On April 22 communities around the world celebrate Earth Day. Celebrated every year since 1970, Earth Day reminds us of how precious and fragile our planet is and how important it is to protect it every day. This year’s theme, “Restore Our Earth”, focuses on natural processes, emerging technologies, and innovative thinking for restoring earth’s ecosystems so that the earth and all its systems can thrive. Its message is of hope for a brighter future if we take wise action now. Earth Day reminds us of our vital human connection with the earth and all its ecosystems. It reminds us of our individual and collective responsibilities to care for and protect this beautiful planet that is our home. While the work of restoring our earth will require our working together, it begins within.
Restoring the Earth Begins Within
The most important connection you can have begins within. It is the connection to your authentic self, known as your True Self; that is who you really are. Your connection to your True Self is the central connection from which all your other connections and relationships spring. Connection with the True Self comes with deepening self-awareness. When you see through the eyes of the True Self, you experience the world as whole and integrated, because you are innately whole. Through the eyes of the True Self you see yourself as connected to the natural world of which you are an integral part.
How connected you feel to you directly impacts how you view the world around you. As we connect more deeply with our True Selves, we live in the experience of our wholeness. Consciously connecting with the natural world around us reminds us of this wholeness. When we are in nature, we experience our inner wholeness and see it expanded into the larger world. Our connection with the earth is at the depth of who we really are. In the heart of the natural world, our hearts are opened.
Through our experience of wholeness and connection, we bear witness with reverence to the sacredness of all. Our outer experiences help to bring us into remembrance of our wholeness within, even as our inner awareness reminds us of our connection with the world we live in. When you connect to the natural world, you feel a deep sense of belonging. The natural world is vast and magnificent, yet so very close and intimate. We are of it and it is of us. Opening our hearts to the nature of our world allows us to see ourselves an integral parts of the living system of earth. The simple remembrance of our intimacy with nature can bring us comfort and serenity; and it can awaken our desire to be in loving service to restore the natural health and beauty of our earth home.
Recognizing the Mindset of Separation
Many people move through life in forgetfulness of their true nature as whole and integrally connected. They see themselves as separate from the natural world we live in. Those who see themselves as separate are likely to experience the world from a place of fear, lack, and distrust. This mindset originates from a disconnection from the truth of who they really are; and this lack of remembrance of their wholeness colors how these individuals experience the world they live in. Rather than relating to themselves, others, and the natural world from a place of expanding inner love and wholeness, their relationships are based in fear and contraction.
This mindset of separation is at the root of the environmental crisis we are experiencing in our world today. Those who see themselves as separate from others and the natural world tend not to recognize nor honor the sacred nature and intrinsic value of the earth, its inhabitants, and its resources. They see anyone or anything outside themselves as “other” than themselves. Seeing the earth as “other” makes it easier to justify the unbridled use of earth’s precious natural resources without consideration of any negative consequences for present or future generations.
This is the narrative that we have written and lived for generations on the earth, especially in the industrialized world. This old story is based on unbridled use of natural resources. It is based on domination and greed. The system is like a giant machine out of control. It takes a huge amount of resources to maintain the ways we are living today; and the impact on the natural world is devastating.
We cannot continue the same old story we’ve gotten used to. It no longer works. The good news is that we are beginning to wake up to the clarion call our earth home is sending forth; and many individuals, families, groups, and communities are taking decisive and wise action to reverse the damage and restore the earth while there is still time.
Choosing the Mindset of Connection – A Fresh Narrative for Collective Action
While too many are still caught up in the old narrative, many are now writing a fresh narrative about our relationship with our earth home. Theirs is a story of hope, of possibility, of connection, of relationship, of collaboration, of inclusion and diversity. It is inspired by the flow of love from within that connects us. This narrative does not replace the other narrative described above, but enfolds it and builds on the lessons learned from it. It is a story of healing, regeneration, and restoration; of adaptability and resilience so that all of life can flourish on earth. It is about relationship and connection. Though it seems new, it is the narrative begun by indigenous peoples and others since who hold our natural world (including humanity) as precious and sacred. It is about participating with the environment rather than against it.
