I’ll be honest. Lately, I’ve been overwhelmed by everything going on in the world. Everywhere I look, there are signs that the earth is overheated and overwhelmed, too. It’s been abnormally hot this fall, when things should be cooling down. There have been catastrophic storms in the US (a recent one just happened in Southern California) and a devastating hurricane in Jamaica. There have been more bear attacks around the world, which have led to travel warnings in Japan.
Every day, there is growing evidence that our beautiful Earth and everything in it are at risk. Our very livelihood, the things we take for granted-clean air, water, nature are under attack.
Yet, many of us are either unaware or unable to do more because we are just trying to survive ourselves.
I was searching for answers for this challenging time we are in, and reached out to Kelly DeMarco, a Resilience coach and regenerative practitioner. You can find out more about her here.
Aligning Your Goals = Healthier Planet for Everyone
I always believed that if everyone lived their purpose, the world would be a better place, which is why I was excited to hear Kelly’s own philosophy, which was a lot like my own.
“Our own personal thriving and planet thriving are dependent on working on our own ecosystem and letting go of things that drain us. That would honor us and the world around us. Aligned actions are what support life and thriving.”
Because there is no separation between how we are living internally and the world around us, if you change one, you automatically affect the other. That’s a good thing for people like us who have a dozen spinning plates, but also care deeply about the planet. Kelly believes that the “same things that are at the root of planetary illness dis-ease, are at the core of our individual dis-ease.”
This is relevant on so many levels. It brings to mind things like greed and the desire to push AI and other technologies to the detriment of our ecosystem. If we were to deal with this core issue, things like discrimination, homelessness, food and water insecurity, species extinction would be replaced with solutions. We have the intelligence and resources to solve many of these issues, but the constant need to circumvent fear and not enoughness keeps us depleted.
What’s One Thing We Can Do
While there are complex issues at play in solving the planet’s problems, there are some good news. Since there is such an intertwined relationship between our own lives and the earth, it doesn’t need to be complicated to make a difference and as Kelly said, it can be done simply by taking care of ourselves.
“As women, our lives are pulling us in all kinds of directions. Many say, ‘I don’t want to have one more thing to do. I need to care for myself.’” That’s okay because she says when we take care of ourselves, we also take care of the planet. Kelly describes a common scenario of going to a party or event when we’re tired. Instead, we could stay home and rest, and this would by default, eliminate the need to drive.
What If You Can’t Change Careers?
Sometimes finding a job that is more aligned with your values is doable, but what if you feel called to make a difference, but you can’t leave your job right now? Kelly says there are still things you can do.
“Shifting our attitude makes a big difference. One woman was involved with her local church and started a sustainability club there and invited people to participate.”
This allowed her to create a positive change in her community, reducing the time and energy it would take to find a new job or venture out to find a network of like-minded people.
The Importance of Connection
Of all the things we could do, Kelly says the number one thing is talking to others about how you’re feeling. “Be courageous in talking about the ache, the parts that you’re worried about…We’ve been conditioned to be silent and in our silence, we think we’re alone.” Even though she says, “Two out of three people have these negative feelings about what’s going on in the world around us.” And sometimes connecting with others can lead to more open doors and opportunities to make positive changes at work or in your community.
If you feel out of alignment with life, feel helpless or hopeless, and are ready to make changes, Kelly created a free guide that will help you ask the right questions to figure out your next steps.
Leave a Reply