Friday 1 April 2011

Challenging times...time to wake up!

We live in extremely challenging times, and many of those who put all their energies and efforts into trying to turn things around are beginning to feel exhausted. There are so many sad and horrific things happening in the world that it's hard sometimes to know how to deal with it all - let alone stay positive.

I was chatting with a friend yesterday about this. We were discussing a blog we had both read, written by Mark Boyle - who puts his whole heart and soul into 'walking his talk'. Mark was writing about the difficulties he's been experiencing recently trying to make sense of what he sees going on around him in the English countryside. Wherever he looks, instead of seeing nature in all it's beauty, he sees the damage and destruction caused by mankind as we encroach more and more upon the natural world in our efforts to "kill everything that we think wants a piece of the human pie".

I can completely identify with Mark's sentiments. There are times when I sit on the hills, or in the woods, surrounded by so much natural beauty that my heart could burst with joy, only to be jolted back to reality when I remember in a flash that it is all under threat. I struggle so much so understand why the majority of people living on this planet are oblivious to the fact that they/we are destroying the very things that sustain and nurture us. How can we be so blind???!!!

Instead of competing with the incredible and diverse flora and fauna we are lucky enough to share the earth with, we should be putting our efforts into living alongside nature; co-operating with her; compromising; and establishing symbiotic relationships. Surely that's what co-habiting is all about? But the human race, for all it's so called intelligence, doesn't seem to have understood these very basic and natural laws of survival. Rather than live in harmony alongside nature, we prefer to 'control', to 'use', to 'harness', to 'rule', to 'own'. So, as masters of all we survey, we plunder and pollute the earth's resources as though they were put there entirely for our own use and as if they were in limitless supply. Now, even though the consequences of our actions are staring us in the face, we completely ignore the warning signs. Bizzare and dangerous behaviour.

It's exhausting just thinking about the amount of problems in the world. It's not only the environmental and ecological issues that we need to face and deal with, but also the unprecedented scale of social injustice. I read yesterday that of the 6 billion people living on this planet, over 1 billion are hungry. That's one in six.... and that's just the hunger issue ....never mind all the atrocities that less fortunate beings than ourselves are forced to deal with. How on earth do you decide where to start when there is so much to do? Maybe it's not such a surprise that the majority of us more 'fortunate' beings are still in denial. It takes courage to face up to what's happening in the world and it's much easier to switch off and carry on with 'business as normal'.

Unfortunately, nothing will change if we keep burying our heads in the sand. Facing up to what's going on is imperative if we are to effect change. It's not going to be an easy ride, but I truly believe the universe will support us if we wake up and have the courage to say "enough".  It's time to stand up and be counted, to face the music, to go cold turkey, or whatever it takes to be part of the change.

You don't need to take it all in at once... just open your eyes a little more each day and start looking around to see where you could begin to make changes. Get out some time this week for a walk in nature and allow yourself to be filled with awe by her abundance. Also, allow yourself to feel sad about what we've done to the planet, because out of this sadness will come the will to change. It's ok to be sad....to cry or to weep even. There's a movement known as 'Deep Ecology' that is all about feeling the pain of the earth and coming through the other side.  I'll put a link about it below....

This is a great and wonderful time to be alive! We would not have been put on this planet at this time if we were not able to deal with what life is throwing at us. This is the time of 'The Great Turning' and we all have a part to play .... no matter how small that part might be.

Wishing you a day full of wonderment and positive energy.

B xxx

Here's a beautiful message from the Hopi Elders to inspire you;
'We are the ones we have been waiting for' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrPDQeNo52M&feature=related


Mark's blog - http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/blog

Deep Ecology - http://www.joannamacy.net/deepecology/deep-ecology-links.html

Today I woke up - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XzKDou7FCU

9 comments:

  1. I do find it heartily depressing, and I think its so much more obvious when you live in the countryside. In the towns you're much more sheltered as to what happens.
    everyday I see wildlife sprayed, shot and trapped because they are "in the way".
    For example we had a badger in the hen orchard, did we go nuts and think about killing them (illegal in the UK but a look on youtube shows that many other countries oftebn dig out and kill badgers). Nope we didn;t, I beefed up the fence, made sure no food was left out and let the hens out later and put them to bed earlier. No more badger visits! And thats only one example... I could write a whole post :P x

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  2. Hello Bee,
    I just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed reading your blog. You have written things that I have been feeling for so long! Thank you so much for sharing them.
    It is as if many people are in a trance & cannot see even see, let alone acknowledge the hand that feeds them!! It makes it very difficult to share any thoughts with others, as most don't want to hear it.
    I too feel so sad about what we are doing to mother earth, she gives us life and all we do in return is destroy her. Even in her darkest hour, she is still loving us & providing for us with all her glorious abundance!
    With all of this going on it is hard to stay positive sometimes, but we must stay in love whatever happens. Love energy is 100 times stronger than hate & we can all turn this around if we support one another.
    I will be joining you to help in sending love & healing to the Fukushima waters today and thank you again for sharing your thoughts.
    Mel - Bornemouth xxxx

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  3. Hi Bee

    Really good Blog. I feel the same but also think nature will have the final word on thing for this planet.

    I wrote a short Blog yesterday also about being pro active and not sitting back just watching thing crumble.

    http://ourworldexplored.blogspot.com/2011/03/blog-10-model-aircraft-v-nature-reserve.html?spref=tw

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  4. Hello dear Bee The Change Bridgit. Thanks for sharing your positive and nourishing reflections. I think I'll have to put a link to your blog next to Mark's on my website. Between you both you write on the positive side of what I think and feel. I agree with 99% of what you both say and yet usually feel too overwhelmed on the negative implication of our attitudes and actions within the world to write anything positive. So in spite no doubt of acutely feeling the pains of destruction and of the culture of death thanks for focusing on the positive!

    Great bee slides by the way!! Fergus x

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  5. Many positive influences just this week.
    http://www.ent.wur.nl/UK/Personnel/Research+Personnel/Marcel+Dicke/
    Marcel Dicke talking about the intelligence of plants.
    Jonathan Radford speaks about mustard being a natural insecticide http://www.lifeinitaly.com/garden/mustard-flowers.asp and that he believes the time is near when the hidden properties of plants will be regarded but it might need investment from someone like Monsanto!
    The great Indian scientist Bose who possible discovered radio before Marconi, measured the reactions of plants and believed that this could be utilised and so insecticides would not be needed. People are now working with the natural properties to build systems and everyone is doing it. Take Ellen MacArthur and her closed loop systems modelling. There are leaders appearing in so many places. I do think that the situation in Japan is terrible even if the sharks are now happier, it is terrifying and there are many challenges at the moment.
    By the way I am noticing far more types of bees now that I am more aware of them, here in SouthWest France than I noticed before thank you for that. And I rescued one last week that had seemed to be exhausted. ..

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  7. Great to see your new blog - found via Twitter. I've been using blogger for a few months now for my town blog www.kirkbymoorside.info and I find it really easy to use. Didn't know about Slide.com so tried using it to create a slide show of local images but couldn't find the option to do a vertical slide like yours only horizontal - any tips? Looking at a smallholding tomorrow!

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  8. I found this post quite refreshing. Always good to hear voices on the web pointing out that things just are not right, but still encouraging the sight and sound of what is right. Thanks Bee, look forward to your future postings.

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  9. I wish more people would listen to what the Hopi have got to say - or any indigenous people still connected directly with the natural world. Even in our highly regulated country I see people just keep nibbling away at nature. One guy nearby cut down a 100 yr old oak in his garden because he found clearing the leaves a pain. I am beginning to take that sort of stuff personally.

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