(Part Two of the “Strange Man” Mini-Series — read Part One Here.)

Sometimes the most important spiritual work doesn’t happen on a meditation cushion or in the quiet of early morning vows. Sometimes it happens in a kitchen—with kids playing, coffee brewing, and a grown daughter calling you a “strange man.”

If you missed Part One of the story, here’s the short version:

I rescued the used coffee grounds from my daughter’s barista-level machine, packed them neatly into an empty takeout box, and placed the box by the door next to my jacket and knapsack—fully intending to take them home to compost and burn for ash to add to my garden.

When Amber discovered my little treasure box and asked what it was, I explained. She paused… then declared solemnly: “Dad, you are a strange man.”

We laughed. And fortunately, that’s not where the story stayed. Because inside me, another moment unfolded—one I didn’t share in Part One. A moment that mattered even more than the compost or the coffee or the cardboard container.

A moment that could’ve easily slipped into the Dreaded Drama Triangle.

The Micro-Moment Where Everything Could’ve Gone Sideways

When she said “strange man,” the first sensation wasn’t laughter.It was… a pinch. A quick little inner wince. The kind that happens faster than thought. The old, familiar thread: Am I being judged? Mocked? Misunderstood?

That is the Victim voice—the first doorway into the Drama Triangle. As a graduate of Landmark World Wide, I also learned it as the “automatic and mechanical.” In that split-second, without any real awareness, I could have shifted into one of the three roles:

Victim: “I was just trying to help the planet… why is she making fun of me?”

Persecutor: “Well maybe if you composted more… we wouldn’t have so much trash in the first place.”

Rescuer: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry—I’ll just throw it away next time.”

None of these paths lead to connection. None lead to truth, or love, or empowerment. They lead to drama. And drama is a waste stream far more toxic than used coffee grounds.

The Pause That Saved the Moment

What changed everything was one breath.

One beat of awareness that said: “Hold on. This isn’t about being judged. This is about being seen.”

And that’s when the deeper truth surfaced: Amber wasn’t criticizing me. She was naming what the world hasn’t yet caught up to—the emerging, awkward, beautiful phase between one way of living and the next. My “strangeness” is what it looks like when someone begins living the Four Great Truths in a world still arranged around the Four Great Untruths.

In that moment, the entire inner landscape shifted.

From Drama to the Empowerment Dynamic

Instead of slipping into Victimhood, something new rose up—the Creator role from the Empowerment Dynamic. (Check out the book, The Power of TED by David Emerald. )

The Creator asks different questions:

* “What’s really happening here?”

* “What meaning am I adding?”

* “Is there a possibility hidden inside this moment?”

And the answer was simple, and almost funny:

My daughter wasn’t dismissing me. She was witnessing my evolution.

She was naming the gap—lovingly—between the culture she was raised in by my wife and I and the one I’m trying to help midwife into existence—a regenerative future based in the Four Great Truths.

Suddenly, “strange man” felt… accurate. Even honorable.

The Deeper Lesson at 76 (That I Wish I’d Learned at 36)

There was a time—decades ago—when a comment like this would have hooked me for hours. I would have replayed it, analyzed it, defended myself, explained myself. I would have tried to earn approval.

But living by my One Cause Vow—day after day, breath after breath—has been quietly rewiring my emotional reflexes.

The Four Great Truths are not just ecological principles. They are relational principles.

* Interconnectedness softens the old defensiveness because it reminds me how deeply interconnected I am with my daughter.

* Sufficiency dissolves the need for validation because the ‘enoughness’ includes my relationship with myself.

* Reciprocity makes feedback part of the dance; it’s the sharing and receiving of everyday life.

* Stewardship reminds me that my job is to model, not persuade.

So instead of reacting, I smiled. Because it was true. I am a strange man. A man becoming stranger in all the right ways.

Why This Matters in a Time of Cultural Unraveling

We are living through a moment in history when misunderstanding will be rampant. People making conscious, regenerative choices will often look “odd” to a culture still built on extraction, speed, and disposability.

This is where the inner game becomes critical. If we collapse into the Drama Triangle every time someone raises an eyebrow at our choices—we’ll waste our energy defending rather than creating.

If, instead, we shift into the Empowerment Dynamic, moment by moment—we become steady. Grounded. Available for the real work. Living the Great Truths externally requires practicing them internally and expressing them externally through our words and actions.

And that starts in the smallest, most ordinary moments—standing in a kitchen with your daughter…coffee grounds in hand…and an invitation to grow.

A Closing Reflection

(for you, the reader stepping into your own version of this path)

Think of a recent moment when someone questioned, joked about, or didn’t quite “get” one of your emerging values or new behaviors.

* Did it sting?

* Did you slip into one of the drama roles?

* Or was there a pause—a breath—that opened the door to something deeper?

These micro-moments are the training ground. They are where the new world gets built—one reclaimed reaction at a time. And if being called “strange” means we’re becoming more aligned with the future we hope our grandchildren inherit…

Well then—let us be strange, and let us be steady, and let us be fiercely, tenderly awake.

Even in the kitchen.Especially in the kitchen.

Toward the end of a recent visit with my daughter, Amber, and the grandkids—Logan racing a plastic dinosaur across the living room battlefield and Piper dancing around with a squeal that could wake the ancestors—I decided to fix myself a cup of coffee, in part because they have one of those barista-level machines that makes a cup so smooth it practically hums a lullaby. So there I was, savoring the thought of a rare mug of delicious Joe, when the machine politely informed me I needed to empty the grounds receptacle first.

Fair enough. I opened the little compartment, scooped out the still-warm grounds, and headed toward the trash can. And that’s when I saw it: an empty cardboard takeout container sitting right on top.

Hmm, I thought. That could hold the coffee grounds….One more hmm: And I could bring both home—grounds to compost, container to burn in the wood stove for more ash to eventually make its way into the garden.

It was the kind of thought that feels completely normal to me now, a natural extension of my daily rhythm here at the Loving Homestead. So, with the confidence of a man on a mission, I packed the grounds into the takeout box, carried it over, and placed it gently by the door alongside my jacket and knapsack.

