Earth Day Is Everyday!

Greetings!

How many of you know the adage “Earth Day is every day”? To those of you who

have been long-time educators & activists, this may not be a new idea. However,

to those it is either a new concept or a hurried cliché, it’s an important one to

take time to absorb.

Earth Day was first declared & celebrated in 1970 in America. It felt exciting to

believe that things were going to change towards a more earth-centered, earth-

loving way of living on our beautiful blue-green planet! 50 years later, we are in

the midst of deep change that is not always pleasant & the promise of better is

not always clear. Some think change must come from top-down, from

government, corporations & institutions. Others think it can only come from

individuals, families & neighborhoods. That kind of polarized “either/or” thinking

is deeply entrenched in our cultural mindset, and has resulted in a win/lose

mentality in all arenas of life, but especially the problematic ones. John Naisbitt,

in his book Megatrends, first introduced a new way to look at the largest

problems of our time, which he called a mindset of “both/and” & this new way of

looking at & dealing with our world has taken several decades to enter the daily

thinking of more & more human/e beings, but it is now an idea many are

comfortable with but might not know how to go about LIVING it.

If we listen to both ancient wisdom from indigenous cultures & newer, science-

based knowledge, we begin to realize that our sense of self-worth must merge

both the inner & outer to become whole once more. Women as a whole & people

of color & indigenous women in particular, have sustained much trauma for the

majority of the last millennium. We must take care of our bodies to begin to

learn how to take care of the Earth. We must cultivate our individual minds to be

able to harvest solutions for our collective communities. We must take care of our

spirit to have a balanced outlook on the world outside of ourselves. Body, mind &

spirit!

What does it mean to say Earth Day is every day? Most think immediately of

recycling, solar energy, and carrying their own water bottle & it is those things!

But it is so much more. Many feel daunted to make all the changes they learn

about when they first begin to be “green”. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, try to

pick out 3 new “green” habits as you learn about them & just practice those for a

while, then add one at a time till those practices become habits, remembering the

personal & the communal aspects of our vision for a healthier planet! Buy or

make 5 re-usable carrying bags & put them back in your car immediately every

time you empty them of your groceries, so you are sure to have them at hand

when next at the store! That one habit alone brings much less plastic home.

When you are scrolling social media & you are asked to sign a petition for

something to help suffering human beings, animals or the environment, take a

moment to do that & also to share it with others, this has great impact, though

you may not think so since you don’t get to see its effects immediately. Are you

able to hang your clothes to dry instead of using a dryer? Are there ways you can

re-use, repair or refurbish belongings to get more life out of them before you put

them in the trash? Soon these habits become second nature and no longer feel

like a burden, they just become your way of life! Soon your example helps to

inspire others who witness your actions.

It is the same with self-worth! Our sense of innate self-worth can take a beating in

this overly driven world of ours. If we are not “keeping up with the Joneses” or

wearing the latest trends, if our “posts” don’t receive as many LIKES as those of

well-known public figures, we can end up feeling we have failed somehow. We

feel less than. This is a symptom of us being less & less in touch with the Earth!

To be in harmony with & protecting Nature herself is the foundation of being in

touch with ourselves & our own inherent self-worth & dignity.

So, what are 3 new private habits you could begin to practice to make you FEEL

better? Think of new habits that empower you, energize you. Will you take the

time to brush your teeth & hair gently, with care instead of harshly and in a rush?

Will you take a few minutes every night to massage your own feet with lotion

instead of waiting exclusively for that scheduled appointment? Or do you still

need to schedule that appointment? Will you practice speaking up for what you

need in a moment when it’s easier to just go along to get along? You get the idea.

This coming Earth Day in April there will be few to no in-person, public gatherings

taking place across America, but by then you could be well on your way to making

Earth Day every day in your world, setting an example & inspiring others around

you. You could be well on your way to feeling more energy, more grounded &

more empowered in your body, ready to show up in the world as your full self.

Earth Day is every day! Worth Day is every day, too.

We are the world & the world is us! Breathe in, breathe out…begin!