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.

See Also

• The Power of Love
• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem

When years pass by

What's more important? The possession of material things or be surrounded by family and friends?

Photo by Abigail Keenan on Unsplash

I remember how I was, spoke a lady in the circle of friends.

Impetuous, I'd speak without thinking. I'd said what came to mind and thought she owned the world. Capriciously, I wanted things my way. And screamed over and over when they weren't. Meticulous, I'd keep everything to the smallest detail. A picture that was one inch askew on the wall, or the ornament on the table.

I would enter the house with my eyes looking for something out of place just for the pleasure of putting them in place. And would complain about whoever didn't put it exactly as she wished.

My closet was impeccable. All clothes lined up, divided by season, by colors. I could look for clothes in the dark and find them. But, would shout to anyone who dared to fiddle with the closet. I'd know if anyone had even opened the closet. And it was a reason for a great discussion.

The books were separated by author, by subject and in alphabetical order to facilitate the search. Naturally, no one could touch them unless I picked it up handed it over recommending: "Watch the cover. Don't knead. Wash your hands thoroughly before opening the book."

Yes, I was like that. Nothing anyone did was good enough for me.

I cleaned the house, because nobody did it like me. And it consumed the hours in ordering, aligning, grouping, adjusting. Everything always had to be impeccable.

Time has passed

But time has passed and I found out that I was wrong in many things.

When my sister abruptly left in a car accident, I felt my heart break. Looking at the empty house, I wondered what it was worth to be in order, impeccable? I would give anything for her to be there so she would come in and mess up my books, my dishes, my things. I wanted to see her opening my closet, choosing clothes to wear, messing up with the order that was standing there, unused.

Then my brother and my mother died too.

With each death, I discovered that the best thing is to have a home for people to come in and feel good, not being suffocated. I found that more important than anything, those people, not the stuff, were the meaning of my life.

And then, I changed.

I still like things tidy, in order but without exaggeration. My nephews come into my house and play. And they jump and I sit with them on the floor to read stories, look at pictures. And while we read, we eat popcorn, chocolate and drink juice. How good it is to taste stories with someone eager for curiosity even if your fingers are dirty with chocolate or greasy with popcorn?

My closet is no longer untouched. The nieces love to look for something different to use. Even if it is for the costume dance with their friends.

I learned to accept and respect the work of others, thanking them.

The hours I would spend washing, cleaning, polishing, I now dedicate to children, young people, my loves.

Yes, I have changed a lot. Life taught me.

Too bad I had to lose so many loved ones in order to learn. I could have been much happier, a long time ago. However, there's always time and I thank God, however, that I woke up in time to still enjoy many joys on Earth.

I sincerely hope that none of you need to go through this to learn.

Adapted from Momento Espírita, originally published on May 28, 2014.

See Also

• The Power of Love
• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem

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.

See Also

• The Power of Love
• Weighted observation
• The most important bridge
• Bridge of Life
• A Thinking Power
• Divine Poem