Job done. No big deal. A tiny act of stewardship—with a side of convenience.

Or so I thought.

The Strange Man Revealed

About an hour later, Amber walked by, noticed the box by the door, and stopped in her tracks. She stared at it for a few seconds, the way you’d look at a squirrel holding a flip phone.

“What’s this?” she asked.

I explained my plan: Take the coffee grounds home, compost them, and burn the cardboard for heat and soil building. Simple. Elegant. Efficient. A win for Earth and a win for Dad.

She stared a moment longer before rolling her eyes. Then, with the seriousness of a judge rendering a life verdict, she said:

“Dad… you are a strange man.”

I chuckled—because it was funny and yes, a bit true. But if I’m honest, there was also a quick flicker of something tender in me, a tiny wince.

Strange.Odd.Different.

Those words carry some weight, even when delivered with love. But before I could wander down the familiar path of “What did she mean by that?”, something else rose within me. A kind of deeper understanding.

And I realized: This “strangeness” is exactly what I’ve been cultivating. On purpose. Let me elaborate.

When Strange Is Just the Early Stage of New Truth

Ever since June 1st, I’ve been saying and meditating on my One Cause Vow every morning. I wrote it not as a declaration of moral superiority (goodness knows that’s not the path I’m on) but as a grounding practice—something to nudge me gently toward the person I’m becoming.

Here’s a short piece of it:

On this new day, I commit—and recommit—to living in alignment with the Four Great Truths:Interconnectedness.Sufficiency.Reciprocity.Stewardship.

I know I won’t be perfect. I expect to stumble, but each step is a chance to remember who I really am—and who I’m becoming.

The truth is, my vow has been working on me in subtle and not-so-subtle ways bit mostly in quiet ways. Domestic ways. Ways involving coffee grounds and takeout boxes. I don’t think about these things as “trying to be environmental.”They just… feel normal now.

Normal, for someone living inside the Four Great Truths. Strange, for a world still built around the Four Great Untruths.

If the old worldview says:“Just toss it in the trash—away it goes,”the new worldview asks:“Away to where? And at what cost?”

One worldview stops the thought at the trash can. The other travels all the way to the compost pile, the soil, the seedlings, the next meal, the next generation. Strange? Only until it isn’t.

A Glimpse of Tomorrow’s Normal

I imagine a future—one Logan and Piper will inherit—where this kind of strangeness is no more unusual than brushing your teeth:

* Food forests in front yards instead of lawn deserts

* Native plant oases humming with bees

* Compost steaming gently on crisp mornings

* Kids excitedly adding banana peels “to feed the soil”

* Cardboard becoming biochar becoming living earth

A world where taking home coffee grounds isn’t odd—it’s common sense. A world where stewardship isn’t “strange”—it’s simply what we do and who we are. And if odd little habits like mine can help nudge the culture that direction, even a millimeter at a time, well… I’m happy to be a strange man. Truth be told, I’ve probably been a strange man for much of my life.

In fact, may we all become just strange enough to help turn this ship toward life again.

A Quiet Reflection to Ponder This Week

When someone calls you strange, pause for a moment. Feel the sting. Smile anyway. And ask yourself:

Is this strangeness actually a sign I’m waking up? Growing? Maturing? Becoming someone new?

Maybe, just maybe, your strangeness isn’t the flaw. Maybe it’s the doorway.

Imagine greeting the sun each morning, not just as a source of warmth but as a symbol of untapped potential. That’s what I’ve done for over two years which is what led me to writing today’s article/podcast. Every day, Earth receives an astonishing 173,000 terawatts of energy from the sun. Yet, humanity's annual energy consumption is only around 20 terawatts. In other words:

A single day’s sunlight provides far more than we need to power our entire planet for a year.

This raises a simple but profound question:

Why are we not harnessing this energy more effectively?

The path to making solar power a cornerstone of our energy system isn’t just about technology. It's about mindset, policy, and creative integration into our everyday lives. What sounds like eco-fantasy—like powering entire cities or global infrastructures from sunlight alone—could become eco-fact. But we need visionaries and bold thinkers, much like the characters in my eco-fantasy worlds, to turn these possibilities into realities.

As Rollo May said in The Courage to Create, “Creative courage is the discovery of new forms, new symbols, new patterns on which a new society can be built.” The challenge before us is to cultivate that courage, embracing both creativity and science to envision a new, regenerative world​.

Breaking Down the Numbers: How Little We Need to Change the World

The math behind solar energy is startling. Humans only use about 0.01% of the solar energy that hits Earth each day. If we could capture even a small fraction of that, we could power our world without fossil fuels. To illustrate, if solar panels could convert just 15-20% of the sunlight they receive into energy (which is roughly the current efficiency), even modest advancements in technology could revolutionize energy storage and distribution.

Todd Henry, in Die Empty, encourages us to seize opportunities and constantly develop our skills to be ready for the future. Just as "The Developer" in his book weaves available resources into value, we must do the same with solar technology—taking the raw potential of sunlight and turning it into power​. The challenge lies in storing this energy efficiently and creating decentralized systems that allow every building, every piece of infrastructure to contribute to the solution.

Imagine what would be possible if we invested the time, money, and other resources into tapping this near limitless energy resource that we are putting into A. I.

Ideas That Could Transform Eco-Fantasy Into Eco-Fact

Here are five visionary ideas that could push us beyond our current limitations:

* Urban Solar Integration: Imagine cities where solar panels are embedded in every surface. From rooftops to windows to roads, each element of our infrastructure could become a micro power station. With technologies like perovskite solar cells showing promise for higher efficiency at lower costs, we could soon see a future where energy generation is woven seamlessly into our daily environment​.

Perovskite solar cells are a type of thin-film solar cell that uses a perovskite crystal structure to generate electricity and are a promising next-generation renewable energy technology. Their advantages include high efficiency through the absorption of a broader range of light, potential for low-cost manufacturing with flexible methods like printing, and versatility in applications

* Distributed Solar Grids: Shifting away from centralized power plants toward local, distributed solar energy grids would reduce energy loss and improve resilience. Each home, office, and public building could generate and store its own solar power, contributing to the local grid and reducing reliance on large-scale energy infrastructure.

