Earth Day 2012

 

 

Dearest Mother Earth.

On this Earth Day 2012, as we celebrate and commemorate the day, I write on behalf of humankind. I earnestly beg you to forgive us for all of the disrespect, ungratefulness, and sheer rudeness we have exhibited toward you; all which has brought us to this moment. We have littered the forests, the meadows, the highways, the byways. We have polluted the soil, the ponds, rivers, even the vast sea. We have released into the air we inhale, our breaths of life, fumes and chemicals that bring us to tears. Air is a divine mixture of gases - 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen - with traces of water vapor, carbon dioxide, argon, and various other components; what have we done to our very sustenance? Each day we inhale around 14,000 liters of air as we take about 26,000 breaths (that’s equivalent to about 150 full bathtubs). We no longer know what we are breathing because we chose not to honor your divine mixture.

We have contaminated the ecosystems shifting the balance so much that the climate is changing, so much, that the seasons are becoming unrecognizable, natural disasters are increasing, and noticeable not in the seasons that once they normally occurred.  We have poisoned the ocean and now the sea life, the fish, the shrimp, numerous ocean dwellers are becoming mutated; we destroyed the forest so now bears and other animals feel compelled to come into town. In a word, we have trashed our home.

Yet, in spite of this Mother Earth, you give us glimpses into your heavenly ability to rejuvenate yourself if we only choose to respect your grandeur. Each day we come face to face with what we’ve done to you, and now green is in vogue. So often, when someone wrongs another, pride and ego keeps them from uttering the words. “I’m Sorry.” Well, I am taking the liberty to say on this your day, we are genuinely sorry, and daily we have to confront ourselves in the mirror and recognize that we must change or we will soon all become homeless. The Earth provides nourishment for over 7 billion people everyday. 

Although it may not seem to be the case, we do sincerely love you Mother Earth, and now its time to show you.

Are you addicted to your story? Are you present?

     For six weeks, Oprah Winfrey is taking her Life Class on the road, kicking it off in St. Louis, Missouri and of course on the internet’s super highway. The aim of this Life Class is to provide us all with insights and tools so that we can make our lives more fulfilling, so that we can unleash our divine greatness.

      The first thought leader to take the teaching stage was Iyanla Vanzant, author and spiritual thought teacher. If you’ve missed the classes, they are posted on Winfrey’s website.  The pair discussed that before you can move forward you must deal with your pain. This led to two compelling questions, “Are you living and masking pain in your life?” and “Are you addicted to your story?”

   Vanzant, through interactions with the audience and in direct conversation with attendees who were brave enough to share their personal struggles on the stage, pointed out that far too many of us replace our addictions to drugs, sex, food, shopping, gambling, whatever, to our story…our past mistakes, failures, our past pain.  The spiritual thought teacher pointed out that for some of us our conversation is a daily replay of all the pain and problems that have occurred in our lives. Quite compelling as you think about it, as many of us cannot recognize, harness and unleash our opportunities in life, work or business because we are truly stuck in the past, addicted to learned hopelessness.

    Where are you? When your name is called are you staring into the past or gazing into the future? Are you reliving your past on a daily basis, or are you dreaming about and banking on what the future may bring? I challenge you to take a look at your life and ask yourself the question, “Are You Present?”        

     Learning to live “in the present” is far more difficult than one may realize. Learning to enjoy the life that you have today, learning to be grateful for what you have, and learning to enjoy the gift of life one day at a time are things that escape most of us.  Some of us have gotten into such stifling patterns in our lives that we no longer realize that we are literally hovering out of bounds. Some of us have one or both feet in the past; one foot in the past and another in the future, or some of us have our feet rooted somewhere in the future just waiting for a new day to dawn. How many of us can honestly say that we are fully living in the present?

     When you sit quietly thinking, do you spend all of your time wondering how events or relationships would have turned out if you had made different choices? Do you still grapple with anger, guilt or past hurts? Do you still find it difficult to forgive people who have hurt or wronged you? Or do you obsess about past situations trying to uncover ways to have those same experiences again and again?

