Building Moxie and Your Role in Sustainability

Note from the host:
When Mike and I started emailing back and forth, a couple of things came pretty clear pretty quickly. You can tell almost immediately that Mike is a guy who has not only put a ton of thought into what he is doing, but that he is also more than willing to, well, talk about it.

In a lot in a ways, we are a lot alike. So then, it hit me; and I say to him, "Mike, would you want to do a guest post on the blog?" He said, "OK." And without further ado, here are Mike's thoughts on moxie's role in our movement toward sustainability:

A Guest Post by Mike Hines

Recently I’ve come to understand more deeply that what brought our country to greatness revolves around innovation, risk-taking, motivation, and the freedom to make things happen. But nothing, however, happens without force-of-character, determination, and nerve. In short, it takes “moxie,” and it seems that this characteristic is sometimes a rarity.

Moxie is difficult to define, though, in a philosophic sense. It holds different meanings for everyone, and its importance and utility will vary by individual. To this, defining sustainability is equally evasive.

Sustainability, like moxie, is a broad topic, for sure. It is subject to interpretation dependent upon frame of reference. Its meaning to an architect differs from that of a wetlands expert, which varies from the product designer, which is dissimilar to the viewpoint of a homeowner, etc.

So why connect moxie and sustainability for this discussion?

The connection, I believe, is that moxie and sustainability are both lifelong journeys, and I find no downside to pursuing either or both. These are odysseys in which everyone has the chance to both participate and contribute in additive ways. In aggregate, then, enormous positive change becomes possible.

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It seems, too, that jb (your host) is building a repertoire of skills . . . much like our parents and grandparents did. These are tips and tricks most homeowners shy away from today, largely as a result of "throw away" societal habits. But I believe a growing portion of our population is primed to change this; and "building moxie" may be just the catalyst to ignite such a movement.

We have all heard, read about, or even participated in this “throw away” society. Now, however, we are beginning to see the leading edge of change on a grand scale. It’s encouraging to see many companies shifting to a reduce, reuse, and recycle model where their products and services provide opportunity for us, the users, to participate, too, in sustainability.

This shift may seem inconsequential on paper. In reality, though, this idea must permeate organizations to the level of each person, continually encouraging them to thoughtfully consider the choices they make. Yes, it comes back to individuals making deliberate decisions, learning about sustainability, and assuming greater responsibility for their affect on our environment.

It’s refreshing to witness the intellectual energy being applied to developing these better processes and practices, and it is gratifying to see these efforts affecting positive change for all.

jb’s tips and techniques are not new, but his approach to restoring individual confidence very definitely is. Through his blog, he’s reawakening the idea of moxie while fanning the flames of sustainability.

He prompts the basic questions we all should ask. Why discard and replace that widget rather than repair it? With ingenuity and elbow grease, we can avoid growing the landfill and the ensuing environmental problems. Why not think longer term, build for lasting value, and consume only for immediate needs?

jb practices reduce, reuse, and recycle. He’s applying what he learns, vetting what works and what doesn’t . . . and then edifying his readership through knowledge sharing and connection. He builds the confidence required to continually try new things . . . the moxie necessary to use and then share knowledge for the greater good.

Practice building your own moxie, find your own role in sustainability, see where it takes you, and encourage others to follow suit. Collectively, huge improvements will happen for all. ~

-- Mike Hines is co-founder and CEO of HomePath Products. He and his Connecticut-based team have developed the eXapath system. Building for the foreseeable future, this smart product is integrated into traditional building systems, and allows for the efficient upgrade of buildings' communications systems.

-- Here is a link to Mike's latest post discussing the implications of Intel's Light Peak technology: http://www.homepathproducts.com/blog1/?page_id=44

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More Moxie:
For more information on HomePath and the eXapath system, visit Mike's website here: http://www.homepathproducts.com/homepath/introducing.php