Episode Summary: In this episode, Brian and Leekei talk about what they are resolving to do in 2023.

They discussed the joy associated with picking up trash and growing food indoors.

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Brian D Tormey and Leekei Tang

Brian is a Real Estate Title Insurance Professional and Goat Farmer in the US.

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert and podcaster from Paris, France.  

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

Hi, I'm Ima.

I live in Scotland.

Hi, I'm Jen and I'm from Canada.

Hi, I'm Ola Vanji and I'm from Nigeria.

Hello, I'm Leaky and I live in Paris.

Hey, I'm Rod.

I'm from Peru.

Welcome to Carbon Sessions.

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Hi Brian.

Hi leaky.

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year, . Well, for those of you listening, we we, it's sort of

funny to us because we're recording this, knowing that you'll be listening

to this right into the new year, but for us, it's still 2022 at the moment.

And actually when you will be listening to this, you would also have listened

to our last episode of 2022, which is the New Year's resolution of Ji Jen.

And myself, but we haven't.

The newest reservation from Brian, not yet, but excited to chat about him.

Hmm.

So recently we had a guest speaker on one of our carbon session

podcasts, uh, named Josh spk.

Hmm.

And since that podcast, uh, recording session, Josh and I have then gone off on

a whole other wonderful thread together that I've been, uh, working with him

on that has led me to really learning a lot more, and both going through myself.

The, what he refers to as the spodak method.

And, and I've sort of learned a lot about how he's approached different

resolutions and changes in his life, habit changes, and then in going

through this SPDC method and I encourage everyone to go check out, uh, his

website and, and go read more about it.

And he's got some great TED talks.

In going through this process, it's a, it's sort of a method of

coming to finding some things that you want to change in your life

through truly intrinsic motivation.

Tell me more.

I would like to hear more about this.

Yeah, so, so, you know, often, you know, in the past I've done, I, I routinely

do near New Year's resolutions and, and often they're things like, you know, many

years ago I used to always put sugar in my coffee and, and one year I was like, okay.

No more sugar in my coffee.

Like, hmm.

Done.

Um, and from that day forward, I don't, I don't think I've ever put

a, a teaspoon of sugar in my coffee.

Um, and I think I'm a little bit happier and healthier and

better for that resolution.

But it was, it was, it was an intrinsic motivation, sort of an internal

thing, but it was also a little bit extrinsic of like, oh, I know this is

a thing that the world is telling me I should have less sugar in my diet.

So it was a little bit, sort of from the outside.

, but I've ended up being happy with it.

Well, Josh and his method really focus on sort of helping find.

A kind of thing that you want to change from a truly intrinsic level and sort of

have, you know, an emotional connection to why you're making this change.

And so recently, one of the things I did with Josh was in going through this

method was, uh, we focused on some of my own memories, uh, in the environment

and, uh, sort of the natural world.

And it led me to going and doing.

Some picking up trash along the road, , uh, near my home.

And it was this sort of very interesting experience as part of this methodology.

And so I, I, it was, and it was fun.

I was, it, it started from this place of like, okay, I wanna,

I want to go, like, I haven't experienced this part of my community.

I, if I'm gonna be on that road, I'm driving along it, but it's

a beautiful section of road.

And so I went and walked along it instead and picked up trash along.

And that's led to, you know, sort of some interesting sort of experiences.

And I will say, walking along and picking up trash was a, a very.

Eye-opening kind of experience, um, that has turned out to be a fun experience.

Mm-hmm.

, like, I've actually been having fun.

I've now been, I've gone and done it a few more times since then, and here

in the northeast of the United States.

It's pretty cold right now.

And so it's, you know, I bundle up and I go early in the morning when

traffic is low, uh, and go along and pick up some trash and it's, , it's

sort of like very intellectually, uh, like I've, I've learned so

many things by just like looking at the trash I'm picking up mm-hmm.

, like I, I, I feel like every time I'm picking up something

new, there's this like, uh, this story behind, why is this here?

Yes.

Hmm.

Yeah.

And, and, and I've been surprised at some of the patterns of what

I'm finding, um, along the road.

And so I think for me, one of my New Year's resolutions is going to be, and

it's, it's not, I'm doing it for the extrinsic, you know, I want the road

to look a little bit nicer and I want the, um, you know, the, the litter to

not be there and not, you know, get down into the Hudson River and, and

our waterways and, you know, those are my extrinsic, but really there's

this like, deep, enjoyable, and.

