I’ve lived long enough to know one thing for sure — the best parts of life aren’t online. They don’t come from a glowing screen. They come from quiet mornings, hard work, and the kind of peace you can only find when the noise is turned off.
I grew up in Appalachia. We didn’t have much, but we had what mattered. I remember sitting outside on the front steps, listening to the frogs down by the creek and the wind blowing through the trees. That didn’t cost a thing — but it filled me up in a way no scroll on a phone ever could.
These days, it’s easy to get lost in the endless loop — YouTube videos, social media feeds, breaking news, and everyone trying to sell you a “better life.” But the truth is, most of that is just noise. Real life is still out there — in the garden, on a dirt road, at the kitchen table with someone you care about. You can’t buy it, download it, or watch it in HD.
Sometimes I catch myself reaching for the phone without even thinking. That’s how they’ve trained us. But then I remind myself to look up. To step outside. To grab a cast iron skillet and cook something real. To sit still for a few minutes and just be. That’s where the real reset happens — not on a screen, but in the space where there’s no filter, no likes, and no algorithm telling you what matters.
So if you’re feeling tired, burned out, or like something’s missing — try turning everything off. Go outside. Walk slow. Watch the clouds. Plant something. Call a friend instead of texting. Let your mind breathe. Because the best things in life aren’t on a screen — they’re right in front of you, if you’re willing to look.
At this point, you want to keep the seeds moist but not covered with water. In a few days, the seeds will begin to sprout. When the sprouts reach 1 to 2 inches in length (for most seeds), they are ready to eat. Sprouts can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried. If dried, they can be ground into flour and used for bread or other baked items.
While many Republicans for years have railed against the official narrative around climate change and many of the solutions promoted to mitigate it, climate finance is poised to make a comeback over the next 4 years, despite Republicans taking both the White House and the legislature by a significant margin. This is because many of the most influential names in the incoming Trump administration, as well as the previous one, have become intimately involved in creating carbon markets in recent years, while others have a long-standing track record of pushing carbon taxes and other forms of “carbon pricing.”