In the “new” expansive and inclusive story, we open our hearts and minds as co-creators and co-authors. It reminds us that we are all in this together. Working together to take positive action that nurtures regeneration and restoring the health and vitality of our natural systems is required. It is a heart-based approach that sees wholeness and inter-connection. It is a systems approach.
A more beautiful world is possible; and it begins within each one of us. The future of our earth home (and its inhabitants) brightens as we deepen our awareness and connection to our inner selves. Connecting with inner selves allows us to tap into our deep wisdom that empowers us to right action that is discerned and loving. It connects us to the wisdom that guided and continues to guide Indigenous cultures to take care of their Mother earth. This perspective is now shared by growing numbers of people who are realizing that their relationship with themselves is reflected in their relationships in the outer world; and indeed in how they view the world around them (of which they are an integral part). More and more people are conscious of their impact on the earth and eager to learn and share about small actions each of us can take at the local level that will result in the regeneration and revitalization of our earth home. Coming to love the natural world as an extension of ourselves is the only sustainable way to nurture and help regenerate the natural world (and ourselves).
The complex and dynamic environmental challenges require that we meet ourselves where we are, come to accept ourselves flaws and all, so that self-compassion is cultivated. Our capacity for self-compassion then naturally expands outward to embrace our relationships in the outer world, including nature. We cannot hide our heads in the sand in denial. We can no longer perpetuate the “otherness” mindset of seeing ourselves as separate from others and the natural world. Decisive and discerning action is required; there is no other way. It includes self-acceptance and then accepting where we are from a larger environmental perspective and seeing, understanding, and acknowledging our own actions that have contributed to the damage inflicted on our precious earth home; it requires accepting what is so that we can see our way forward to a better world for ourselves and future generations.
Albert Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”. Addressing and reversing the catastrophic impact of our human actions born of greed and complacency does require a different mindset.
While the mindset of separation results in a sense of isolation and disconnection from self and the outer world, including nature, increasing numbers of people see the world as one of wholeness and connection. They experience the world through the mindset of connection and oneness. Because of a deep self-awareness, these individuals see themselves as an integral part of the natural world. They view their relationship with nature as one of living with nature in a state of inter- being, seeing themselves and all of humanity as connected and one with the natural world. They live life through the experience of the True Self, which is the authentic self.
When you experience the world through the expansive mindset of oneness and connection, you embrace all of nature, including humanity, and see it as sacred. You recognize the intrinsic value in all. You are connected to all through the great power of love, and your love for self extends to include all. You realize that you have a responsibility to care for and protect the natural environment, because you see the earth as your home.
When you realize your oneness with all, you desire to come together with others and with all the earth in peace and harmony. You care for the earth and all its inhabitants. You live in the awareness that nothing can separate you from your connection. You realize that it is your own limiting thoughts that can cause you to think you are separate.
Connecting with the Wisdom of the Earth
The natural world is a great and wise teacher. We can learn much if we pause to listen deeply and intently. In truth, the earth continually offers its wisdom whether or not we choose to listen. The lessons we can learn are vast: unconditional love, resilience, harmony, balance, self- regulation, and so much more.
Our earth home holds the collected wisdom of its more than four billion years existence. We are of the earth, and so we too hold that wisdom within our deepest selves if we but learn to trust it and tap into it. When you are guided by your inner wise self, you in essence are accessing the deep wisdom of the earth. In nature we can discover and observe wondrous repeating patterns that remind us of the intricacy and complexity of life and also of the basic and unifying patterns from which the natural world unfolds. Nature reminds us that, even in seeming chaos, it has the capacity to self-regulate into balance and harmony so that its ecosystems can thrive.
Seeing Earth as Mother
Since ancient times many have felt a strong maternal connection with the earth. Seen from this perspective, the earth is like a tender and loving mother holding us in her loving care, feeding us, sheltering us, providing for our every need. And, like a loving mother, she loves us unconditionally. At home with earth, our loving mother, we experience the wholeness and unity of who we really are. We feel safe and held in the arms of love. We see the mother’s loving gaze upon us and we gaze back into her loving eyes, our hearts connected as one.
