Today we celebrate Earth Day. For some, it is just another day. For others, it is a day of activism. An opportunity to contribute to making the world a better place.
For many, it is a sad reminder of the perilous state of our environment that reinforces a sense of powerlessness against the forces that are destroying our precious planet.
But quite often, after the day is over, the passion fizzles and we return to our complacent ways, oblivious to the perils to our environment.
I submit that Earth Day offers an invitation to step up to the plate and own your power to live mindfully and create change—every single day.
Read on to see how to own your power to effect change and be inspired by Earth Day to live purposely and mindfully.
A Little History
Earth Day celebrates the anniversary of April 22, 1970, when 20 million Americans rallied in streets, parks and auditoriums to denounce the degradation caused by industrial development and to demonstrate for a sustainable environment.
Led by the Earth Day Network, Earth Day has evolved into an annual global event of political action and civil participation, engaging more than one billion people from 192 countries around the world.
Participants march, sign petitions, meet with government officials, plant trees and engage in environmental cleanup. Corporations and governments use it to make pledges and announce sustainability measures, while faith leaders tie the celebration to protecting God’s creation.
The festivity offers ample opportunities for people worldwide to come together and take action to improve upon and find solutions to pressing environmental problems our world faces.
But…is that all it is? Is Earth Day simply a quick pause from our daily routines? Just another day on the calendar?
Earth Day Invites Us to Live Mindfully and Embrace Unity Consciousness
Earth Day is much more than an annual event. Earth Day is an invitation to live our daily lives with higher awareness and to embrace unity consciousness, realizing that we are one with the world and one another.
Earth Day underscores that we are all equal members in this planet’s community. That whatever affects one person affects all. That an incident that occurs thousands of miles away will reverberate throughout the planet, with consequences that will be felt by future generations.
We
are stewards charged with the high responsibility to preserve this precious
planet and everything in it.
Use
that awareness to influence your actions to make this world a better place. To
own your power to effect change.
Earth Day Reminds Us We Have Power to Create Change
While the issues are many and complex, many environmental problems can be improved with simple personal actions.
Each one of us has the power, as individuals, as consumers and advocates, to be the agents of change.
Let’s all do our part.
Recycling and conserving energy and fuel are obvious good starts. So is ditching single-use plastics for reusable materials.
What about minding your household cleaners? Toxic chemicals can be easily replaced with harmless products like white vinegar and baking soda, as well as with refillable biodegradable products, often at substantial savings.
How about minding what you eat?
Pay attention to how your food choices affect the environment and choose differently from now on.
Be informed on how the production of food results in the destruction of forests and wildlife and the pollution of our waters, among other ills. Learn how the use of pesticides and other dangerous chemicals not only degrade the environment, but our body temples as well, causing life-threatening conditions.
Farming communities are impacted by these practices, which can lead them to financial ruin, too.
Earth Day Invites Us to Care for the Vulnerable
Indeed, Earth Day exhorts us to consider how our consumption habits affect the poor and the disadvantaged. To the ravaging of our planet and indigenous communities.
Unbeknownst to us, our purchases of common items, like clothing and chocolate, can contribute, not only to pollution, but to poverty, human slavery and child labor.
The opportunities to improve on the condition of our world are many and far reaching.
Accept Earth’s Day invitation to investigate these issues, so you can make wiser choices going forward.
Take Action Now
There’s power in numbers.
Would you consider stealing a few minutes every day from your time on social media to inform yourself about the issues and report back with your network?
Numerous reputable organizations devote themselves to investigating and denouncing these evils. Sign up for their newsletters and commit to making a difference in world affairs.
Be the voice of change. It is simple and easy.
Sign petitions seeking solutions to these problems and share them with your friends. Encourage them to do their part, too. It takes only seconds and the impact, when done by many people, can be tremendous.
Earth Day Is a Mindset–Embrace it Fully
Most importantly, internalize that Earth Day is not a once-a-year event, but a mindset.
Embrace it as a way of living every day of the year–for the rest of your life.
Happy Earth Day!