3D “Visualisation” Of The Fires In Australia, Made From Nasa Satellite Data
If thousands of scientists are to be believed, the earth is headed for major environmental catastrophe and humanity with it. Some would say we are already in the midst of this event. Reefs are dying, fires are reaching unheard of proportions, hurricanes are becoming super storms, tornados are sometimes wider than a mile. The list goes on. Right now, progress on improving or stabilizing our environment is like playing “whack-a-mole”. We get some good news and shortly thereafter some bad news pops up. Some corporations decide to make a commitment to improving the environment or lowering pollution. For instance, Microsoft Corporation just announced that it wants to create a zero-carbon footprint by the year 2030. Good news! Meanwhile, the current United States Environmental Protection Agency is dismantling every environmental protection it possibly can as fast as it can. Over 100 laws protecting air and water and wetlands are on the chopping block. Whack a mole. Whether you believe that CO2 is the culprit or not it makes no difference. The climate is definitely changing, and pollution continues apace. What is clear about all the news is that we have less and less time to prepare for disastrous climate change or to slow it down it, and we are not doing enough to curtail or change a dysfunctional model that could end with our own extinction.
There is something rarely spoken of in the context of environmental change that we need to put foremost if we desire to improve our situation: our own level of consciousness. We will never be able to maintain or produce a clean, stable, sustainable environment as long as we continue living at the same level of consciousness as we have been for the last thousands of years, the level that has brought us to our current dilemma. This level of consciousness continues to dominate, perpetuating war and famine, environmental destruction, poverty and millions of displaced and hungry human beings. It is a root cause of the planet and humanity’s current dilemma. It is a level of consciousness motivated by fear and greed with its roots in the ancient need for survival rather than a recognition of the abundance and love that is a part of the foundation of a higher or more expanded level of consciousness. Our current level is Newtonian, postulating that the environment outside of ourselves is separate and it is responsible for what happens to us and how we evolve. But it has now been revealed scientifically that the exact opposite is true! We create our environment from our personal belief system, from our inner world. Although it is helpful and instructive to remember that Einstein said, “no problem was ever solved at the level of consciousness at which it was created” we continue to try to do this.
In the last century, George Gurujieff, the Caucasian mystic and teacher used to say that “the ordinary person operates like a blind machine with no awareness or consciousness.” In current times, Dr. Joe Dispenza, a neuroscientist and renowned teacher of personal evolution, tells us that “we live by a set of memorized behaviors, thoughts, and emotional reactions, all running like computer programs behind the scenes of our conscious awareness.” He says that “most of who we are might reside subconsciously in negativity in the body” and that only 5% of our actions are conscious. No wonder we do not make much progress. 95% of our creative energy is locked up in maintaining automatic reactions to what we subconsciously believe are incoming threats or encounters, or in maintaining various addictions.
While we may sometimes feel frustrated and helpless to create change when there’s so much overwhelming ignorance in the world, we need to remember, you are the only one who can change the world. Seriously. That is because the micro informs the macro. It is thousands of individual “you”s who make up the “us “of humanity. As each of us changes to a higher or more expanded level of consciousness, taking personal responsibility for our lives, and endeavoring to treat others the way we would like to be treated, with an open heart that manifests kindness and compassion, we alter the world around us. When we let go of our old programs and respond to events rather than react robotically, we are more able to contribute to positive change because the energy of maintaining rigid beliefs is freed up for creativity. And, more good news, we will be spreading less self-centered and more positive energy everywhere we go. This sure beats sitting around feeling helpless!
I’ll end with two positive change practices that you can use to experience your own creation of powerful positive energy in the world around you as well as its amazing benefits. You can use these practices with your family and with strangers and friends, in other words, with everybody. These action practices create inner change by requiring us to let go of old patterns in order to execute new patterns and manifest new actions. When you apply awareness to any resistance you experience, that resistance can even be a good ally for exposing and revealing the patterns and beliefs that stand the way of our spiritual and personal growth.
The first thing we can practice is the darshan of the masters, the idea of connecting your open heart, and the divine spirit, with your eyes as often as you possibly can. When passing others in the world, fill your gaze with love but make it light, a glance, so it is not intrusive, not what my siblings and I as children called “googy eyes.” As you interact with individauls you can maintain this gaze and again, soft eyes. Accessing darshan makes you a walking conduit for love. Do this practice as often as you remember it during your day. Try it on everyone. One loving glance can change a person’s day. I have seen this happen many, many times. Be aware of your first judgments and, if they crop up, simply ignore them, do not castigate yourself for them and become distracted by your own inner judge! Remind yourself that you are a kind and compassionate person and simply return to the practice.*
The second practice that you can take up is what I call the “dignity practice.” Get in touch with and respect the dignity of every person that you encounter during the day. This is a conscious practice that is manifested in the way that we interface with others; no inner judgments, no disdain, just recognizing the you in them.
You will be amazed at how these practices lower stress and fear and bring harmony into your life and the lives of others. Both practices need no speaking or words and no approval from anyone. You will be amazed and happy at what often happens and how it brightens your life.
It is imperative that we embrace personal change and growth if we want to change our physical environment and respond to our challenges with a more open-hearted and creative self. Quantum physics now confirms what many have said for some time, our inner world literally creates our outer world. Our inner environment creates our outer environment. To ignore this truth as we strive to rectify environmental problems and improve our physical environment means we will remain stuck at our current level of consciousness with its unskillful and often pernicious outcomes. We are at a dangerous point for our species. We can keep on doing the same things and getting the same results, or we can move on, healing our inner world in order to make space for a new us, the creator of a new and more amazing, awakened world.
* There is a deeper description of this practice in my book, Waking up Learning What Your Life Is Trying to Teach You. The chapter is called The Eyes Have It. You can buy the book or the Kindle edition directly from this website.
Using four, powerful but simple strategies, learn what the challenging stories in your life are trying to teach you. 
