“The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity – then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective.”
— David Suzuki
If David Suzuki’s premise is true and our view of the world shapes our treatment of it, then how true is it about the way we see ourselves? If we see ourself as people whom the world treats badly and who never gets what they want then what motivation do we have to work on ourselves. However, if we see ourselves as a work in progress and believe that success is possible through growth and perseverance and that abundance is present and unrealized then maybe, just maybe we can find something either beautiful or joyful in each day to appreciate.
After listening to a friend of mine tell me each day for several weeks about how rough her life was and being largely negative in her view, I asked her to do me a favour. I asked her if each day she would consciously find one beautiful moment or image that passed her way and tell me about it. She reluctantly did this and after about a week it seemed to have a profound difference on her outlook in general.
It may not effect everyone’s outlook in a dramatic way yet I have found for myself as well that once I make the space for beauty or joy or perhaps its just for appreciation, something wonderful comes along to fill it.
Blessings, G
Cycles of Life by G A Rosenberg 