Intrinsic motivation that I really am having fun.

This all started as a memory of some of, you know, where I grew up in Oregon and

this, this sort of pristine landscape.

And it sort of started there and then turned into this like,

let me go experience this part.

And now I'm having a lot of fun.

And, and I think many of us if asked like, would you go walk along

the roadside and pick up trash?

Like you might say yes as a like, oh, I'm ob Yes, I will, but it's.

It's a burden that I'm agreeing to.

And I have to say I'm, because of how I came to this idea and how it's

been going so far, it's one that I'm sincerely enjoying and having fun with.

I listen to podcasts while I'm doing it and enjoy the beautiful nature around

me, and, and, and I've actually been really enjoying the, the intellectual

stimulation of sort of thinking.

What's, where this trash is coming from and what's the story behind it?

So, so for me, roadside litter pickup, I think is, is one of my New

Year's resolutions that, that, as I've done in the past, I really try

to make them, not like a one year resolution, but a, like, this is a

thing I'm gonna do going forward.

Whoa.

This you make, you make it sound like.

, um, split highly spiritual activity, uh, and connecting with yourself.

Connecting with others, connecting with the past.

That's fantastic.

. Yeah, it's, it's been, it really has been fun.

Like I've, you know, some of the things that, you know, I, I, it's, it's also

influencing some of my other things as I'm going through, like the amount of

bags, you know, and, and coffee cups.

And you know, for me, one of the interesting things was like,

I've been astounded at how many 80% full water bottles I found.

Oh.

Where, like, it's still closed and like someone had it and then threw

it out their window after having, I don't know, two or three sips of water.

Mm-hmm.

, like I, I've been sort of dumbfounded.

So it's really had me, it's just caused me to like, also throughout my day,

every sit time I see a water bottle, like a, a disposable plastic water bottle.

, it's actually had me like reflecting back to my walks.

Mm-hmm.

in this, you know, in this way from the day.

So it's been, it's been sort of, yeah.

Very spiritual and fun and I've really been enjoying it and it's

gotten me actually closer to nature.

Like it's a reason I'm out spending time walking in what is, yes, it's a

road, but it's, there's beautiful trees and I'm actually getting close to.

, you know, like the ground and like seeing what's happening and

it's sort of untended wilderness.

Mm-hmm.

in the way that like our parks and hiking trails often are very tended.

Mm-hmm.

and some, you know, a sense manicured mm-hmm.

. So it's been sort of fun to see this like wild part of like, I don't know

what's growing where and along the road.

Yeah.

And because you're doing it, People, you are very visible and other people

might be inspired by what you're doing.

And so maybe you are starting a movement.

maybe, maybe I, I am wearing, you know, it's, again, it's very cold, so I'm

wearing, and I'm along the road, so I'm wearing like a very bright orange.

Coat . Um, so I'm definitely visibly noticeable.

Uh, maybe people in my community will see who I am and you're doing it yourself

or you, uh, you wanted, uh, you, are you okay with doing it with other people?

Because it seems like a very solitary activity the way you are describing it.

. It's, you know, I think it's, um, it's interesting.

I so far have been enjoying, actually, one of the other things that came out

of one of the pod podcasts, uh, the TCA community podcast, I was looking,

listening to was some note about getting sunlight on your face in the morning.

Mm-hmm.

, like, see it, looking at the sun directly and getting that as a,

as a, as a health, uh, thing.

And so it's one of the things, you know, I'm going early in the morning

and now instead, I have a moment to be standing there and like go look at

the sky for a couple minutes and, and see that, and I wouldn't want to give

up on some of the solitary mm-hmm.

reflective time that it has been, you know, I think in the same way that.

Maybe there are people that, you know, they go running Yes.

Or biking or other exercise.

And that that time is in fact leaky.

I think you're a runner, right?

Yes.

Yes.

There was a recent episode about your running shoes, right?

Yes.

Yes.

, yes.

Yeah.

And you, you may not wanna give up all the alone time, but I would at the same time,

love to have people come do this with me.

Mm-hmm.

, that's beautiful.

But again, I'm, I, this is one of the interesting things about.

This project I've been working on and learning from from Josh is,

I'm not, I'm not really doing it necessarily just to clean up litter.

I'm doing it cuz I'm actually enjoying my time.

out there in, in nature.

Like it really, I have been enjoying it.