     Don’t get me wrong learning from the past is a good thing, as is planning for the future. But if all of your time is spent focused on the past and the future, what are you doing to enjoy life and pursue your goals right now, this present moment. 

    It is so easy to allow past hurts, disappointment and the wrongs that people have done to us control our lives and our actions. The person can be long gone, the event long past and still we have not let it go and moved on with our lives. Carrying baggage from relationships and love gone bad plagues far too many present-day relationships eventually causing them to crash and burn. Often the wounds from our childhood and youthful days have not been cleansed. We have not sought spiritual healing and instead these remaining scars fester seeping into the present and on into the future.

   When we refuse to live life in the present, we are not allowing change to enter into our lives. When we do not live in the present, it is difficult for us to appreciate all of the goodness that is being bestowed upon us, and it is even more difficult for us to embrace the opportunities that are knocking at our door, beckoning us to develop our gifts and talents in service to others and for our own personal fulfillment.

    The past is gone and you cannot change it. The only thing that the past can do for you is provide you with life lessons that can help you to live better in the present and even more joyfully in the future.  When we dwell in the past we almost become like a programmed robot, repeating the same actions, choices and behaviors over and over again.  We have in fact become addicted to our stories. Why? We have not left our past and shifted into the present.  When we feel guilt, it is because we are focused on the past; when we feel fear, it is because we are focused on the future.  Both of these mental situations do nothing but drain us and cause us a tremendous amount of unneeded stress. This way of thinking is truly a waste of our energy because in the final analysis all we have right now is this present moment.

   When you live in the present you are fully aware of all of the things you are thinking, feeling and doing. By being present you are seeing things and people as they are and you are not allowing your present to be dominated by your past or how someone use to be. Being present means that fear, anger, disappointment, hurt or even past success are not clouding your view of things today. Two people can experience the same event but have totally different perceptions. This is due in part to the amount of emotional and spiritual baggage that the person is still carrying around with them. 

    Strive to live “in the present” and enjoy your life today. Bring closure to past events, old hurts and negative relationships that do nothing but assault your spirit and your personal well-being.  When you find yourself dwelling in the past, gently nudge yourself; then ask the questions, “Am I addicted to my story? Am I living in the?” Quickly get in touch with what you are really feeling and then ease on back into the present.

    Remember situations and circumstances do not define us, they reveal us. We all have a story, just make certain you are creating one filled with possibility!

 

 

10 Great Social Innovation Reads: February 2012

10 Great Social Innovation Reads: February 2012.

The Perfect Gift

The holiday season is here, and people both young and old are busy, in some cases frantically shopping in search of the perfect gift. After all, this is December, the gift-buying season, 31 days that serve as a magic carpet ride into the New Year.   Bombarded by advertisements, sale papers, and commercials designed to lure us into stores, instead of being a joyful season, for some of us, the month of December becomes a time of despair, not to mention debilitating debt.    Sadly, for far too many of us, the holiday season is now defined by the number of video games, flat screen televisions, Smartphones and other electronics we purchase; the numbers of gifts we receive; and do not forget about all of the money spent for the exquisite dishes we prepare.  

Before you call me Ms. Scrooge, give me an opportunity; allow me to write a few lines to explain.   Please do not misunderstand my statements for I enjoy the holiday season, and I relish spending time with friends and loved ones during the holidays. My statements come from a caring and concerned heart; my feelings come from deep within my spirit as I painfully watch misguided value systems, low self-esteem, and internalized oppression make people think that gifts, trinkets or designer labels can soothe the emptiness that lingers in the depths of their souls.   

For most of us, it takes a long and sometimes-difficult journey before we realize that spiritual contentment brings inner peace. Personal empowerment comes not from the depth of one’s bank account, but from the condition of one’s spirit. Contrary to the feelings of some people, I believe that the caring and nurturing of one’s spirit does indeed matter, and in fact “the state of one’s spirit” contributes tremendously to one’s ability to find joy, achieve their desired level of personal success and most importantly to live soulfully.  

