What we can do to shape the future
"You are where your thoughts are,” taught the Hasidic Masters and many other great visionaries and teachers. Or, in a modern version: “Energy flows where attention goes.”
In envisioning a future for our community, city & world, we are often tempted to get excited by the action movies and apocalyptic endings. But as the prior two quotes come to point out, this might not be the best idea.
There are a few main issues to discuss. It may seem easier to surrender to the momentum of cynicism, disappointment or frustration at the state of affairs today. However, in our beautiful tradition we are taught to envision & pray for a time of redemption, peace & harmony among all peoples and lands. We’re requested to strongly believe in it and work towards it.
In my humble opinion, the following are issues that must be discussed in order for us to know the way, keep it in mind and thereby aid in positive progression:
We must reach greater awareness in respecting the earth - the land. We’ve become disconnected from the dust we were made from. The word “dirt” is used to describe a lowly thing; “dirty” describing the despicable. But the earth is rich. The good earth is full of minerals and vitamins, without which our food would be sterile; without which, nothing would grow. The earth is not just a medium for the plant-life; it is a beautiful and magical thing which covers the whole world. The leftovers and peels of our foods are turned to earth in a natural composting led by the insect-front.
We must remember what is beneficial and useful to consume and what is quite frankly - not. Eating real food and not processed food needs to become a given. Junk food is the cigarette of our generation. From food coloring to “natural” flavors, genetically modified & mass-produced to drenched in pesticides & herbicides, most of the things marketed as edible should be completely wiped out of our diets and become a thing of the past. Let’s support each other and encourage organic, whole, colorful, plant-based diets. Let’s get really conscious of what we fill our cupboards & stomachs with.
We must keep in mind our united fate. “What we do to others, we do to ourselves,” goes the saying. In more common slang, “What goes around, comes around.” When we throw things ‘out’, where are we throwing it exactly? Consumerist society cannot continue at the rate it has been going. We live with many cultures one on top of the other. We’re interconnected and interrelated. We’re all influencing each other and we each have great power to change the way things are, especially in our direct circles and spheres of influence. One smile can light up the world. And a smile, even when faked, can eventually glimmer in genuinity.
We must hold our spirits high. In a society of fruit and no trees or roots, in a society with little physical earth, in a society of machine-made products with no clear ‘ingredients’ listed, it is crucial that we connect however we can to our roots. That means family, tradition, history, gardening, etc. Holding our spirits high means holding on to the vision of what we’re here for. Holding our spirits high means making sure we’re enjoying life and taking good care of ourselves. Holding our spirits high means not surrounding ourselves with toxic influences. Holding our spirits high means balancing heaven & earth - holding strong to being grounded and rooted while allowing our spirits to soar in all of the magic, beauty & complexity this world is offering us.
We must focus on what matters; Health, Happiness, Purpose. Priorities, whether conscious or subconscious, are what run our daily endeavors. There’s so much marketing and advertising for things we never, ever needed. And today, when we have the internet, we are able to research and self-educate for basically no cost at all. Mentors and good friends are priceless. Just like airplane emergency regulation demonstrates, we need to take care of ourselves first and foremost, and then care for our family, neighborhoods & loved ones. The ability to focus itself is not a given today, in our ‘television-flashy-lights’ world. But the ability to focus itself is also one of the greatest skills to help us get ahead in life, make a difference and find the harmonious tranquility we all contain, deep inside.
Thank you for caring, thank you for reading ! Let’s make this world great again !