The more we examine our choices the more we realize that we have choices. The more we realize what those choices are we can see more clearly the impact those choices have, not only on our personal experiences, but on the planet and all its inhabitants.

Compassion.

We must practice compassion.

“Each one of us is responsible for all of humankind, and for the environment in which we live. . . . We must seek to lessen the suffering of others. Rather than working solely to acquire wealth, we need to do something meaningful, something seriously directed toward the welfare of humanity as a whole. To do this, you need to recognize that the whole world is part of you.”

—Dalai Lama, from How to Be Compassionate

Before we can make any change at all to our habits we must recognize that change is necessary. We must first recognize that there is a problem with the way we are doing things, i.e. our choices.

“If what you are doing isn’t working, doing more of it won’t work any better.”

– Alan Cohen

Over the last few years, I have been experimenting with different theories for feeding myself and my family; with foods that will provide us with optimal health and nutrition. As a result, I have become more and more focused on the big picture. Which is:

It’s not enough to to just focus on ourselves at a micro level of health and nutrition. We must consider the macro environment with respect to our healing choices. What good is it, if in the process of preparing healthy food for my family, I end up contributing to environmental landfill waste by purchasing organic products and produce that come in single-use plastic packaging!

The first step is becoming aware of what I am doing, the next is to care deeply about making the necessary changes to correct my contribution to the problem.

We may exercise for our health, but neglect the impact of the post consumer waste all those energy bars and gel packs have on the environment. Where does all that garbage go after the race or training session? What is the impact of those “foods” on your system anyways? Train longer to build a stronger body, to necessitate ingesting processed “foods”…for what? To break down the body before its time? Overtraining and long distance training bring with it its own pandora’s box of physical ailments.

Find balance in all things.

Most of us are making healthier choices, but are being manipulated by companies that want us to believe by their mantra that: “today’s families lead such busy lifestyles that it is difficult to make confident healthy food choices”, so these companies and manufacturers are at the ready to cash in on our time warped, subliminally hypnotized decision centres. We have all come to believe this lie…that we don’t have time to take care of ourselves and so THEY will provide for us our remedy. All THEY have provided for is a sick and ailing population with a dying planet to boot.

“The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

Beth Terry‘s 8 Reasons Personal Change Matters

• Stop doing harm (once we realize what we are doing we have to stop doing it)
• Protect health
• Support ethical businesses
• Develop our own ingenuity & self-reliance
• Examine our values
• Ask for what we want
• Motivation to work for systemic change
• Set an example for others

Watch this short video of Beth Terry talking about Living Plastic Free TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch

Stephen Covey’s 7 Cardinal Rules in Life