For some, seeing the earth as a whole and living system helps to bring them into a closer sense of connection with it. Seeing the earth as a living being makes it easier to open our hearts in compassion and love; and spending time in nature connects us to the heart of who we really are. This way of seeing leads to a deepened desire to care for and nurture the planet that is our home.
Our Responsibility to Our Earth Home
While the care of the earth is a growing global concern, we each bear individual responsibility to care for and restore our Earth home. Your individual responsibility is awakened and heightened as you come to a deeper connection with your authentic self that is your True Self The deeper your connection with your True Self, the easier it is for to connect more meaningfully with the world around you including the natural environment.
We realize we must look for ways we can fulfill our responsibilities as earth stewards because we understand the practical need for people to work together on common goals and needs. Our felt responsibility to care for the natural world can work to bring us together in community with others who share our sense of responsibility to take care of the earth. Such coming together with shared goals for the care of the earth is one way our connection with the natural world helps us build community.
The way forward begins with self-acceptance and love for self and others; and then we must accept where we are from a larger environmental perspective. We must see, understand, and acknowledge our own actions—actions which have in some cases inflicted damage on our local and global environments. By meeting ourselves where we are, we can see our way forward to a better world for ourselves and for future generations. The solutions lie not in blaming and finger-pointing, but in accountability, responsibility, and wise action.
Action and Advocacy for a Thriving World
There’s no doubt, the need to care for and restore the earth is urgent. Reversing the catastrophic impact of human actions born of greed and complacency requires a completely new mindset and a fresh approach. Now is the time to identify new ways to regenerate and restore the health and vitality of natural systems, and it is imperative that we find new ways of doing so. The world needs transformational change. That begins with each of us and expands outward as we connect with others to work together to take positive and collective action that will support the healing and regeneration of the planet and its ecosystems.
Around the world, people are becoming more conscious and more aware of their impact on their environment. People of all ages are eager to learn about actions they can take at the local level that will result in the regeneration, renewal, and revitalization of our world. Communities across the country are meeting success with a heart-based approach that begins with wholeness and interconnection. A more beautiful world is possible; and it begins with each of us.
When we live in the awareness of our inner truth, we naturally embrace all the world in our desire for a more hopeful future. What benefits one benefits all. Our individual realignment with inner truth leads us to take actions that improve our common experience of life on earth. When we know who we truly are as one with all creation, we seek to lift humanity and the earth up to the natural beauty, magnificence, and potential we now see in ourselves and others. We understand that we are all connected integrally to the world we live in.
A sustainable and beautiful world begins within each of us. Guided by our inner wisdom and with the support of community, we can begin to take a more empowered and proactive approach to living in harmony with the earth. Standing resolute in our power, we can take a strong stand for the earth.
There is always hope for a better future. Hope inspires us to creative action, individually and collectively, on behalf of nature and the natural world. When we have hope about our relationship to the earth, we can more readily draw upon our inner resources of wisdom, resilience, and creativity to reconnect with the natural world and more readily see how it leads us back to ourselves and the full experience of community. Having endured and risen up from the adversity and challenges of the past, we can draw upon lessons learned. We can return to truth that lies within us to guide us forward to a better world for all.
Questions for Further Reflection
- What is one small action you can take today to nurture and protect our planet?
- The issues of the environmental crisis are global in scope and scale, but many solutions are local. What are you doing? How can we learn from each other?
- When you think about your child, grandchild, other children, what kind of world does your heart desire for them? What actions are you taking right now in your life that contribute to a more beautiful and thriving world for future generations?
- What are the lessons of the consequences of greed and “otherness”?
- What does a world look like in which there is a reverence for the sacredness of our earth home?
- What can we learn from indigenous people about living in connection and sense of community, not just with other humans but all of the natural world?
- How might your willingness to take actions that address environmental issues bring meaning and purpose to your life?
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