* Agrivoltaics – Merging Solar Power and Agriculture: Solar panels placed above crops create a win-win scenario: they generate electricity while also providing shade that reduces water loss for plants. This combination, known as agrivoltaics, optimizes land use by producing both food and energy, offering a practical solution in regions prone to drought.

* Space-Based Solar Power: Although it sounds like science fiction, space-based solar farms could be a future game-changer. Solar panels in space would have uninterrupted access to sunlight, generating energy 24/7. The energy could be beamed back to Earth as microwaves or lasers, offering a consistent and limitless power source​.

* Solar-Powered Desalination: Water scarcity and energy needs could be addressed simultaneously through solar-powered desalination plants. These facilities use the sun’s energy to convert seawater into drinkable water while generating electricity, solving two critical issues in regions struggling with drought and energy shortages.

The Courage to Act and Create New Realities

Just as Leonardo da Vinci envisioned possibilities far beyond the limits of his time, we must cultivate the same sense of creative curiosity. Michael Gelb’s How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci highlights the importance of questioning and exploration​. Today’s big questions:

How can we bring eco-fantasy into eco-fact? How can we turn the massive amounts of solar energy we receive into a regenerative energy future for all?

How about sharing your responses with a comment or join this week’s chat.

To achieve this, we need both technological breakthroughs and shifts in public policy. Governments, individuals, and companies alike must invest in solar technologies and grid systems that support clean energy. Policy changes could accelerate the transition by offering incentives for solar installations, and educating the public will foster a deeper understanding of the importance of renewable energy.

Bringing eco-fantasy into eco-fact begins with a commitment to possibility. As we look to the sun—an inexhaustible source of clean energy—the future becomes more than just a dream. It becomes a goal, attainable through innovation, courage, and the collective will of individuals who, like Todd Henry’s "Developers," are ready to tap into the untapped​​.

We’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible. Imagine a world where clean, abundant solar energy powers our cities, provides water to the arid regions, and restores balance to the environment. It’s not a matter of "if"—it’s a matter of "when."

Let’s work together to bring that future to life.

Unleashed - W. Bradford Swift is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

It feels fitting that this piece arrives on Halloween—a day when we flirt with shadows and celebrate transformation…of sorts.

After all, Frankenstein was never just about monsters. It was about creation without conscience—knowledge without wisdom, invention without care.

In many ways, we’ve been living our own version of that story as Homo technologicus—powerful, brilliant, but disconnected from the living whole.

The time has come for a new creation story—not stitched together from parts, but born of reconnection.

This is our real experiment: Becoming Homo guardianis—the Eco-Guardian-in-Training.

So. let’s dig in.As I sit here, reflecting on nearly a year of writing and recording One Cause—week after week, article after article—I find myself feeling both awe and humility. What began as an attempt to name “the one cause beneath the many crises” has turned into something much larger: a living invitation to evolve.

For eleven months now, I’ve been tracing the story of how humanity’s mistaken sense of separation from nature has led to the metacrisis we now face—ecological, spiritual, political, and cultural all at once. But somewhere along the way, the work began to shift. The question was no longer just How do we fix what’s broken?It became:

Who must we become to live in harmony with the Earth again?

That question has stayed with me like a heartbeat.

The Old Story: Homo technologicus

We humans have been telling ourselves that intelligence is our crowning glory—that progress means mastering the natural world through innovation and control. And to be fair, this capacity has given us much: art, science, medicine, wonder.

But it has also given rise to what some have called Homo technologicus—humans defined not by wisdom, but by the tools we wield. A species so clever we can split atoms and code consciousness… yet so distracted we barely pause to feel the forest’s breath or hear the river’s song.

We have become brilliant—and dangerously unbalanced. Our inventions outpace our introspection. Our reach exceeds our roots.

The Evolutionary Invitation

But what if our next evolutionary step isn’t about better technology, but better relationship? What if the true frontier isn’t Mars, but the mycelial web beneath our feet—and the reawakening of our hearts to the Earth that made us?

That, I believe, is the threshold we now stand upon: the emergence of Homo guardianis—the Eco-Guardian-in-Training.

This isn’t a new biological species. It’s a new story of what it means to be human.It’s a remembering that intelligence without empathy is incomplete, and progress without reciprocity is regression.

The Eco-Guardian-in-Training

An Eco-Guardian-in-Training is someone who knows they are part of the Earth’s living community, not separate from it.They live simply and gratefully, finding joy in sufficiency rather than excess.They practice reciprocity—giving back to the web of life that sustains them.They see stewardship not as sacrifice, but as a sacred responsibility.And most importantly, they recognize that this journey has no finish line—that we are always learning how to care more deeply, to listen more fully, to belong more completely.

In short: we are becoming Homo guardianis, the humans who remember how to live in right relationship with life itself.

The Work of a Lifetime

I often think about my grandchildren—and someday, perhaps, theirs.If they ever ask, “What did you do while the world was changing?” I want to be able to answer with my head held high:

I chose to evolve. I chose to love the Earth back to life.

That’s what One Cause has been about all along—uncovering the deep root of our collective forgetting, and rediscovering the Great Truths that can guide us home: interconnection, sufficiency, reciprocity, and stewardship.

The Eco-Guardian Youth Project is one way to bring those truths alive—helping young people (and the adults who love them) experience themselves as part of the living Earth, and step consciously onto this path of becoming.

But the truth is, the youth aren’t the only ones in training. We all are.

Every time we plant a tree, tell a story that honors the more-than-human world, or choose sufficiency over consumption, we take another step in this great re-evolution of consciousness.

A Closing Reflection

If Homo technologicus was the human who asked, “How can I control?”Then Homo guardianis is the human who asks, “How can I care?”

That shift—from control to care—is the hinge on which our future turns.

It’s the work of a lifetime, and perhaps many lifetimes.But I believe it’s the most important work there is.

