It’s said that when we die, the four elements – earth, air, fire and water – dissolve one by one, each into the other, and finally just dissolve into space.
But while we’re living, we share the energy that makes everything, from a blade of grass to an elephant, grow and live and then inevitably wear out and die.
This energy, this life force, creates the whole world.
-Pema Chodron-
C
Creativity | Consciousness | Connection
water
A
Attention | Appreciation |
Abundance
air
R
Responsibility | Respect | Reciprocity
earth
E
Energy | Evolution |
Equilibrium
fire
CARE
If we take care of Nature, Nature will take care of us.
– Sir David Attenborough-
ABOUT
(n).
1. the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something
2. serious attention or consideration applied to doing something correctly or to avoid damage or risk
(v.)
1. feel concern or interest; attach importance to something
2. look after and provide for the needs of someone or something
When do we choose to care and when do we choose not to care? The act of care is often connected to something that we regard as important to us, something that we personally value, while that which we do not care for oftentimes a reflection of something that we have chosen to deem unworthy of our energy. Inevitably this assessment of reality will influence our daily choices, which in turn accumulatively create our entire life experience and that which we share with others.
The world as we know it has mostly been built in accordance to a paradigm of separation, where Nature and living beings from other natural kingdoms are perceived as completely separate entities to the self, and this paradigm has programmed us into missing how deeply interconnected everything actually is. Numerous ancient wisdom teachings have emphasised the value of this connection – Nature is not something outside of us, we are Nature. We are all pulsing in unity with this common gift of life.
This drawing is an invitation to stop and consider the impact of your choices, to stop and carefully consider that which you truly value. There is no one ‘right’ way to live, what we perceive as important is a personal choice, however for a sustainable world in which we are all able to thrive it is essential for each one of us to question how these choices impact ourselves, others, our environment and that of future generations.
This task is not always easy, yet the the intention can be held within yourself to simply care about making a better choice. What this choice will look like will differ for each individual, as we are all accessing the tapestry of life from different vantage points, and thread by thread, all these changes – great and small – will weave themselves into an entirely new reality. As Jane Goodall wisely shared, ‘You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.’
Imagine a world where there are a couple of values – a few golden threads – that we could agree on as having an influence over the choices we make: connection, appreciation, and responsibility for the evolution of life here on Earth. By taking responsibility for our energy and showing appreciation for what we have access to in each moment, endeavouring to expand our consciousness with each challenge that presents itself – every step of the way we can transform the way we co-exist with all living forms. It all makes a difference, no matter how insignificant that difference might seem at the time.
