When left to their own devices all animals on this Earth are capable of thriving and interacting in ways that maintain balance and the greater good of the whole. Yet one animal, the human species, is capable of breaking apart this balance and causing unspeakable destruction to all, including itself, due to its faulty perspective in thinking that it is separate and above the rest, rather than part of the whole.

In our personal and collective quest to “conquer”, we have polluted our Earth with physical, chemical, and radiological substances that have degraded, and in some cases outright destroyed, the quality of our air, water, soils, and land. We have inflicted unspeakable cruelty onto other animals for our personal pleasures, compulsions, and addictions, and completely wiped out many species as a whole. We have pillaged entire forests and ecosystems, treating all in our path as commodities to be owned, controlled, or exploited. In the process, we have been too busy to notice that we are destroying our own quality of physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health.

Most of us know this already on some level. The question is what are you doing to restore your personal and our collective balance? This is not a one-time deal or any big or grand gesture. This is the everyday, nitty-gritty that touches upon ALL of the choices you make. What you choose to buy, what you choose to eat, how much trash you create, what organizations you choose to support, how mindful you are of how you use Earth’s resources, how you interact with nature, how you deal with problematic plant or animal visitors to your house and garden, the type of work you do, how you celebrate holidays, how you travel, etc. It all counts and it all makes a difference for better or for worse.

This is a life-long commitment that provides each of us with ample opportunities each day to reduce our disconnection and destruction and shape a new society and human civilization that we can be proud of and happy to be a part of.

It is not too late. Reconnect with the sacred balance of life through awareness, mindfulness, and heart-centered living. Don’t wait for change, be the change.