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"A perfection of means, and confusion of aims, seems to be our main problem" Albert Einstein
"An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it." Mohandas Gandhi
"Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals." Martin Luther King, Jr.
"The kind of spirituality I value is one in which you get great joy out of contributing to life, not just sitting & meditating, although meditation is certainly valuable. But from the meditation, from the resulting consciousness, I would like to see people in action creating the world that they want to live in."
Marshall Rosenberg
This how-to is full of questions:
Is pollution a reflection of our own self-loathing?
Could the imbalance in Earth's ecosystems stem from our collectively unmet emotional needs played out on a grand scale?
Are mindfulness and self-fulfillment the road to eco-altruism?
Can living a happy life possibly green the world?
Could it really be as simple as:
- Leading a truly fulfilling life, the sort of a life where we do not judge "our insides by other people's outsides". The kind of a life where we connect with our genuine selves, identify and listen to our feelings and begin to meet our own personal needs in a caring, non-violent and responsible way.
- Grounding our emotions in our bodies—noticing the mind/body connection, breathing into feeling and honoring ourselves, can fill us to the point we deeply and deliberately honor each other and our earth. It's not just a pipe dream.
- It makes sense that--just as philanthropy relies on fortune--if we build compassion for ourselves, vigorously, it would become increasingly difficult to disrespect the earth we walk, the air we breathe, and our fellow beings.
- The premise is, that by deepening our emotional intelligence and social conscience, we will vastly improve our solid bandwidth for living an environmentally responsible life.
- Here's hoping, that it is as simple as this...
How to join the Canvolution
Comments (3)Add a Comment
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The connection with environmentalism isn't entirely clear in the article, but I really appreciate that there are articles like this on this site.
Personally, I find that it takes mindfulness and awareness to recognize the intimate connection we have with the Earth. Most native cultures recognize that implicitly. And without the awareness of that deep connection, it feels like the environmental movement has no grounding and is co-opted very easily.
I loved the quotes. Very short and clear, to the point, "pithy" as Walter would say. I enjoyed the links. By the way the "Build Compassion" one was not working for me. I enjoyed Matthew's comments above about the power of mindfulness in supporting us to connect with the earth in a heartfelt rather than intellectual way...much more empowering. Your message about starting with ourselves, practicing self-compassion as a prelude and foundation to compassion for each other and the planet, is helpful, clarifying and hopefully inspiring.
Thank you both so much for taking the time to share your thoughtful and inspiring comments.
BTW--I fixed that link, Thank you for bringing it to my attention!
Have an ever so beautiful day.