well played
Yes.
Are you passionate about community-led change and social entrepreneurship? Do you love sharing a good story in person, on blogs and through social media? Are you excited about the potential of crowdfunding (and you’ve probably chipped in to a couple of friends projects already)? Are you drawn…
Michael Pollan’s Food Rules by Marija Jacimovic
We know, you’re not supposed to play with your food. But we’re willing to make an exception if the result is a beautiful visualization of Michael Pollan’s “Food Rules.”
Governments take all kinds of measures to boost business—from creating subsidies and setting standards to loans and fiscal stimulus—so it’s not unusual that the government of Ecuador is investing taxpayer money like a venture capitalist to get a new industry off the ground. It is unusual, however, that socialist Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa is using public funds to buy ownership shares in a Brooklyn startup.
Runa, the newest company in Correa’s investment portfolio, is a beverage firm with a social slant. The company makes guayusa, a twist on tea made from leaves that grow in the Ecuadorian jungle, with as much caffeine as coffee and more antioxidants.
What makes Runa particularly unique is how the company focuses its efforts on protecting the Amazonian rainforest through the cultivation of guayusa, working closely with the farmers throughout the process. To learn more, we checked in with one of Runa’s co-founder’s, Tyler Gage, via our 6 questions with…series.
Karma doesn’t always work the way it should but…
Recent events have made me realize something about life and how unfair it can be. The thing is, some of the best people, some of the nicest, most genuine people, some of the people that make this world a better place—they are not immune to the bad things that happen in life. Heartbreak, disease, cancer, poverty—we’re all susceptible to these ills no matter how good of a person we are. No, it isn’t fair and it isn’t justified or deserved but it happens and there isn’t much we can do to prevent it most of the time.
What really matters is how you choose to live your life. Our time here is really not that long in the grand scheme of things and it can be cut even shorter for no good reason. I don’t think it’s fair that bad things happen to good people, but I am seeing it happen more and more.
Sometimes it makes me question everything. Why be healthy, exercise and eat organic if you are just going to get ALS or Diabetes or Cancer anyway? Why be a caring girlfriend if you are just going to get your heart broken? Why hold doors open for others if you are just going to have them slammed in your face? It can be really frustrating sometimes—treating others the way you’d like to be treated and getting nothing in return. But then I remember that how I live my life and how I treat myself and others makes me feel good, helps me lead a fulfilling life and makes a lasting impact on those around me and I remember that what I get in return is happiness and peace of mind.
Live your life in a way that makes you happy and others feel honored to be part of it. Don’t be scared of the unfair curveballs that life throws at you. When they come, just remember that you’ve lived a life that would make anyone proud and be happy about it because one of the greatest achievements in life is to be remembered for all the the good that you have created.
**Dedicated to my cousin and to all the others who don’t deserve the curveballs. Fight the good fight and keep on being awesome.
When I meet you, in that moment, I’m no longer a part of your future. I start quickly becoming part of your past. But in that instant, I get to share your present. And you, you get to share mine. And that is the greatest present of all.
So if you tell me I can do the impossible, I’ll probably laugh at you. I don’t know if I can change the world yet, because I don’t know that much about it — and I don’t know that much about reincarnation either, but if you make me laugh hard enough, sometimes I forget what century I’m in.
This isn’t my first time here. This isn’t my last time here. These aren’t the last words I’ll share.
But just in case, I’m trying my hardest to get it right this time around.
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| — | Sarah Kay |
