722nd Week: One Person Can Make A Difference

I recently saw a brief video about a man in Brazil who, through his focus and efforts over many years, restored a rainforest to an area that had lost its vegetation and water. As I watched the video, it reminded me of something that many people think is only fantasy but that, for me, is an ever-present reality. In my mind, this man was guided by Nature’s Intelligence to plant vegetation in a process that spontaneously returned water to the region where he lives. Here’s a link to his brief, inspiring documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndWyBU9mWlM

The other thing this video brought to mind is how powerful one person’s daily commitment and activities can be. During all the years this man planted vegetation on his land, his neighbors didn’t understand why he was doing so, and yet—through his persistence in heeding the call he felt from the land—he restored an entire ecosystem one small act at a time. For me, this speaks to the ways in which each of us can play an active role in caring for, and restoring, our world. This might be in the area of restoring the health of an ecosystem, as this man did. It may involve restoring right relations amongst neighbors or generating small acts of kindness toward service providers. It may mean working to create policies at your workplace that enhance the experience of employees. The possibilities for these small acts in all areas of life are endless…

As with the man from Brazil, an aspect of generating small acts that make a difference is to allow yourself to be inspired, guided, and moved toward situations and issues that call to you. For this man, the land called to him and, in that call, brought inspiration that guided him to begin to plant trees and other vegetation. For this week’s practice in conscious living, I invite you to notice what calls you to action—small acts, perhaps, maybe not yet part of a long-term vision, or maybe a long-term vision that then reveals first, small steps. Part of the invitation is to allow yourself to be moved by a felt-sense of what you need to do and then to notice what emerges.

There are countless opportunities in any given day to offer your world small acts that restore, heal, or serve. Notice how it affects your internal quality of life when you allow yourself to listen to the small prompts that may arise as you move through your everyday activities. Remember to bring along curiosity as your constant companion and to gently pat on the head any judgments that may arise as you engage this practice.