I was moved as I sat in a Caribbean Media Conference (CMEx) in Barbados several years ago, listening to now deceased former CNN news anchor Andria Hall tearfully share that all of the thousands of dollars she was being paid at the time were not enough to quench the spiritual thirst that she felt deep within.  Hall explained that peace came into her spirit the moment she began to honor a higher power, once she redefined her life, and only after she filled her spirit with positive thoughts and authentic people. Ms. Hall glowed as she shared that her tears were not coming from pain and despair, but represented a level of spiritual awakening that she wished everyone could enjoy.    Each of us, if we are to ever attain inner peace, we must answer a higher call to service and spiritual wholeness; we must learn to walk our own path to personal greatness in divine order.   So, as you think about the perfect gift for your friends and family this holiday season, or as you look for the perfect stocking stuffer, ponder some thought about giving gifts that inspire, encourage and give voice to the achievement of personal aspirations and dreams. Yes a diamond may be forever, but a gift that enables someone to carve out a path that meshes his or her personal passions with his or her talents will forever outshine the sparkle of that jewel.  Helping someone to feel valued, championing someone’s dream, words that inspire and other acts of thoughtfulness can help people treasure one of the greatest gifts there is, and that is the unique gift of self. 

 Look deep within and make a personal vow that during this holiday season and in the New Year you will strive to expand your thinking not just outside the box, but far beyond it, allowing your creative mind to consider limitless possibilities. Decide to challenge yourself, creatively use your talents and begin to live a fuller life that includes dusting off your innermost dreams, and persisting forward to the achievement of your true-life goals. Using your gifts and talents in service to others brings personal success always, but most of us give up when we meet the first bump in the road. Change your mindset this holiday season, because in the end A times A equals A (Attributes X Attitude equals Altitude), and we control the direction of our lives with the choices we make.    

  Give the ideal gift this holiday season; the gifts of self-awareness, self-growth, self-nurturing, self-encouragement, self-respect, self-love, self-forgiveness, self-definition; all essential spiritual seeds that sprout into the perfect gift, YOU

Caribbean Free Your Mind… and the rest will follow!!!

    I wrote this piece for my Caribbean Voice newspaper column three years ago in 2008, and sadly much of it still applies.

     Ponder with me some pearls of wisdom; words of wisdom that will make you stop, even if only momentarily and reflect.

     Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds! (The Genius of Bob Marley); Don’t think you’re on the right road just because it’s a well-beaten path, and most people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions. (Author Unknown); Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. (Dr. Seuss) Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)  Before you can break out of prison, you must first realize you’re locked up.  (Author Unknown)

     One who walks in another’s tracks leaves no footprints. (Proverb) If everyone is thinking alike then somebody isn’t thinking. (George S. Patton)  If you want to look like the people next door, you’re probably smothering yourself and your dreams. (Clive Barker) If you don’t control your mind, someone else will.  (John Allston)
     There are countless Independence and Emancipation Days across the Caribbean region: like July 1st Emancipation Day in Dutch Antilles; July 1st Emancipation Day in Saint Eustatius (Netherland. Antilles); July 3 US Virgin Islands Emancipation Day; July 10th Bahamas Independence Day; August 1st Emancipation Day; August 6th Jamaica Independence Day; August 31st Trinidad & Tobago Independence Day; September 15th Nicaragua Independence Day; September 21st Belize Independence Day; November 30, Barbados Independence Day, just to name a few.

   Year after year emancipation celebrations are held all around theCaribbeanand its Diaspora, but one must ask, just what are all the festivities about; what great strides have been achieved as a result of this emancipation.  A cruise on or around any island ends up with the same impression, “beautiful sand and sea” but the overall development of the island and her people leaves much to be desired.

   With freedom comes responsibility, and through emancipation one should gain opportunities to discover potential and be afforded ways in which to manifest it. While some feel for too long all the focus has been on resort-building and not people-building, “the government” can not be blamed entirely for the people’s unwillingness to require that the public sector be more responsive to their needs; and “the government” can not be blamed for the people’s unwillingness to work and strive hard to make something of their lives. The government can be faulted if it has not put policies and programs in place to support and foster this human development, for human development is intricately linked to the economic growth of any country.

