What Can One Person Do?
30 Days of Climate Action and Inspiration
What is one simple step that can make all the difference? Commit to the Great Work of our time. Modern mystic and thought-leader Thomas Berry said: "The Dream Drives the Action." He went on to suggest that it is the dream, the story, that is the root cause of our difficulty and that our Great Work of creating a mutually-beneficial human presence on Planet Earth will first require that we address the dream of the modern world. In July 2018, Loretta and I traveled to the Ecuadorian rainforest with the Pachamama Alliance at the invitation of the Achuar and Sapura people, two of our planet’s most remote indigenous groups. These are ancient dream cultures still living in harmony with their ancestral land, nearly two million acres of pristine tropical rainforest in Ecuador and Peru. There we learned about the dream that led to the invitation and we learned about the other dream --the one fueling our collective destruction. Just days after our arrival home in California, our farm and community were threatened by wildfire-- specifically the Ranch Fire, now considered one of the largest wildfires in CA history (and U.S. history.) This fire consumed almost the entire Mendocino National Forest in our county. We were forced to evacuate our home for nearly two weeks, and thrown into uncertainty-- wondering if we would have a home to return to. Luckily our farm was spared, but sadly the surrounding landscape was transformed to ash and the ever-present smoke lingered, making it difficult to breathe. I thought back to our time in the Amazon rainforest just days earlier, a place where the dream is to be at one with the natural world. And I thought this: We could breathe there. You don't realize how important breathable air is until it's gone. How stark the contrast between paradise and Armageddon. In a span of just two weeks, we witnessed two possible futures for our descendants. The first: a lush green living breathing natural and old growth forest. The second: ash and soot, fire destroying homes and whole forests, and air thick with smoke.
It is past time to change the dream of our modern world. And really I cannot make any real promises that this is even possible--but I ask you to commit to living into a more life-giving dream anyway. (This is a 30 day action activation series, after all.) If you commit to this, it will open up the possibilities. Don't worry about HOW just yet... just decide if you are all in. That's a lot, I know. We'll explore dream and story in more depth soon, but for now take away this: Actions, big or small, can have huge impact if fueled a big intention. DAY 3 ACTION : Commit to the Great Work of Our Time Are you committed to this work of creating a beneficial human presence on Planet Earth? Are you committed to the work of reversing Global Warming? If so, why? Signal that commitment by writing down your WHY. As a bonus step-- share your "why" with others and let them know that you are starting this 30 day journey. Let us know your intention in the comments below! To a better dream, Denise
2 Comments
Loretta
4/26/2023 10:58:42 am
As I shared my “why” with four friends via email, I was delighted to realize that I could have shared with twenty or more people and still have more friends that would be interested, I am grateful to have so many people in my life who share in my love of Earth.
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Denise
5/3/2023 08:23:38 pm
Me too!
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Your GuideDenise Rushing is an author, blogger, and environmental designer She is passionate about human-scale solutions to global challenges and creating a more beautiful future. Categories
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