Reconnection to the world around us is something I am very passionate about and I try to bring elements of this into each meditation, talk or workshop that I give, We are brought up in western society to believe that we are very much separate individuals, who have the right to anything we want as long as we pay for it without thought of the consequences. This attitude has lead to increased global warming because we ask for big cars, new fridges, cheaper holidays and consumer goods. Rich countries of the west exploiting developing countries cheap labour to shave pennies of the price of fruit in our supermarkets. This way of thinking produces isolationism and an ‘us against them’ mentality which only serves to separate us all even further from our fellow man and the natural world around us. Indigenous peoples around the world know that we are deeply connected to all things around us.
So you may ask what can I do as one individual, when the task of cleaning up our act seems so insurmountable.
We can do some of the obvious things such as reducing the waste you produce, switching to green energy produced by alternative electricity production such as wind, and hydro electric. Buying fair trade food and products whenever you can, buying locally produced food or items to reduce the effect of shipping goods long distance. Reusing the items that you can, buying second hand clothes or items, dressing your kids in hand me downs rather than new clothes. Recycling anything that can be recycled. Using less water and electricity. Getting energy efficient white goods and bulbs. Buying chemical products such as washing powders that break down more easily when they you have finished with them These ideas and many more like them are all perfectly feasible, help to reduce our carbon footprint and more often than not will save you money in the long run. However I feel that we can do more.
Going back to the principle that everything is connected that we are all part of the same whole, we therefore affect everything around us, which in turn means we are affected by all that is around us as well. This means that how we react or interact with the lives that we touch is very important. The more love we can bring into these interactions with the individuals we come across in our day to day actions the better, as it will mean that we will bring more love into our lives. Have you noticed how one drop of water into a pool produces ripples that reach out far and wide affecting the whole surface of the water? Our actions are like this, how better it would be to have ripples of love on our collective surface rather than fear or mistrust. How we feel about ourselves is just as important as how we feel about each other. It may sometimes be easier to see great things in those around us or in the wonders of nature, yet it can often be harder to see that which is in yourself that is also worthy of love. I would describe myself as a spiritual rather than a religious man, but one quote that stayed with me from the bible is “physician heal thyself”. How can we expect to look after those around us if we are not looking after ourselves? We need to spend time understanding who we are, and to realise that we are loved as much as anything or anyone else by the great spirit and that we deserve that love. This isn’t being selfish as by learning to love ourselves with all our faults and gifts enables us to love others that bit easier. And as all things are connected, by loving ourselves that love spreads to all things as well. The great spirit loves all beings equally, which means each individual person on this planet is loved as much as another, as much as a horse, or an ant, as much as the soul of the planet itself or that of the sun.
So in a nut shell, everything is connected, humanity needs to reconnect with itself and each other before we push ourselves over a brink we cant return from, in order to do this we must understand how our actions an choices affect the world and our selves, we also need to allow our selves to act through love more than fear, and to respect and love ourselves and all beings equally. Simple! Yes it is, it just many not be that easy yet I feel that this is the most important challenge we have at the moment, and if my music has captured your imagination enough to get you to think about how we are connected within our family, community and the world and how we can improve those connections then I that is all I could ever ask for.