Yeah.

Is there a way to discover this intrinsic motivation?

Because I'm trying to think of something I could do.

Um, actually there are things I enjoy doing.

It.

It's, it's has become.

Easily, um, easy as to switch it, uh, to adopt it as a habit.

Um, so, and I'm sure that there are other things I could discover.

So is there a way I could discover before?

Well, actually, uh, we are recording, um, at the beginning of December, so I

have almost three or four weeks before I make it . So what should I do with my

three, four weeks, uh, in discovering.

intrinsic motivation so I can discover a new habit.

Yeah.

Well, I, uh, you know, part of what I will reference back

to is, is this s spdc method.

So, so Josh, who has done, uh, quite a number of very big pattern

changes or habit changes in his life.

Um, among his many other accomplishments, you know, right now he's working, uh,

or he is, you know, about a little bit over six or seven months ago, he

decided to just unplug from the grid.

He lives in New York City, , and he said, okay, I'm gonna live.

unplugged from the grid.

Uh, he has a few solar panels that he hikes.

I think it's 10 or 11 stories up to his building's roof to put out

his panels and charge his little battery so that he can still have

some com computer access and things.

So he, he's still con, you know, creating solar energy, power

and, and doing some small amount.

But, but broadly speaking, he's living off grid in New York City, New York, and, and.

Things started, and at first you, you might think like,

oh, that's a big imposition.

Like that's a really big imposition to just be like, okay, I won't,

you know, stay plugged in.

And he, his refrigerator isn't plugged in.

You know, like all these kind of things that are these modern conveniences.

And he speaks to that because he came to those.

Those pattern changes from a place of like sincere, intrinsic, and I'm gonna

come back and try to answer your question leaky, but because he came to it with this

intrinsic side of things, it really has been something that he's been enjoying.

I mean, he's, we've talked numerous times while he's sitting upstairs.

Keeping an eye on his solar panels and it's, it's cold.

It's, you know, it's, uh, just over zero Celsius or, you know,

35, 36 degrees Fahrenheit.

It's cold outside and he's sitting outside, but he's now a little bit more

in tune with, he's paying attention to the path of the sun in the sky and

getting in touch with some of these things that when you have some conveniences,

you aren't, and he's finding joys.

In what otherwise someone might perceive as a, as an obligation or an imposition.

And I think it comes from he did, he came to this idea from a place of

intrinsic, I wanna do this for me, not because someone told me I need to.

And thus he's more readily finding the joys in it.

And so his method, the Spodak method, starts with.

you know, reflecting back on your own experiences with the environment and

nature and recalling and enjoying, sort of reliving those moments

from your, from your own life.

And then sort of staying in that moment and reflecting and coming up

with like, okay, so what's something that you could do today that helps

you refine or find again, that kind of emotional connection with.

right?

And so he walks through this, this sort of very neat method of starting with

a memory and an experience that then, and a set of emotions and feelings

that then move over into, okay, well how do you, how might you, today it

doesn't have to be doing good for the planet or like it, there are, you know,

there are some constraints around it.

but how might you go reconnect with those and then turn helping

turn it into a smart goal?

You know, a smart goal is sort of a specific, measurable, achievable,

realistic, timely, like sort of like few things that are good kind of

goals and then, and then going and doing it and checking back in on it.

And that's how we came, you know, I came up with this like, okay, I want to go

spend time in this, in this kind of way.

and now it's turned into my New Year's resolution that it's a

thing I've really been enjoying.

And it's not an imposition, even though I'm going and picking up other

people's trash, I'm really enjoying it.

I need to really need to think about it because, um, it's home.

Because I, I, I've got a lot of good, I mean, emotions that

I, well, I really feel, um, my connection with nature, but it's.

usually relate.

It's something that I do outdoor, um, by the sea or in mountains or, mm-hmm.

, like in, in the forest, but I live in the middle of a city,

so that's a little bit hard.

So I need to find something that I enjoy doing.

Mm-hmm.

. Well, and I think start with, start with a specific experience,

a time and a feeling like.

And if you, if you wanna do this right now, tell me about it.

Like, start there.

Hmm.

You don't have to, we don't have to jump to the, to the water.

You're gonna go do, but like, let's, let's start with, you know, a time and an

experience and if I, you know, this is now turning into me interviewing you, . Okay.

Uh, the first time I actually had a berry.

In my life because mm-hmm.

