Posted: 9/6/2008 | Leadership	Comments
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Feature: "The Conscious Life w/Dr. Jennifer Howard"--

THINKING FRESH

In the area where I live, we had a Living Green Expo this past weekend, and it caused me to wonder about some things in a fresh way. There were many interesting and entertaining exhibits in the booths that lined the pathways, along with a lineup of speakers, of which I was one. Among the exhibits could be found book sellers, alternative health care methods and products, eco-friendly constructions products, healthy cooking and an assortment of wholistic magazines and news papers.

WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO LIVE A GREEN LIFESTYLE?

Some folks think in terms of solar rooftop panels, composting, recycling and other important concrete applications. Since my predilection is to think in terms of psychology and spirituality, I found my wonderings going in another direction. What does living a green lifestyle look like from a larger frame of reference?

We could say that living a green lifestyle is a commitment to living a life with more awareness of how we are affecting the planet we live on. Why do we bother? One impetus is having the foresight to notice that the choices we make now are part of our personal survival, as well as human survival and survival of the earth. Understanding this allows us to see that everything and everyone is connected. From the most practical earth-bound reasoning, this has been proven to be true. Not only are we affected by the actions of people in our communities, but how the pollution from one area of the world brings about changes in another part of the world. Something happens in one part of the world, which compromises life and nature great distances away. Therefore, we learn that every action we take does affect the earth and other people as well. That is humbling and at the same time empowering. We can’t just hide any more. It is time to wake up and take our rightful place on the planet.

WE ARE ALL CONNECTED

Not only are we connected in the most physical sense, but we are connected in many other ways. Studies in the fields of psychology, spirituality and quantum physics all tell us that from the most concrete of levels of living to the most profound levels of consciousness, we are connected. If we think about this for a moment, we can see that our thoughts, feelings and actions have power and consequences. The choices we make in life influence how our life goes and influences the lives of other’s.

LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS

Let’s think for a moment. What would it be like if we made choices that reflected the concept that everything is connected? What might be different in our lives if we really knew that what we thought, felt and did affected others? We might be different. What would it look like if we knew that we are empowered to live a richer, fuller, more compassionate life? Compassion toward ourselves not only makes us kinder to others but also kinder to the planet.

EVERYONE CAN MAKE THESE CHOICES

Many of us don’t realize we can make these choices. We tend to give in and give up too quickly. We don’t take good enough care of our bodies, minds or spirits. We might think that we don’t matter, so nothing about us matters. We think we can’t make a difference with what we say or do. Most of us live our lives without being conscious of the full spectrum of possibilities in these choices. We forget, don’t take the time or don’t realize that we have what it takes to create a life that brings others, the planet and ourselves into more harmony. We do have what it takes. Let’s celebrate that!

THINK ABOUT THIS

This week allow yourself to ponder this question: What are the choices you could make, large or small, which would reflect the concept that everything is connected? Notice those choices and see if you can put a few into action.