Showing posts with label Consumerism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Consumerism. Show all posts

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Preserving our Home

Preserving our planet starts with small steps. Everyday. From each of us.
Photo by NASA on Unsplash

A few decades ago, deforestation became a serious problem in our planet.

Today, our environmental conscience has improved and it's common to see that in many places, people  create formulas for reforestation.

Thailand found a peculiar way to recover deforested areas. The Asian country innovated, using military planes to bomb its forests with reforestation bombs. The planes carried seeds from local trees, along with a mixture of clay, earth and compost, which facilitates their germination. These seeds are fully prepared to become giant trees.

The project, started in 2016, is expected to span five years, according to the Thai government. The author of the idea was the Japanese Masanubo Fukuoka whose the technique was perfected, allowing the country to return to nature what was taken from it.

With this method, it is estimated that almost one million trees could be planted daily.

A plan that sows hope for a despoiled planet, a land exhausted by excessive exploitation by its most illustrious inhabitant, man. The same man who now realizes that if he does not care for mother Earth, soon he will no longer have a home, a shelter, a world to live.

Preserving the Environment

For some of us, it may all seem like utopia. The Earth is not heading for any ecological disaster think those who live in places where water, light, food are abundant.

However, every day, the storms that plague certain communities, the climate that seems to have gone mad tell us that it is now up to us to, urgently fix the problems we created as fast as possible.

The alerts are being given, on a constant basis by Mother Earth. Intense cold in places never before invaded by such low temperatures, excessive heat in other locations.

Preserving and safeguarding the environment is fundamental to maintaining the health of the planet, ensuring our own survival. Every effort to protect natural resources, the soil, the water, the air must be considered.

Doing our part

It is time to understand that each of us should look to be content with the necessary. Without wanting too much, without usurping, without forcing, without attacking Earth.

To live we need air, water and generous food. Let us not allow our greed to pollute the atmosphere, destroy the forests and despoil the land.

Our part can be done, wherever we are. After all, who can't plant a tree or help protect existing ones? Who could not reduce food waste, recycle, participate in conscious disposal and collaborate with garbage collection helping to avoid the critical problem of garbage waste we are already in?

Final Thoughts

Any act that harms nature is the result of excessive selfishness and ambition.

Each of us can start now with simple actions to collaborate. Avoid wasting water, wasting food, wasting electricity, reducing extreme consumerism, recycling more and educating our children with concrete examples to do the same.

Think about it!

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on October 19, 2019.

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Sunday, April 11, 2021

Test of Time

Do you consider yourself happy? Would your happiness stand the test of time?
Photo by Kal Visuals on Unsplash

In the 6th century BC lived Croesus, king of Lydia, the richest man in the world. He ruled with wisdom and arrogance.

In the splendor of his glory, he once hosted Solon, one of the seven sages of Greece in his palace and in order to honor the sage and demonstrate all his power and wealth, the king had a splendid feast prepared. He then invited Solon to visit his treasures: pearls, emeralds, diamonds of all carats, rubies and all sorts of golden statues.

Strangely, Croesus observed that his guest was walking through that immense wealth, with total indifference. And, in the face of the statement which he claimed to be the happiest man in the world for being the richest, the wise sentenced:

My king, no one can ever be considered happy before passing the test of time.

Time is the only component we need to determine if  we are happy or not. After all, it always surprises us with the unexpected.

Life is a succession of events, which completely change our destinies.

Do not forget that happiness is above all that you have.

Croesus did not give any importance to the advice kept increasing his wealth and power.

After some time, however, Cyrus, king of the Persians, marched with his army against Lydia and the king watched, appalled, as the enemy troops entered the palace, killing his best soldiers.

Trapped with his family, he was driven to irons in the capital, now in rubble. Humiliated, he was taken to the central square, tied to a post, on pieces of wood.

When he was about to be burned alive, he recalled as in a flash, the sentence of Solon: No one in the world is happy unless they pass the test of time.

Yes, time had brought him much sadness. His first son - and heir to his throne - had died in a hunting accident, at eighteen. Time had also brought the younger son's deafness and muteness. And now, there he was defeated and humiliated with his wife, his son and the whole court.

What was left of his wealth, which had been savagely plundered by the conquerors? What had been done of his palace, burned by the destroying fate of the winners?

At that moment, he understood that happiness is not having. Happiness is something else.

Happiness is not having

The things of the world are ephemeral.

Assets, from one moment to the next, can be taken away by robbers or carried away by the fury of nature.

If we are now smiling, soon we can be immersed in the sea of ​​tears because an accident robbed us a loved one. Or because Nature rebelled and destroyed our heritage. Or because a terrible disease embraced us and robbed us of the energies of youth, the smile of joy. 

Final Thoughts

Happy is not who has it. Happy is the one who loves because love sings a spring inside the heart.

Naturally, we need money and assets because without a little of everything, we become unbalanced. However, it takes the wisdom to be able to differentiate when you possess thing from whey you are possessed by them. We own money, never the money should own us.

This is a wise posture that gives us tranquility, harmony in living, over time.

Let us think about it and invest in achieving peace and being happy.

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on May 08, 2018.

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