, I was born in Hong Kong and there was, when I, at the time I was born, there was

no, uh, I mean, at that time we didn't ship, uh, berries from one place, uh, from

one country to the other end of the world.

And so the first time I had a strawberry was something that, because

my, my father, uh, was growing.

in mm-hmm.

inside, like, just like, you know, in a, in a small, uh, pot.

And so he was growing indoor and, uh, so that I was little, but the first time

I had a strawberry was a revelation.

And then later, I remember then, uh, um, a few years after that, um, We

moved to France and the first, I had the same experience, the same thing.

The first time I had a cherry, it was the first time I had a cherry in my life.

So I don't know, uh, does it help ? Yeah.

And, and tell me, tell us and the listeners about your first ex.

Tell us, tell us in detail like what was it like the first

time It was something novel.

It was something that I've never experienced and I felt.

that was a new world was opening, uh, that was mm-hmm.

. And, um, and seeing this, you know, I remember seeing this little strawberry

growing, um, and uh, waiting for it to turn, uh, to turn to turn red.

And um, I remember I was little and I was trying to hide it, uh, because I didn't

want my sisters to see it turning red

So, So you like moved the leaves around?

Yes.

So it was a little bit hidden.

Ok, ok.

Yeah.

So it was, um, and it was, it had a, um, it came with a lot of pride

as well because it was something novel and, uh, the taste was novel

and it was a lot of pride because it's something that we Oh, I got it.

Oh.

It's something that we grew together, uh, with my mm-hmm.

father and, uh, Because it's something that was very, that did not exist that

we couldn't have, but we make this, all this effort and, uh, to, to plant

it and to have it so we can eat it.

And it was something that, yeah, that I had a lot of joy, you know,

doing something, saying grow and um, and then feeling privileged to eat

something I've never tasted before and that not many people enjoy.

So that's, um, I know what I'm going to do.

. Okay, good.

Well, I mean that was, I was, I have an idea, but uh, was just, I was

there with you, like sort of like.

Day after day, like watching and waiting for the strawberry to grow, I can,

I can picture you as a young girl, like pushing the little, like , you

know, green, turning light pink, strawberry, like hiding it under a leaf.

Um, and, uh, that anticipation.

Yes.

You know, and that sort of, and then, , that final joy of like the

actual experience and the novelty of like a flavor that's new to you?

Yes.

Um, wow.

Yeah, I mean, you just took me on a great little, like a journey.

I love that.

I love that.

Now, so, you know, I'm gonna invite you at, at your option to think of

something and, and it seems like maybe you already have, that you can do to

reconnect with those emotions in the.

like what's a thing that, that might help you reconnect with that, those feelings?

Um, obviously it will be to try to grow more food in my apartment, uh mm-hmm.

and, okay.

I don't have a lot of space for that and, uh mm-hmm.

. Um, but I think it's something that will be.

and it's, it'll be great because, um, instead of going in by Basil,

I could just have it in my kitchen.

That's easy.

And so, mm-hmm.

, um, I'm not a very good, um, um, plum Care, uh, I don't water

them very regularly, but it's something I can do and learn.

. So Uhhuh, , and then I'll get to enjoy all this.

And it's, it's great to grow your own food, even if it's difficult, uh, uh,

because, uh, because it brings joy and, uh, it's also something I can

talk, um, talk about when, um, and then, uh, maybe, you know, make my

love for growing food a little bit contagious, so other people will do.

I, I would imagine that, you know, so if we, if we turn this into a thing,

and I'm gonna create some accountability here with you in a second, leaky , we're

gonna make this as hard goal for you.

Um, I would definitely wager that your enjoyment of this will lead to you sharing

this experience, maybe even sharing the, the, the produce itself, whichever

things you plan to grow with others.

And that will bring.

Some of those warm feelings of community and, and, and you'll be enjoying those

feelings that you were just sharing of the anticipation watching this thing

grow, and then that novelty of, of enjoying something that, that you've grown

yourself and the flavors that it brings.

Um, . Okay.

So I, I think this is a, a wonderful thing, , it's something

that you're not already doing.

Uh, it's something you're gonna do with your own hands.

Yes.

And it will leave the world a little bit better than you found it.

Mm-hmm.

, right?

Yes.

Like, this will, this will move it in the right direction.

Um, so, and, and I think you're going to, I anticipate that you're

gonna find some joy with this.

