All my life I have loved nature.
As a little girl I proudly wore clothes that said, “save the earth”.
When I was in the 6th grade, I won an art competition with my “save the wildlife” poster.
It was always so clear to me my connection to the animals, the trees, the water, and the earth.
As I got older, I felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the idea of saving the planet.
I considered joining Greenpeace in my college years. I desperately wanted to make a difference in the world….but I felt so powerless as a single human being.
Have you ever felt that way?
You want to help the earth….but feel so small, so insignificant, so powerless.
How can you really help?
What if, just like all limiting beliefs…these thoughts are simply not true?
What if you are bigger than you realize, more powerful than you ever thought possible?
And what if you’re already either helping or hurting our beautiful planet with every choice you make?
We’re all connected to the earth. We’re all part of nature. We’re not above the plants and the animals, we’re the guardians of all that is part of the earth….part of ourselves.
We are all one.
Our belief that we are separate has caused so much destruction, and so much pain.
What we do to the earth…. ultimately we do to ourselves.
But the opposite is also true…what we do to ourselves…. ultimately we do to the earth.
The earth has a body…. just as we do.
The earth has waterways….and we have blood.
The earth has air…..and we have lungs.
The earth has a core….and we have a heart.
Maybe, like me, you are saddened by all the pollution in the ocean, but wonder how you could possibly help clean the sea?
Well, knowing we are all connected…. What do you put in your waterways?
Do you drink clean water that nourishes your body, or do you pollute it with toxins and chemicals…. garbage?
Do you wear sunscreen that is reef friendly in the sea and in the pool?
Do you use environmentally friendly products in your home and bath?
Do you buy plastic when other biodegradable materials are available?
Do you use plastic bags when you shop, or do you bring your own?
What we do to ourselves we do to the earth.
Our thoughts create reality, and we can use them to clean the water ways…through the power of intention. What would happen if before we drink a glass of water, we simply set an intention that with every sip of water may the earth’s waterways be healed and clean. We could also intend that all beings have safe, clean drinking water with every sip we take.
It doesn’t take much to do ALOT, when we remember who we truly are.
Want to feed the starving people on the planet?
Choose to nourish your body, and therefore everyone, with healthy nutritious foods that heal…. or choose to eat processed foods and junk food that offer no nutritional value and cause pile ups of unusable material in your body.
And just like with drinking water….we can set intentions with the food we eat.
May each bite I take nourish my body and the earth and may all sentient beings have healthy organic food to eat.
Want to rid the earth of pollution and overfilled landfills?
Declutter your mind.
Clean out thoughts that bring harm to you or “another”.
Work to release blame, criticism, judgment, thoughts that condemn or humiliate.
Thoughts are energy forms…and just like all energy once it’s created it cannot be destroyed, only transformed.
Did you know that every time you speak or think negatively about someone, you are dumping all those thoughts, those energetic forms, all over them? Just like a heap of garbage all over their heads.
Pay attention to the thoughts that run through your mind and work to rewrite the thoughts that aren’t loving, kind, supportive and full of compassion. For help rewriting negative thoughts you can check out this video.
Every choice you make matters.
Let’s take a look at the word “Consume”. To “consume” literally means to destroy another.
We have been conditioned for thousands of years to consume….to destroy…both our planet, and ourselves.
Cities are full of concrete, steel and asphalt.
How would you feel if you were encased in concrete, tar and steel?
Wouldn’t you be desperate to break free?
Earth certainly has the ability to rid herself of these entrapments…..she has earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanoes, tornadoes and so much more. So why doesn't she just rid herself of everything inflicting so much pain on her?
We call her “Mother Earth” and we humans are her children. If your children were climbing all over you, yelling in your ears, cutting you and punching you in the face…would you violently erupt and kill them? Of course not! You would likely stand up and put a quick halt to it! But killing your children would not be considered….they are your children.
It’s common in the animal kingdom for a mother to give up her own life to protect the life of her young. A mamma would do ANYTHING to protect her babies. A mama's love is the most beautiful form of love on this planet.
Our mother earth has given us so much. Think of her as your elderly parent. She is weary from a lifetime of sacrifice. A lifetime of aches and pains, of protecting her children, often from themselves. She needs assistance. And it is time for us to grow up and step into who we truly are.
Every choice is an opportunity to choose to support life or consume life.
It’s time to start making choices that are in line with the world we want to live in.
Remember, what we do to ourselves…we ultimately do to Mother Earth.
If we all work together …. whether it be cleaning up the seas, feeding those who are starving, cleaning the air, saving the trees, saving the animals…. whatever tugs at your heart…. our planet, humanity and all sentient beings could coexist in peace and both Mother Earth and humanity would thrive.
Until next time, be gentle with yourself and remember, you are so much more than you’ve allowed yourself to believe.