"Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values." -Dalai Lama-
Each person who gets involved with a project like this comes to the table with different strengths, different ideas, and different values. Looking at our list of what the ranch should include it became important to recognize that different purposes for the existence of the ranch will require different aspects to be emphasized in its creation. To get clear on what this means, Sara and I along with two friends creating a similar community (T & M) but with a different focus each made a list of our top 4-6 "ranch purposes" and placed the items in order of importance to these purposes from most important to least.
I then weighted each of the 43 items to reflect its level of importance with the #1 priority getting 50 points and the #43 priority getting 1 point. #1 purpose items all got +5, #2 got +3 and #3 purpose got +1 to add additional weight to the priorities under these key reasons for ranch creation. The totals were then combined to see what the accumulated focuses would produce for each individual's priorities.
The list of what a ranch (more their description)/community (more our description) should contain illuminated some very different ideas and we came together and to do this exercise in order to negotiate these differences and illuminate strengths and weaknesses to determine if our visions should be combined or progress separately.
Here are the results:
Jae Priorities:
#1: "A PLACE OF AMAZING BEAUTY"
#2: "A PLACE OF COMMUNITY & GROWTH" TEMPLATE - (PERSONAL & SPIRITUAL ABUNDANCE)"
#3: "A PLACE OF COMFORT"
#4: "A PLACE OF FINANCIAL ABUNDANCE"
#5: "A PLACE OF PEACE AND HEALING"
#6: "A PLACE OF SAFETY"
Final Totals:
Clarity of Vision and this as Part of Purpose 282
Clean/Loving Energy of the Land 267
Clear, Concise Heart Felt Communication 266
300+ Sunny Days 234
30+ Acres Buildable Land 231
6+ Mos of shorts and t-shirt (growing temps) 228
Everyone Contributing 228
Self Sufficient Energy (solar/hydro/geothermal) 223
3-5 Independent and Stable Water Sources 219
Healthy Land 211
Garden that provides 90% of fruit/vegetables 207
Surplus Revenue 198
Lake 181
Trees 181
Fruit Trees 174
Center of Peace 168
30-40 min from Town of Culture 166
No need to work off the ranch 166
Hot Springs 157
Green House 152
Berry Bushes 149
Center of Healing 149
Elk, Moose, Sheep and/or Deer 146
Diversity of Artistic & Spiritual People 141
River 137
Streams 132
Master Farmer 129
5 pods 100
Labyrinth 92
Turkey, rabbits, pigs, quail, pheasant 89
Goats & Chickens 87
Amphitheater 85
Nurse or Doctor 85
Food Reserves (2 yrs ea person) - root cellar 82
Master Potter 79
Master Seamstress 78
Dentist 77
Master Wood Worker 77
Master Plumber 74
Master Electrician 70
Medicine Wheel 65
Exercise Facility/Jungle Gym 62
Bunker 54
Sara Priorities:
#1: "A PLACE OF COMMUNITY OFF THE GRID"
#2: "A PLACE OF ART AND BEAUTY"
#3: "A PLACE OF PEACE AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH"
#4: "A PLACE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY"
#5: "A PLACE OF ABUNDANCE"
Final Totals:
Clarity of Vision and this as Part of Purpose 259
Clean/Loving Energy of the Land 242
Clear, Concise Heart Felt Communication 233
300+ Sunny Days 217
Healthy Land 207
Garden that provides 90% of fruit/vegetables 200
30+ Acres Buildable Land 198
Diversity of Artistic & Spiritual People 188
No need to work off the ranch 180
6+ Mos of shorts and t-shirt (growing temps) 175
Center of Peace 170
Self Sufficient Energy (solar/hydro/geothermal) 167
Center of Healing 165