Um, actually, so, yeah, actually, I, I, I mean, I, I love how you helped

me, um, make this decision because it's something I've been thinking about.

and I've been, I've been looking at, you know, on Instagram, a lot of pages

of people that grow food in apartments.

Mm-hmm.

in Paris, we are very small, like, you know, on the edge of

the windows and some people do it.

Mm-hmm.

, but I've never.

Made a decision, I'm going to do it myself.

And then you helped me reconnect with why in the first place I wanted to do it.

That's, yeah.

Something that I have kind of forgot why I wanted to, yeah, I was interested

in this in the first place, so.

. Well, and, and that's, that's this beauty of now, it's an intrinsic

thing, not this sort of pressure of, oh, on Instagram I saw these great

pictures of everyone else's window garden, so I should do that too.

That's extrinsic.

Mm-hmm.

. But now it's this, like, this joy from the inside.

So, but wait, I, I wanna get to, , you know, the commitment part.

I do wanna do that real quick.

Cause I think that's, that's part of a useful thing here.

Like, let's make it a specific goal.

Yep.

You've got your pencil out, . Okay.

Um, so you're going to plant some plants.

Mm-hmm.

. Okay.

So I think that's pretty specific.

Uh, measurable.

It will be able to measure that you planted some plants.

It seems to me pretty achievable.

Mm-hmm.

, um, and it's very realistic.

Okay, now timely, let's sort of chat through that.

Do you think, you know, it takes a while for plants to germinate and,

and that, so maybe we say, you know, it's, right now, it's the beginning

of December for us as we record this.

So how about I check in with you at the beginning of January?

30 days from now to see if you've, if you've done it, cuz

by then the seeds will, most seed types will have germinated.

So they'll be like little sprouts just sticking up above the soil.

Mm-hmm.

, um, they won't be full plants yet.

Hmm.

But does that feel like 30 days from now by then you think you'll have

planted them and and they'll have had a, a little bit of time in soil?

Yeah.

. That's, I actually, we should have had this conversation

yesterday because yesterday I went to the florist to buy flowers.

Mm-hmm.

. And there was a lady who was buying some, uh, basil seeds and, uh, she was uhhuh.

Um, so I need to, she, she bought them because she's, say, she was saying that,

you know, it's, I think it's a, it's a good time to j to put them in in soil.

And then I thought, Hmm, why is she doing it?

But then I should have bought this, so I need to go back to the florist.

. Okay.

There you go.

That's wonderful.

Well, so I will plan to connect with you in January and check in

on this cause I'm very excited to hear your experiences along the way.

Great.

Okay.

Yeah.

Wow.

That's , that's conversation style with you sharing your

New Year's resolution and . Yep.

And now you got one . That's it.

But it's one that I think you're gonna really enjoy.

Yes, yes.

Yeah.

And, and I will say this, so we, I, we, you and I have never talked about

this before, but a few years ago.

. That was something I did coincidentally, oh.

Was starting to learn.

My grandfather was a master gardener and did grew and, and, and bred

different plants and grafted plants together and did amazing things.

Mm.

Um, with his planting knowledge.

Um, and it was a thing that I had not, I'd learned some of as a child, but.

A lot.

And so a few years ago I said, okay, this is a thing I want to go learn how to do.

And I've now done trying to raise things from seeds for, uh, three.

This will be my third winter.

Um, and it's each year it's been a learning process, but it's been

a lot of fun, like coming and, and touching soil and taking, I mean,

basil seeds, I'm sure you saw them.

They're like the tip of a pencil.

They're so tiny, and yet they turn into these wonderful, amazing plants.

They're so fun to consume and, and fairly easy to grow.

Um, that's awesome.

And so I will, I will also say, um, one of the joys for me along this

way is I've gone from, first I bought seeds and this last year was the

first year that I was planting seed.

From the plants that I had grown, that I'd harvested the seeds.

Wow.

And dried them.

And so this year, again, coming here in the few weeks, I'll be planting up my,

I'll have all these, you know, uh, racks of things to the chagrin of my wife.

Um, we've got a room that gets a lot of sun and I've got these, like all these,

these uh, uh, racks set up for the plants.

Um, and.

, uh, I'll be planting my second year of seeds grown from the things I planted.

That's beautiful.

Wow.

I'm really looking forward to it so much.

I'm really excited for your job.

Fantastic.

Wow.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Wonderful.

Well, thank you.

This has been great.

Okay.

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