Reflection for You

What does becoming an Eco-Guardian-in-Training look like in your life—right here, right now? What small act of reciprocity or reverence might you offer to the web of life today?

With gratitude,—Brad (Your fellow Homo guardinis and Grand-dude

P.S.Now that the One Cause rough draft is complete, I’d love to hear from you:

What would you like to see from me here on Substack moving forward?

This project has been a labor of love, clarity, and commitment. And as we enter this next phase together, I want to shape what’s next in a way that supports you—your curiosity, your growth, your family’s journey, your desire to live in alignment with life.

A few ideas I’ve been exploring:

* Eco-Guardian-in-Training Dispatches – Short, personal essays or podcast episodes on what it looks like to live the Four Great Truths in real time (compost fails, homestead wins, kids’ questions, all of it).

* Behind-the-Scenes of the Eco-Guardian Youth Project – Updates, early access to new tools, stories from the Secret Library, and ways to get involved.

* Tools for Inspired Action – WOOP guides, Flow Practices, Storymaker Prompts, and more.

* Community Spotlights or Guest Conversations – Featuring fellow Eco-Guardians, teachers, parents, artists, and elders walking this path in their own way.

But more than anything, I want to know what you are hungry for.What would nourish you?What would make you feel accompanied on this path?

Please let me know in the comments or reply to this post.Let’s co-create what comes next.

After all, we’re in this Fourth Quarter together.

I took a long walk through the woods this morning with Rascal, my ever-eager walking partner and four-legged philosopher-in-residence. No phone. No podcasts. Just crisp leaves underfoot, a rising breeze, and the steady rhythm of paws and boots side by side.

Out there on the trail, something stirred in me.

A quiet voice reminding me:We’re in the Fourth Quarter now.Not just me. (I’m 76.) All of us…all humanity.

And the question pressing in is this:How will we play it?

Four Fingers in the Air

If you’ve ever watched a Clemson football game—especially in Death Valley—you’ll know the moment I’m talking about.

It’s the start of the Fourth Quarter.The whole stadium rises.Thousands of fans raise four fingers into the air.No shouting. No dancing. Just that silent signal.

Now is when we give everything.Now is when the real game is won—or lost, so:

Stay Focused—Finish Strong

I married into this tradition, thanks to my dear wife Ann, a Clemson graduate and lifelong fan. I still remember her mother—bless her soul—perched on the edge of the couch, eyes glued to the screen, hands clenched in nervous joy as the final quarter approached.

And I’ll admit: something about it stuck with me.

Not just the football—the metaphor.

My Fourth Quarter Perspective

At 76, I’m very aware I’m in the fourth quarter of my own life. That doesn’t feel like a problem—it feels like an opportunity. I experience a clarity I didn’t always have in the early quarters.

And yet, there’s a weight to it too.

Because every time I look into the eyes of my grandson Logan (age 4½) or hear my granddaughter Piper’s laughter (2½ and full of wonder), I feel this paradox:

Deep joy. And deep responsibility.

I adore these little humans. I want them to inherit more than just books and stories and family traditions. I want them to inherit a future: A world worth growing old in.

So I’ve recommitted—with full heart and full voice—to my daily One Cause Vow.It’s my personal playbook for this quarter. A sacred agreement I whisper each morning:

I am nature. You are nature. We are all one.Let my actions reflect that truth.

No, I won’t be perfect. Yes, I’ll fall short. But I will keep showing up. After all, it’s the fourth quarter…for all of us.

Humanity’s Scoreboard Check

Let’s be real. If this were a football game, the scoreboard might look… concerning.

* We’ve got climate instability spiking across the globe

* Biodiversity loss racing forward at terrifying speeds

* Economic systems burning out people and ecosystems alike, and

* I’m not even going to get into the whole political upheavel

Some say we’re in the final two minutes of the Fourth Quarter.Others say overtime may not even be an option.

But here’s what I also see:

* Solar panels sprouting like sunflowers on rooftops

* Youth leaders standing tall, fearless and fierce

* Indigenous wisdom resurfacing

* Earth Listening Circles forming in libraries and backyards

* Grandparents marching with their grandkids

* Millions of micro-acts of regeneration already underway

So yes, it’s late.But it’s not over.Not if we choose to play full out.

Why This Quarter Counts Most

Back in 2008, when Dabo Swinney became Clemson’s head coach mid-season, he and his strength coach Joey Batson launched what became a team mantra:

“They don’t put championship rings on smooth hands.”

The message?

The work that matters most happens when no one is watching… in the dirt.As Brian Klaas reminds us in his book, Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters,

‘seemingly inconsequential actions have life-changing consequences.’

What if the most important acts we take don’t show up on social media but rather within our hearts, in our homes, or among our communities? It all adds up. And yes — it all matters.

What Legacy Will We Leave?

When we talk about legacy, we often mean what we leave behind.

But I think it’s more powerful to ask: What will I set in motion?

What ripple will move forward because I cared enough to start?

Think about the lives of Joanna Macy and Jane Goodall—both eco-activists, truth-tellers, soul-stirrers. Both recently passed from this world.

What did they leave behind?

* Macy inspired generations with her Work That Reconnects—turning grief into action

* Goodall launched Roots & Shoots—inviting young people to lead with love and curiosity

* And both of them did so by starting small

One circle. One conversation. One spark.

That’s legacy. So, raise your hand and your heart.

So here’s where I leave you.

If you’ve read this far—if you’ve walked this far with me through One Cause—I thank you. It’s been an amazing rise these past eleven months.

And I ask you:

What does your Fourth Quarter look like?

We don’t need to be perfect.It does help to be present.We don’t need every answer.It does help to have the courage to keep showing up.

So if you’re with me… if you’re ready to give your heart to the future…

Raise your metaphorical four fingers.

Stand tall. And play like everything depends on it. Because it does. This is our time, and we still have a shot.

Let’s play like we mean it. Game On!

— Brad (aka W. Bradford Swift, Eco-Guardian-in-Training, Grateful Grand-Dude, & author of One Cause)

For a long time, I thought the answer was just doing more.

