Imagine driving the luxury car of your dreams and lounging in your architect-designed mansion in the Sydney suburbs. Who wouldn’t want to live a multimillionaire’s life, right? Instead, Andrew felt a void in his life, “like there's something missing.” Andrew Martin used to work in the Finance industry, specifically the stock market, and he saw it all. He managed hundreds of millions of dollars for people and witnessed their lavish way of living. Even he himself became financially successful. He found himself drawn to that consumerism lifestyle where you just got to have more money and acquire more material possessions. However, he also developed that insatiable hunger and kept wanting for more. The thinking that having more money will likewise mean more happiness did not anymore apply at that period in time.

Reconnecting with Nature

Andrew and his wife, Beth found themselves leaving the big city to reconnect with nature and that was where they found deeper satisfaction. They bought a 5-acre property in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand and turned it into their very own permaculture paradise. From fruit trees, vegetables, native plants, pine nuts, swan plants, to a chicken yard, bushes, and a pond.

After tons of research and watching some documentaries and movies, Andrew realized the bigger picture issues. They cut themselves off from the trap that is their corporate life and started fresh – literally. They started from scratch and used paper cardboards, some manure, food scraps, and straw then started planting and growing their permaculture garden. The goal was to live a simpler but more sustainable life. They lived within their means and felt freer - more powerful. Andrew was able to write for blogs and has also written his own books. Most importantly, he realized, “I don't have that void anymore, I've just got this instant connection and satisfaction.”

Giving back to the Community

Because Andrew has built a great life for his family, he couldn’t help but extend the same to everyone around him. He now consults with businesses, the local government, and the community as a whole to help spread awareness and give recommendations for sustainability.

“I'm fortunate. I'm in a position to be able to do this.”

He makes use of his time to do research and come up with solutions to the bigger issues such as oil resource depletion. He got interested in the topic of energy and came across an integrated approach that is permaculture. Just after 3 years of living a more sustainable lifestyle, he is now starting to reap the rewards.

Good People Goods • Clean Harvest Nutrients

Permaculture to the World

While everything in the world is somehow compartmentalized, permaculture is about a holistic lifestyle where food, environment, taking care of yourself, natural resources, and the rest of the planet are integrated. Andrew and his neighbors are in awe of what they are seeing, “They can't believe how much wildlife and birdlife is here.”

And it is not even about controlling nature than it is about starting where you are, whether you live in suburbia or in an apartment. Just start engaging in nature and in no time, you will get immersed in it and see things around you spring to life. Andrew emphasizes that nobody is stuck and that you can make the change if you decide to.

It is not about how much you have to make an impact and make you happy. It is about connecting with nature because it already has so much to offer to make you happiest in this life and make the world a better place for everybody to live in.