now, when we need it the most, the animals are social and emotional support on the farm. Human interactions have been limited, but we can still go to the fields and hang out with the livestock. As Joel says, "None of them is judging me for not wearing a mask, judging me for how I vote, judging me for how I talk or what illustrations I use. They don't require social distancing. Heck, you can even hug them." We all have a precipice story. Yours may match up with the woes of the world at large, or it may be more individualized, maybe a mix of both. The good news is that we don't have to crumble and conform. Problems might be at their height in your life, but hang on, dear brother and dear sister. Remember, we have to fall in order to get back up. To learn our lesson, to get better. Fortunately, you've already experienced the bottom, and holding this book is part of your boost back up. You know what you want, but you're not quite sure how to get there. Well, this is your guide. Once you start implementing what you learn, you'll find yourself outside breathing fresh air, getting fulfilling exercise, soaking in vitamin D, and sleeping better because you're actually tired from physical work. We all love hearing the epiphany part of the story. But notice the epiphany usually doesn't come while having a grand old time at the water park. The epiphanies come as a solution to more significant problems. We rarely recognize the epiphany at the moment. It's usually later on that we can pinpoint what really worked to make the positive change in our life. This time, you can recognize it right away. This is your epiphany moment. How can I say this so confidently? As someone who followed Joel's advice for over a decade, I can tell you he leads by example and half a century of success. His guidance has led my family family and me to create a thriving homestead that provides most of our own food and continually becomes more productive every year. I don't care what the news says. I create my own news. You can create your news. Join me and the worms and ignore all that and live. Put your head down and milk the cow, weed that garden, build the chicken coop, hug the kiddos, kiss that spouse, and callus those hands. You'll quickly see the world is a beautiful place and you have a bright future. Why? Because you're taking control of your life and your freedom. You're growing your own food and you picked up a surefire classic that will show you the way. Guys, that's my foreword in full for Micro Polyphase, and that's the essence of it. This is at a pivotal point of change in your life. I don't care if you're just starting out, this is going to be a humongous guide, or you're somebody like me that just is always learning and can continually clean up the edges. I implore you, turn off the news, read a book, but more importantly, do a book. Right now through October 3rd, giving this book away with Abundance Plus annual membership. It's 10% off and we're doing a live webinar with Joel himself October 3rd at 3 PM, so you want to get in before then. I implore you, check it out. Don't like it? Disappointed? Get inside, don't like the book? Tell me. We'll give you all the money back. We'll give you all your money back, no questions asked, no risk. AbundancePlus.com.