More writing. More coaching. More composting. More sharing. More everything.

But here’s what I’ve come to realize: doing more only really matters if we’re doing what matters—to us. Purposefully. Joyfully. In alignment with what we love and long to protect.

Taking action as an Eco-Guardian doesn’t mean becoming a full-time climate activist (although it could lead there). It might mean planting a single tree with your child… starting a weekly soup & story night… writing a short story that changes one reader’s mind. Small acts matter. Especially when they’re rooted in joy and aligned with your why. Remember the trimtab effect we learned from my hero, Bucky.

Follow the Breadcrumbs of Purpose

Let me tell you a slightly sideways story.

Remember Hansel and Gretel?

As the story goes, they dropped breadcrumbs behind them in the forest so they could find their way home. But the birds came and gobbled them up—leaving the kids lost.

That part always felt like a tragedy to me… until recently.

Because now I think the breadcrumbs did serve a purpose.

Even though the kids couldn’t see them anymore, they’d already done something wise: they’d followed their intuition. They’d paid attention. And even without a clear path back, they found their way forward.

So here’s my invitation to you:

Follow the breadcrumbs of your own purpose and passion.

Even if you can’t yet see where the path leads, I promise—you won’t be disappointed where you end up.

That’s what happened for me.

This entire One Cause project began with a breadcrumb of inspiration (and yes a little desperation mixed due to the results of the latest presidential election). It’s now growing into a movement here on Substack. I then added in a daily a vow to help true myself up to the 4 Great Truths (Interconnectedness, sufficiency, reciprocity, and stewardship). And now it’s evolving into the Eco-Guardian Youth Project — complete with a Secret Library, an Eco-Guardian Compass, an Eco-Author Challenge, and plans for an Eco-Guardian Training Camps that equip the next generation of planetary protectors.

I never could have imagined all that. But I’m grateful I started anyway.

So, what about you?

Where might your breadcrumbs be leading you? Let’s chat about it here.

The Seeds of Inspired Action

Let’s simplify this. Inspired action almost always starts with one (or more) of these three seeds:

LoveWhat breaks your heart—or makes it sing with joy and possibility (or perhaps both)?

CuriosityWhat question or story keeps tugging at your sleeve? You know, the one that wakes you up in the middle of the night or won’t let you fall asleep to begin with.

PurposeWhat feels like a sacred yes—even if you don’t know how to begin? (It may even feel like an ‘impossible mission’ to you. I know mine does.)

You don’t need all three. One is enough. Of course, the more the merrier.

My own seed was this simple question:

How can we raise a generation of young people who truly know themselves as part of Earth’s living system—and are excited to protect it?

That seed led to One Cause, which then grew into:

* The Eco-Guardian Secret Library

* The Storyteller to Storymaker pathway (more about this later.)

* The Eco-Author Challenge

* And the beginnings of the Eco-Guardian Training Camp(s)

All of which share a single intention:

To create a new generation of joyful, purposeful Earth protectors—Eco-Guardians-In-Training.

Where & How to Begin

You don’t have to start big. Just start where you are.

Here’s your Regeneration Action Menu—real things you can do, tailored to different spheres of life:

Personal / Inner Actions

* Take a daily “walk with Earth”—no phone, just presence

* Journal your values, hopes, and ideas using One Cause prompts

* Consume mindfully (what we read, watch, and yes, eat shapes us)

* Write your own Eco-Guardian Vow—to remind yourself who you’re becoming

Why not share your own personal action here?

Family / Household Actions

* Start a weekly Soup & Story Night of reading eco-fiction together or share nature gratitude (Not sure what to start with? Send me an email at [email protected] to receive ‘beta access’ to the Eco-Guardian Secret Library.)

* Grow something—even a single herb pot

* Take on a family challenge from the Dominion Over All Eco-Adventure Playbook (one of the many resources you’ll find within the Secret Library

Community-Based Actions

* Host a Repair Café or Clothing Swap

* Join or launch an Earth Listening Circle

* Organize a Litter Walk + Nature Reflection event for local youth

Global & Movement-Aligned Actions

* Write your local rep with ideas for regenerative policy

* Start a “One Cause Club” or Eco-Guardian Pod with friends

* Share this project with someone who might just run with it

Educators, mentors, and parents: many of these resources are available free via the growing Eco-Guardian Secret Library. Let me know if you’d like early access.

Micro-Missions by Age

Here are a few sample starter missions by age group—and yes, you’re invited to remix or invent your own:

Ages 10–12

* Map your backyard biodiversity

* Create a “talking tree” comic strip

* Write eco-fiction fanfic for a favorite book or animal

* Keep an Art + Nature Journal

Ages 13–18

* Launch a peer-led podcast or YouTube channel on local ecology

* Create a Secret Library Club at your school

* Map where nature is thriving or hurting in your town

* Interview local elders about how nature has changed

Adults & Elders

* Host an intergenerational circle

* Mentor an Eco-Guardian-in-Training

* Organize a sharing table or “Freecycle” event

* Write a legacy letter to your family about your values as an Eco-Guardian

What’s your own “micro-mission”? Want to invent one and share it below as a comment?

Your Activation Invitation

Let’s wrap this with something simple and doable—a starting point for your next step:

Pick one action.Start small if that’s where your energy is. Or dream big and declare your own Impossible Mission—one that calls you to rise beyond what you’ve ever done before.

Don’t worry about the whole staircase.Just take the next step that feels joyful, aligned, and yours.

Mini-Mission:

Pick one quadrant this week:

* Being – Meditate, breathe, or flow in nature.

* Doing – Take one small aligned mission.

* Relating – Call a friend, thank a teacher, join a group.

* Creating – Start something. Anything. A ripple. A garden. A letter.

Let me know what purposeful action you’ll take on this week in the comments:

What’s your “project spark”? What’s one small way you’re stepping forward?

We’re in this together. And it all matters more than we know.

