The @Ecotrain #QOTW "Name one small change you have made or could make to your life that would be of great benefit to the world if everyone did the same?".
I was 13 years old when Severn Cullis-Suzuki addressed the UN with her prolific speech.
The one that implored the leaders of the world to stop destroying the environment. That speech has haunted me for years. Here was this 12 year old girl, a member of my generation. Standing in front of people who could have made a difference. How I admired her for having the gumption to stand up there and call the grown ups out on their utter disrespect for the environment. Here it is for anyone who hasn't heard it or wants to see it again:
We live in a time where we are on the cusp of evolution.
I have friends who are activists for change. They stand up at rallies and fight for any cause in the highest good. I really admire those people. For a long time I wanted to join in and be part of the collective and would berate myself for not taking part. However my innate fear of being thrown in prison or getting in trouble prohibited me. My children were and are my first priority.
Humans on the whole are slowly seeing that things need to change. We see that we can no longer go on destroying the planet, destroying our co-inhabitants and destroying ourselves.
We tamper and mess with the natural balance of this world in order to establish some kind of dominance over it.
But that collective 'we' is slowly become a smaller and smaller group of individuals. The majority can see that this isn't the way forward. We know it's wrong. We know it shouldn't happen. But for many of us the system has us trapped in this proverbial prison with distractions. Consumerism, T.V, encourages narcissism and lack of love for one another. They keep us imprisoned within imaginary lines between the land, they call borders. For our protection and the good of the people. They encourage negativity and division among us.
But most of the people didn't chose to live under these rules and regulations. They were born into the system. We can see that the only benefit they have is for those that are in control of everything.
What was my catalyst for change?
I had just turned 30. At work one day the manager put on some background music. It was the soundtrack to Into The Wild. I recognized Eddie Vedder's voice and something ignited the dampened fire within me. I was suddenly transported back to that stage of my early teens. Remembering the school I attended in Tokyo. How we used recycled paper to write our essays, the aluminium can and milk carton recycling initiatives and how grass roots the school actually was on the topic of environmental and humanitarian causes. Can you name any school that did that back in the early 90's?
So what could I do? How do you change a system that is broken, whilst still maintaining a presence in that system?How to you fix all the damage that humans have done to the environment since the dawn of history? Do you shy away and live in a cave? Run to the woods and live with the animals, forget about humanity and only look out for number 1?
Image CreditWell if we all did this then yes, the world may be a little more peaceful, but it wouldn't really solve anything. We are communal beings by nature. We enjoy having others around us. We enjoy being part of something that holds meaning and value to our lives, whatever that may be. We need to have each other because we are all connected.
So what does this have to do with changing anything?
There are a number of little things that we can do. Things that are all separate and each have their own equally great impact on making the world a better place. From reducing plastic, becoming vegan to growing organic food or even standing up for human and animal rights. I write many on many topics that can help make this world a better place. Things that I am already doing and things that some of my friends are doing.
Yet these things come from one fundamental underlying action:
Mindfulness
If there’s one small change you can make in your life, change your mind. Open your heart.
Mindfulness is a skill that has perhaps been lost by a number of people. We are taught to look out for number 1, it’s a dog eat dog world etc. Mindfulness is a technique that when we start to unlock it and understand it, is when the magic begins.
Image CreditWhat being mindful means;
Being present, being aware of others and being aware of our surroundings. Simply understanding that we are all connected. If I love you, you love me. I I hurt you, you hurt me and so on and so forth. When we realize that everything we say and do has an effect on us a collective, why would we want to continue to inflict pain and suffering. We would want to put an end to war, to poverty,to the mass slaughter of innocent animals for food that ends up wasted, to realize we can live without borders. We could embrace other cultures, rather than fear them.
It doesn’t take much to think before we act or speak. In making this a priority, we are then taking the time to act with love and compassion.
When we face challenging situations, it is important to show empathy. Once we start to think about others, we become less ego driven and more peaceful.
By being mindful we can change the world.
If we can collectively evolve in this way it could greatly shift the way things are handled.
When we realize we are all connected, and that everything we do affects everything else, we can then achieve a global collective freedom on the highest level. By becoming mindful we can change the little things in our own lives that may affect others negatively. Pushing forward a more positive mindset.
In my view, being Mindful is what the term ‘Waking Up’ means. It really is a small change, from within us and one that I firmly believe can be done on a global scale. One that when executed correctly, has a significant potential to change the world.
Wherever you are in the world, no matter how awful things appear to be, there IS always a solution... You just need open your EYES and mind to the possibilities of the beauty and accept that the negativity exists in order for us to learn and grow into the conscious beings we were designed to be.
I'm proud to be a member of the @ecotrain community. Come check out the amazing content from other #ecotrain passengers. A group of diverse human beings, sharing a collective vision to help make this world a better place.
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