   Escalating crime, educational underachievement, frightening unemployment, poverty and societal dysfunction are all symptoms of a village in need of healing; and for that healing to occur; people of color across the Caribbean, in theUnited StatesandAfricamust reboot and clear their minds. Far too many of us are so laden with negativity, discouragement, the lack mentality and self-doubt that we are not able to begin to see all of the glorious possibilities that are ours to claim. Some of us have allowed setbacks, poor choices, past failures and disappointment to cause us to simply give up and instead give into the “dat-a-do,” attitude; meaning that you have chosen to simply settle for whatever crumbs you can get and be satisfied, you have decided that will do, enough said and done.

     Our minds are much like the mother board of a computer, when functioning properly and not cluttered with junk, the machine is able to perform commands with high levels of proficiency. But when the motherboard has become corrupted, the performance diminishes until in some cases the computer crashes. That is what has happened to some of us; our minds are so cluttered with corrupt attitudes, habits and feelings that we are enslaved, deeply enslaved and as such, are not able to celebrate true emancipation.

    We are in the year of the 8, 2008, and the 8 looks much like the shackles that our ancestors wore when they were in bondage. During this emancipation season, decide to take the shackles off your mind and begin to dream again, allow hope to transform your spirit; open your mind to see your possibilities, and not the circumstances that challenge you; for when you free your mind, the rest will follow.

Unlocking Your Gateway to Abundance….give thanks

     Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching, and although there are a variety of viewpoints and feelings about this holiday and its origination, each and every day should be a day of thanks, a day filled with gratitude for the many blessings received.

     Each of us no doubt are filled with personal hopes, dreams and expectations, but many of us do not understand how to go about using our talents or know how to achieve our innermost personal desires.  Few of us understand that in life so much of getting is tied to how much we first give.

    Existing all around us, are the divine laws of life, and one of these laws is the Law of Abundance.  The Law of Abundance is rather simple and tells us that by giving you receive. This divine law tells us that we cannot truly enjoy the riches of the universe until we are willing to share them with others.

   Understand, abundance does not mean merely accumulating material wealth and numerous possessions.  For it is very easy to accumulate material wealth and abundance, while neglecting the nurturing of one’s spirit. Far too many of us are rich and entrenched deeply in materialism, but are poor and disenchanted in spirit. Those without, often question how someone can have material wealth and still be unhappy. It is simple, we are all spiritual beings, and our well-being starts with inner peace, not with our list of possessions.

   Typically, when we do not give, when we become too shortsighted and self-focused, failing to give to others, we feel empty inside. Additionally, all of the things that we desire just do not seem to come our way.

   To unlock your gateway to abundance, I would suggest that you consider doing several things. 

   First, give thanks for all the wonderful things that you have received, and also be appreciative of all of your life experiences.  All of our experiences, both good and bad are designed to teach us, to help us grow and develop so that we can maximize our greatest potentials. When some events continue to reoccur in our lives, it is because we have not learned or we refuse to heed the lesson. Do not wait for Thanksgiving or special holidays to express your thanks and gratitude, do it daily, for life, and your unique journey as a part of this life experience are gifts to be cherished

   Secondly, open your heart and soul and become a cheerful giver. Truly the more you give, the more you get. Your giving does not have to be money, trinkets, or other material things. Giving can take all shapes; a warm smile, an encouraging word, a special compliment. All of these forms of giving are just as important as material things. Whatever you wish to receive in life, you first need to be able to give it to others.

    Third, give without expecting anything in return. The intention behind your giving is the key to unlocking the gateway of abundance into your life. When you give to create joy and happiness in the life of others, those same things will come back to you immeasurably.  When we support the hopes, wishes and dreams of others, when you need a dream champion, one will appear in your life simply because we have given so earnestly to others.

    Start practicing the Law of Abundance and watch your life become more joyful and feel your inner spirit soar. This Thanksgiving reflect on all the many blessings that have come your way, instead of rehashing all of the things you feel you have been denied. Choose to have an attitude of gratitude, check your expectations. When you embrace a spirit of abundance, it will MANIFEST in your life

Video: About Dr. DeFoe