With purpose,—Brad (aka W. Bradford Swift, Eco-Guardian-in-Training, author of One Cause)

For a long time, I thought the solution was just doing more.More writing. More coaching. More composting. More advocacy.I thought the world needed me in action.

And it does.

But what I’ve come to understand—what life has been teaching me, especially over the past few years—is that before we change the world, we must change our relationship to the world. That’s really what One Cause is all about.

Releasing the four Great Untruths and embracing and living from the four Great Truths.

And that requires becoming someone new. Not inauthentically, not by trying to be someone else, but by growing into the next expression of who we truly are.

That’s the journey I’ve been on.That’s the invitation of One Cause.That’s what this article and podcast episode is about.

A Vow to Grow

I wake each morning now with a quiet ritual—what I call my One Cause Daily Protocol. It’s simple. I sit, I breathe, and I re-commit. Not just to writing or activism or checking items off a to-do list. But to being a person who lives as if the Four Great Truths are real, trustworthy, and the foundation for a regenerative future.

I won’t share the whole thing here (it’s long and sacred to me), but I’ll give you a piece of it:

“Even while living in a world and culture shaped for hundreds of years by the Four Great Untruths, I choose to dedicate my life to living in alignment with the Four Great Truths—to the best of my ability.”

“This is, without a doubt, an impossible mission for me… and yet, it is also the next level of my Life On Purpose journey, which began in earnest in 1996.”

That was nearly 30 years ago.Now, at 76, I’m choosing to level up again.

Not to “save the world” but to live in service to it.

That choice shows up in my morning meditations, in my rhythm of writing, in the creation of the Loving Homestead, and in the launch of the Eco-Guardian Youth Project.

But most of all, it shows up in who I’m becoming.

Some days I do this with a steady heart and a strong spine. Other days, I’m tired or anxious or distracted. I fall short. But I come back. Because this isn’t about perfection. It’s about purposeful practice.

The Compass for Becoming

One of the tools that’s helped me orient this journey is a framework adapted from Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory—a way of seeing ourselves and our actions in four interrelated dimensions:

* Being – Who am I becoming?

* Doing – What actions am I taking?

* Relating – Who am I walking with?

* Creating – What am I contributing to the world?

This simple compass reminds me that inspired action is not just about what I accomplish out there. It’s about what I cultivate in here—and how I connect it all together.

Let me walk you through how these quadrants have shown up in my life… and how they might serve you, too.

Being: The Inner Ground of Inspired Action

When we speak of action, we often rush past the inner world—the emotions, habits, and self-perceptions that shape how we show up. But as I’ve learned (again and again), becoming the kind of person who takes inspired action begins inside.

For me, this has meant cultivating flow states—both on the pickleball court and at the writing desk. It’s not just about playing better or writing faster. It’s about discovering that place where action and awareness merge. Flow reminds me that I’m capable of more than I think—and that joy, not fear, can power progress.

It’s also meant learning emotional agility.I used to believe that if I felt anxious or overwhelmed, I needed to “fix it” before moving forward. Now, I’m learning to walk with those emotions. To listen to them. To let them sharpen my focus rather than steal my power.

And perhaps most of all, I’ve discovered the power of eudaimonic joy—that deeper kind of fulfillment that comes not from getting what I want, but from living in alignment with what matters. Purpose. Service. Connection. These are the renewable fuels of a regenerative life.

Doing: Hero Training in Daily Life

It’s one thing to feel inspired. It’s another to act on it.

One of my core commitments lately has been to take daily actions, no matter how small, that strengthen my alignment. I think of it as hero training—not in a flashy, Marvel-movie kind of way, but in the ordinary, real-world sense of being someone others can count on.

For me, that includes:

* Moving my body with intention (pickleball is my dojo)

* Journaling my thoughts, doubts, and dreams

* Tackling micro-missions like writing letters, planting pollinators, or simply sharing a Substack note that might ripple outward

Small doesn’t mean insignificant.Small is how everything starts.

Relating: Who We Walk With

One of the biggest breakthroughs I’ve had in the One Cause journey is realizing that I don’t need to do it all alone. In fact, I can’t.

Whether it’s building the Loving Homestead with Ann…Or coaching a client who’s writing a legacy-worthy novel…Or participating in organizing a Community After Hours with my friend, Kerry…I’m discovering that action becomes more joyful—and more sustainable—when it’s done in community.

Even this project—this article you’re reading—is an act of co-creation. Between you and me. Between human intelligence and (yes) artificial intelligence. Between idea and action. So if you’ve been feeling like you need to “figure it all out” before stepping forward… let that go. Find your circle (In fact, this may be it, or at least one of them). Invite others in. Even one other person can shift everything. Let me know how I and others in this community can support your purposeful project(s).

Creating: Acts of Regeneration

I used to think “creative acts” meant writing books or starting movements. And sure, those count. But I’ve come to realize that any act that brings more life into the world is a creative act.

Composting.Storytelling.Mending a shirt.Rewilding a corner of your backyard.Organizing a neighborhood seed swap.

Every one of these is a regenerative gesture—a way of saying: “This world matters. I choose to be a part of its healing.”

So don’t wait for the big moment.Start creating now.Even small ripples can become waves.

You Are the One

I’ll end this Substack with a reminder that changed me the first time I heard it:

“You are the one you’ve been waiting for.”

No superhero is coming.No perfect plan will arrive.But you? You are already enough to begin.

So here’s my invitation:

Mini-Activation

This week, choose one of the four quadrants:

* Being – Meditate, breathe, or flow.

* Doing – Take one small mission aligned with your values.

* Relating – Call a friend, thank a teacher, or join a local circle.

* Creating – Make something. Anything. Then share it.

And if you feel moved, let me know in the comments or let’s chat about it:What’s one small way you’re becoming the person the future needs?

We’re in this together.And we’re just getting started.

With purpose,Brad (aka W. Bradford Swift, Eco-Guardian-in-Training & Founder of One Cause)

One Cause is for those who know we’re meant to live in deeper harmony with the Earth—and each other. If this vision resonates, subscribe to receive weekly reflections and bold possibilities for our shared future.

