I was drawn to restart my posts in May this year when I felt that a global tipping point had been reached and that we were being called to action. The question that arises from this is what kind of action is required to support global change? I hear this question a lot and will share my personal opinion here.
First of all, although action is essential, that does not mean that we all have to take up high positions in our community, or launch a charity, or travel to another country to do volunteer work. I believe that there are a few amongst us that are called in this way, but for most of us it is about living our current lives but doing so in a new way. If we can live impeccably in our smaller communities, then we may be called by Spirit to take this energy and activity into the wider world.
I believe in the fundamental truth of sacred activism, that we must get our internal house in order, our emotions and belief systems, before we can truly help the wider world. The same principle also applies as we start to focus our energy outward. We must find balance in the way we live our own lives before we can be an example to others.
Here are some areas I suggest you look at to help ensure you are living in balance with the earth and your community, leaving a soft footprint on the planet:
- Do you eat meat? If so, can you cut down? Can you look for higher welfare standards and ideally have only wild meats that have not lived in containment or been slaughtered under stress?
- Do you eat organic where possible? If not, you are supporting industrial scale farming that is damaging the environment.
- Where does your electricity come from? There are business and private vendors of electricity that is entirely generated by renewable energy, so windmills, solar panels etc. There are even mobile phone companies that generate their power from renewable sources.
- EMF – how much electromagnetic pollution do you generate or participate in? It is possible to survive without wi-fi, using cable technology and turning off all technological devices when they are not in use.
- Do you travel in an eco-friendly manner? All air travel leaves a high carbon footprint, can you travel overland instead and choose destinations that you can reach easily. Can you walk or cycle instead of driving?
- Do you shop in bulk and minimise those shopping trips that involve only one or two items?
- Do you avoid plastic wherever possible, re-use where possible, recycle only when you can’t reuse and send to landfill only in extreme circumstances?
- Do you check the provenance of everything you buy, from the cheap clothes to crystals? Do you know the carbon footprint and whether exploitative labour was involved? Did that product involve damage to the environment or de-forestation?
- Are you a good neighbour? Do you support those around you or collude in gossip and judgement?
- Does your work add value to the world or is it part of the problem? Is it time to either change the way you work or find something new to do?
The bottom line is that there are many steps that can be taken easily and without sacrifice. The test comes when the steps necessary to live in harmony with the world require us to sacrifice something we value, like foreign holidays, or cheap food. The low impact products are likely to cost us more so, assuming finances permit, we must all be prepared to pay more for the good of the world around us, or avoid damaging products where there is no acceptable alternative.
If we can live with love, balance and respect in our personal lives, then we are setting a strong foundation that can launch us into powerful work within our local community and beyond.
Of course, when we set an example in our private lives we are contributing to the energy of positive change and transformation. The power of millions of people living with love and respect in all aspects of their personal lives can, and will, change the world. There may be a few exceptional souls who act as role models and lead us with their positive examples, but real change comes from the majority doing the basics right, not the one or two who show us the way.