It’s not only financial poverty that devastates the environment. Spiritual poverty is also a key factory. When the desire to make money overrides concerns for the preservation of the environment, as is so often the case in the world today, those who see the importance of allowing nature to flourish and nurture us, body and spirit, often feel powerless against forces that put short term economic benefits before long term stewardship and sustainability.
What can we, as individuals, do? We can simplify our own lives; walk more gently on the earth, reduce the resources we consume, reuse what we can and recycle our waste. We can actively appreciate our Mother, Nature, honoring “Gaia”, the great Earth Mother. Awareness of the “Divine Feminine” has been expanding in recent years as evidenced by the popular book “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown and the many works of non-fiction from which the author drew. Magnetic, feminine principles include nurturing, protecting and also clearing the way to make room for the new. By becoming aware of these principles and giving them equal value to the prevailing values of our current, male dominated society, such as single-pointed focus and competition can go a long way to bring balance and, with it, a happier and healthier life for us all.
When we realize that we do indeed live in a global village and that we are all one, all inhabitants of our one Mother Earth, we can look at situations from a higher perspective and move beyond the small-minded selfishness that causes excessive destruction resulting from greed on the one hand and excessive destruction resulting from poverty on the other.
Through self-development practices we can come to understand and balance the male and feminine principles with ourselves. This is the first step and a very necessary one on the path to improvement. Without finding our own true balance, any action we do will arise only through intellect, ego and self interest. With balance, we begin to act from our heart and use our intuition more and more. We worry less, because we trust our inner knowing. We act in ways that will serve the common good, not only our own personal interests. And, believe me, this is the way to true happiness and fulfillment.
By focusing on what you can give rather than what you can get, from a place of balance rather than neediness or domination, opportunities arise and miracles happen. Life becomes more rewarding, happy and fun. When you know the whole world is your home, you wouldn’t even consider dumping rubbish; just as you now keep your home tidy and well repaired, you would maintain any place you find yourself. It will take time for this mindset to catch on, but the best way to teach is by example. Start by leaving each place you are a little better than you found it. Pick up rubbish if you see it on the road. Smile at the people you meet to lighten their spirit. Small drops in the ocean, maybe – but small drops add up over time to a tsunami that can sweep everything clean to make a new start!