Not long ago and more nights than I care to remember, two questions kept me awake at night.

What is an Eco-Guardian-in-Training (EGIT)?And are you one?

The questions wouldn’t let me go. They prompted me to remember a time from my past when I co-founded the Life On Purpose Institute and, for 22 years, watched thousands of people begin their journey by taking the Life On Purpose Self-Test. That simple tool became the first step for countless people clarifying and living into their Divinely Inspired Purpose.

And it hit me: maybe it’s time for a new self-test.

Not for purpose alone this time, but for something bigger:

To help people of all ages — from curious 10-year-olds to wise elders — discover where they are on the journey of becoming an Eco-Guardian.

A Bit of Backstory

Long before One Cause had a name, I was writing eco-fiction for young people with this mission in my heart:

To inspire young people to become joyful lifelong readers and responsible, caring stewards of the Earth and all her inhabitants.

As One Cause evolved, a new name surfaced for that vision: Eco-Guardians.

Eco-Guardians aren’t superheroes (though they sometimes feel like it). They are ordinary people who remember the extraordinary truth: we are not separate from nature, but part of it. Their calling is simple and profound—to care for Earth, her creatures, and each other.

But how do we know if we’re on this path?

That’s where the Eco-Guardian Self-Test comes in.

The Self-Test: Three Paths, One Journey

We’ve created three versions of the Self-Test, each tuned to where you are in life:

* Eco-Guardian Foundations Test (ages 10–14): 10 questions to help younger seekers explore belonging, kindness, curiosity, and gratitude.

* Eco-Guardian Growth Test (ages 15–18): 15 questions that stretch into resilience, systems thinking, and identity.

* Eco-Guardian Mastery Test (adults & elders): 20 questions for those ready to weave stewardship, reciprocity, and mentorship into daily life.

Each test is short, fun, and designed to help you see both your strengths and your growth edges.

And like any true initiation, there are stages of progress: Explorer → Helper → Hero. Awakening → Engaged → Thriving. And ultimately: Stewardship.

Why It Matters

The Self-Test isn’t about a score. It’s about remembering who we really are.

Through myth, story, and the 20 Qualities of Eco-Guardianship, we are building not just a new kind of human being — but remembering who we’ve been all along, before the Four Great Untruths clouded our way.

How to Take the Test

Here’s where it gets fun. The Self-Test will live inside the Secret Library, alongside Ra-Kit’s Initiation and other treasures. (All of which are available on a “Pay What You Will” format.)

Why? Because this isn’t just a “quiz.” It’s a portal.

When you step through, you’ll not only gain access to the Eco-Guardian Self-Test Report (with all three versions), but you’ll also be joining a circle of people committed to remembering and living as Eco-Guardians (and who has access to the growing resources found within the Eco-Guardian Secret Library.

An Invitation

Take the test. Share your results here either as a comment or join this week’s chat:

Then, invite your kids, grandkids, students, or friends to do the same.

Share with the community:

* What stage are you on the path?

* What quality are you most proud of?

* What’s one edge you’re excited to grow?

Let’s see what happens when we take this journey not just alone, but together.

Because being an Eco-Guardian is not a title. It’s a lifelong practice.And it begins with a single step of remembering.

We’re growing a community of Eco-Guardians-In-Training so join this movement within the larger movement of the Great Turning. Subscribe for free or with a paid subscription.

A Letter from the Fog

Dear fellow Ego-Guardians-In-Training,

If I’m being fully transparent, this next part of the journey—moving from vision to action—feels both exhilarating and daunting. I’ve spent months now weaving together the threads of One Cause—laying out the Great Untruths that got us here, and the Great Truths that could guide us home. We’ve imagined a possible new future or at least a framework for one. We’ve planted the seed of a youth movement. And now… we’re standing at the edge.

It’s time to act.

And here’s where I want to pause and speak plainly. Because if I’ve learned anything from my own path—and from the people I coach and write for—it’s this:

Knowing what to do is not the same as being ready to do it.

Truth is, I’ve been circling this very chapter for days…no, weeks. Each time I sat down to write it, I found myself distracted… hesitant… heavy. And slowly I began to realize: this chapter isn’t just about writing about the roadblocks.

I was inside one.

If you relate to this, leave me a comment so I know I’m not alone.

Some days, it’s resignation that grabs hold. “It’s too late,” it whispers when I read the latest climate data or hear yet another political leader dodge the truth.

On other days, it’s confusion. “Where do I even begin?” I ask, even as I sit in a room full of notes and plans.

And more often than I’d like to admit, I feel that slow fog of overwhelm creep in—when the gap between what I want to create and what I can manage feels too wide to cross.

I used to see these feelings as failures. Signs I wasn’t committed enough. Or strong enough. But now I recognize them for what they are:

They’re the friction before the flame. The fog before the light.

And so I want to offer this to you—whoever and wherever you are on the path. If you’ve ever felt stuck… or small… or unsure how to begin—you are not alone.

There’s a reason we don’t leap into action the moment we learn the truth. There’s a kind of grief to face first. A kind of disorientation. We have to come to terms with the fact that the world we thought we lived in is already changing—and that the solutions will almost certainly not come from the systems that caused the harm.

That’s a lot to hold.

So I say this with love and urgency: Let’s hold it together.

Let’s stop pretending that we have to have it all figured out before we move. Because more often than not, it’s the moving that brings the clarity. Do we wait to feel inspired or do we act knowing that it is through action that inspiration is ignited and sustained?

Action is what clears the fog. Action is what unlocks the flow.

One action that could lead to a community inspired would be to join the chat where you can share your challenges as well as your successes.

It doesn’t have to be grand. You don’t need to launch a nonprofit or write a book although you may choose to do either or both. Maybe it starts with planting one native flower in your yard.

Maybe it’s writing a letter to your grandkids—born or not yet born—about the future you dream for them. Maybe it’s just sitting with the discomfort and not allowing yourself to go numb.

That’s still movement.

That’s still sacred.

