Economy and jobs seem to be on people's mind a lot lately.  Here are some really great articles to help reframe your reality:

• First, to set the stage, our colleague John Thackara has some useful thoughts on the way the world is going, emerging trends, and some promising news-- we are in fact on the cusp of a major shift in business as usual.  He's quite a worldly man, and we tend to trust his instincts and observations.  Check out his keynote speech from a recent event in Japan for some inspiration and a glimpse into our future, starting now.
• Secondly, there's been a lot of swirling discussion about "green jobs" and "green shoots" in the "new" economy (that's a lot of air quotes for one sentence!).  GoodWork Canada has some interesting food for thought on actually creating green jobs/opportunities for yourself, rather than just milling about waiting for something to come your way ... or not. 
• And if you're thinking one step wider about lifestyle issues as well as career, well then Half Farmer/Half X might just be for you.  Created by a Japanese man interested in rebalancing his life and cutting out the fast paced, consumption-focused norm, he engineered his own lifestyle and then made it a mandate to help others do likewise.