Trees 158
Green House 149
5 pods 139
Everyone Contributing 136
River 129
Fruit Trees 128
30-40 min from Town of Culture 124
Hot Springs 124
Lake 123
Master Farmer 115
Elk, Moose, Sheep and/or Deer 113
3-5 Independent and Stable Water Sources 105
Berry Bushes 96
Streams 96
Turkey, rabbits, pigs, quail, pheasant 87
Master Wood Worker 84
Nurse or Doctor 77
Surplus Revenue 77
Master Electrician 76
Master Seamstress 76
Amphitheater 75
Medicine Wheel 74
Food Reserves (2 yrs ea person) - root cellar 70
Labyrinth 64
Master Plumber 64
Master Potter 63
Goats & Chickens 52
Dentist 41
Exercise Facility/Jungle Gym 35
Bunker 31
#1: "A PLACE OF INFINITE CULTURE"
#2: "A PLACE OF SECURITY"
#3: "A PLACE OF ABUNDANCE"
#4: "A PLACE OF HORIZONTAL GROWTH"
#5: "A PLACE OF FUN AND HAPPINESS"
Final Totals:
3-5 Independent and Stable Water Sources 249
Clarity of Vision and this as Part of Purpose 239
Clear, Concise Heart Felt Communication 229
300+ Sunny Days 211
Garden that provides 90% of fruit/vegetables 209
6+ Mos of shorts and t-shirt (growing temps) 205
Healthy Land 205
Self Sufficient Energy (solar/hydro/geothermal) 200
Clean/Loving Energy of the Land 195
Diversity of Artistic & Spiritual People 175
Everyone Contributing 170
Surplus Revenue 166
Food Reserves (2 yrs ea person) - root cellar 162
Master Farmer 157
No need to work off the ranch 156
Green House 154
30+ Acres Buildable Land 148
River 143
Lake 137
Center of Healing 131
Center of Peace 127
Trees 125
Fruit Trees 122
Dentist 115
5 pods 107
Goats & Chickens 105
Labyrinth 88
Berry Bushes 85
30-40 min from Town of Culture 80
Amphitheater 79
Master Plumber 77
Master Electrician 71
Streams 71
Bunker 70
Hot Springs 66
Nurse or Doctor 58
Medicine Wheel 57
Exercise Facility/Jungle Gym 48
Master Seamstress 48
Master Potter 47
Master Wood Worker 46
Turkey, rabbits, pigs, quail, pheasant 28
Elk, Moose, Sheep and/or Deer 21
M Priorities:
#1: "A PLACE OF ABUNDANCE"
#2: "A PLACE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY"
#3: "A PLACE OF COMMUNITY"
#4: "A PLACE OF GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY"
Final Totals:
3-5 Independent and Stable Water Sources 199
Surplus Revenue 172
6+ Mos of shorts and t-shirt (growing temps) 170
30-40 min from Town of Culture 169
No need to work off the ranch 159
Hot Springs 157
30+ Acres Buildable Land 156
Garden that provides 90% of fruit/vegetables 150
Green House 148
Clear, Concise Heart Felt Communication 140
Self Sufficient Energy (solar/hydro/geothermal) 137
Clarity of Vision and this as Part of Purpose 131
Center of Healing 119
Fruit Trees 119
300+ Sunny Days 116
Everyone Contributing 112
Center of Peace 110
Food Reserves (2 yrs ea person) - root cellar 110
Bunker 109
Trees 109
Diversity of Artistic & Spiritual People 107
Healthy Land 106
Master Electrician 98
Dentist 97
Clean/Loving Energy of the Land 94
Master Plumber 90
Nurse or Doctor 89
Master Farmer 85
River 80
Master Wood Worker 76
Streams 76
5 pods 72
Master Potter 70
Master Seamstress 64
Amphitheater 63
Exercise Facility/Jungle Gym 58
Goats & Chickens 56
Lake 54
Berry Bushes 47
Elk, Moose, Sheep and/or Deer 37
Labyrinth 27
Medicine Wheel 24
Turkey, rabbits, pigs, quail, pheasant 21
This process illuminated one very key point: "CLARITY OF VISION AND THIS (Meaning our #1 purpose and the order of the remaining purposes) AS PART OF OUR PURPOSE" was at the top of everyone's list... good news as our next meeting is to talk about the differences in vision and priorities.
Next step is combining all of the data to see what the overall picture looks like...