So yes, this chapter could have been titled “The Five Barriers to Action” and offered tidy bullet points on resignation, complacency, confusion, overwhelm, and hopelessness.

But I’d rather tell you this:

I’m stumbling through these barriers too. And I believe with all my heart that we can meet them—and move through them—together.

We can turn despair into devotion.We can compost confusion into clarity.We can turn stuckness into a seed that breaks open—with just enough light.

Because the truth is, you don’t need perfect clarity to begin. You just need to say yes.

Yes to trying.Yes to caring.Yes to showing up, however you can.

And I’ll be here with you as we take those next steps—toward inspired action, and a future worth regenerating.

With muddy boots and an open heart,Brad

Join a movement in the process of moving forward through the fog and straight on to dawn.

Last November, something cracked open in me.

The U.S. presidential election results had just landed, and like many, I was holding out hope for leadership that might finally meet the moment—leadership that could help steer us away from collapse and toward regeneration. Truthfully, I didn’t hold out a lot of hope that either political parties’ candidates would focus sufficient efforts on our global climate crisis, but I felt pretty confident that at least one of them would make some effort in the right direction. But when the winner was a ‘self-proclaimed climate change denier, I felt a sinking ache in my chest.

Our political leaders aren’t going to save us. In fact, our entire political system that continues to cling to the myths of domination, separation, and control isn’t the answer. We can’t continue to do the same thing over and over and over while expecting different results. I was tired of that insanity.

I recalled a powerful YouTube video I’d watched during one of my Game Changers Intensives. It started with this haunting reframe: “It’s 3:23 in the morning and I’m awake because my great great grandchildren won’t let me sleep. They ask me in dreams, What did you do while the planet was plundered? What did you do while the earth was unraveling?…what did you do once you knew?”

I didn’t have to wonder that far into the future about my great great grandchildren. I wondered and worried what I would say to my grandkids, Logan and Piper. I didn’t know what my answer would be. I just knew I couldn’t keep holding back. I had to do something and it didn’t take a giant leap to know that it would include writing, but not about symptoms—carbon, consumption, corruption—but about causes. Deeper causes. Root causes. And that was the birth of One Cause.

It started as a short Substack series. A weekly space to share hard truths and hopeful visions. But over the months, it grew—into a book-in-progress, a blueprint of Four Great Untruths and Four Great Truths, and maybe, just maybe… a movement.

Not a movement in the marching sense. A movement in the growing sense. A living thing. Organic. Unfolding.

The Moment Between

Right now, we’re in what Joanna Macy would call “The Space Between Worlds.” The Great Unraveling is here. You can feel it. The systems that once held us no longer do. But we are also in the midst of the Great Turning. It will not be led from Washington or Wall Street. It will be led by us—eco-conscious families, community visionaries, regenerative thinkers, and most especially… our youth. Because when I asked myself where the real turning point might come from, the answer was immediate: Our kids, and our grandkids, and their kids…The ones who haven’t yet forgotten what it means to live close to the Earth.

And so, the next seed began to germinate.

Inspired by the Great Turning? Share this article with another eco-conscious soul: a teacher, parent, or young person

Introducing: The Eco-Guardian Youth Project

Out of One Cause, the Eco-Guardian Youth Project (EGYP) is emerging—a multi-phase, multi-generational invitation to reawaken our children’s connection to nature, story, purpose, and the power of their own creative voice. Here’s what it looks like in its early form:

Vision Summary

EGYP is a movement to inspire, awaken, and empower youth ages 10–18 to become joyful, creative stewards of the Earth.It begins with story.It deepens through creative expression.It takes root through community, mentorship, and regenerative training. It’s about equipping a new generation of Eco-Guardians-in-Training (EGITs) with the courage, collaboration, and leadership to protect what they love.

Here’s How I See It Unfolding

Entry Portal: Storyteller to Storymaker

One of the main entry points will be local and online co-creative Storyteller to Storymaker events where kids create a magical eco-story in real time. These will be opportunities for young participants to tap into their purpose-inspired imagination—and glimpse the world they will help shape. They will also learn about and receive a special ‘library card’ to the Eco-Guardian Secret Society Library, a hidden online space filled with eco-fiction, nonfiction, and Earth-honoring wisdom. Access to the secret library is on a Pay-What-You-Will basis, because no child should be left out of this movement by monetary constraints.

Our initial goals for the Secret Library by the end of the first quarter of 2026:

* 500+ digital library cards issued

* 200+ library patrons visiting the library

* 300+ eco-book downloads

Phase 2: The Eco-Author Challenge

In 2026, the plan is to launch our first Eco-Author Challenge where young writers, artists, and eco-storytellers will submit fiction and nonfiction work for possible inclusion in a youth-authored anthology of writing and illustrations. This will be also be the opportunity for participants to learn the fun and joy of cooperative and creative collaboration.

Phase 3: The Eco-Guardian Training Camp (EGTC)

A deeper dive for the kids who want to keep going. Towards the end of 2026 (or earlier if the resources come available) we’ll launch phase 3, the Eco-Guardian Training Camp which will include:

* Monthly eco-missions

* Interactive Zoom workshops

* Peer support & mentorship

* Creative exploration where other family members, teachers, and librarians are invited as allies.

Why This Matters Now

The climate crisis isn’t just about rising seas and escalating temperatures. It’s about rising anxiety. Rising disconnection. Rising loneliness.

Our kids are inheriting a world that feels broken.Let’s give them something else.Let’s give them a place to belong—a circle, a story, and a mission.

How is your family navigating the Great Unraveling? Comment below or join the Chat.

Call for Collaborators & Eco-Conscious Families

Right now, we’re forming the early roots of this vision—and we’d love you to join us.

We’re currently seeking:

* Youth-centered educators

* Artists, writers, and librarians

* Homeschooling families

* Eco-parents and grandparents

* Potential beta-testers

* Founding members of an informal Eco-Conscious Family Advisory Circle

If you’re reading this and feeling the stir of “Yes, I want to help,” reach out.We’re building something beautiful—and your voice is welcome and needed.

Reach out if you’re ready to co-create something regenerative.