Hi Sonya,

Yes I struggled with this one for a long time and frequently still do. The more we expand our consciousness the more we feel the pain of mother earth.

I remember my feelings before I awakened to unity consciousness - I did consider protecting the environment but it seemed like the small changes I could make were but an insignificant drop in an ever rising ocean.

It wasn't until I actually connected with the consciousness of mother earth and felt our oneness that I realised I couldn't continue to pollute her even if what I did made much difference in a world that seemingly doesn't care.

As I reflect back to before my awakening, I see that I can't really blame or judge anyone because I have been equally guilty - "let he who is without sin cast the first stone".

When you start looking at pollution, you soon realise that practically everything we do in today's society pollutes mother earth in some way.

When we buy food from the supermarket, likelihood is that it was flown several thousand miles to get there. The same goes for our clothes, plastic goods and paper.

When we look at it in this way, it becomes easier not to judge others - that still doesn't stop us from polluting as little as possible though.

In my view, for these very reasons, our society has become unsustainable and nothing short of total collapse and restructuring is going to turn things around in any significant way.

In the meantime, if we are able to see that every single action that we take is an invitation to realise who we are then the problem matters less - even though we still care about it.

Everything is self realisation - that (in my truth) is the ONLY purpose of being here.

"what the caterpillar sees as the end of the world, the master sees as a butterfly"

My heart goes out to you.

Chris

Hi Chris

Thanks for explaining the way you see it to me. It is something I really struggle with, but put in the context of self enlightenment and awakening, it feels a little more manageable.

I understand that people don't realise what they're doing, but that's where my anger comes from - it comes from my frustration with people for being (or acting) so blind to what's happening. Releasing this, I guess, is the only way to move beyond it.

I sometimes feel that mankind is on a headlong course into self destruction and there's nothing I can do to stop it. But, hearing the quote about the caterpillar and the butterfly does put it into context more. Maybe that's the way it's meant to go? And maybe something far, far more beautiful will emerge from this. It does really scare me sometimes though. I try to see past the illusion, but sometimes the fear creeps in uninvited to rattle my heart!

My last posting made me think of this REM song - I guess the important bit is that it might be the end of the world as we know, but I feel fine.....(or do I?)

That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane -
Lenny Bruce is not afraid. Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn -
world serves its own needs, don't misserve your own needs. Feed it up a knock,
speed, grunt no, strength no. Ladder structure clatter with fear of height,
down height. Wire in a fire, represent the seven games in a government for
hire and a combat site. Left her, wasn't coming in a hurry with the furies
breathing down your neck. Team by team reporters baffled, trump, tethered
crop. Look at that low plane! Fine then. Uh oh, overflow, population,
common group, but it'll do. Save yourself, serve yourself. World serves its
own needs, listen to your heart bleed. Tell me with the rapture and the
reverent in the right - right. You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright
light, feeling pretty psyched.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

Six o'clock - TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign tower. Slash and burn,
return, listen to yourself churn. Lock him in uniform and book burning,
blood letting. Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate. Light a candle,
light a motive. Step down, step down. Watch a heel crush, crush. Uh oh,
this means no fear - cavalier. Renegade and steer clear! A tournament,
a tournament, a tournament of lies. Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives
and I decline.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

The other night I tripped a nice continental drift divide. Mount St. Edelite.
Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Breshnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.
Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom! You symbiotic, patriotic,
slam, but neck, right? Right.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine...fine...

(It's time I had some time alone)

Yes S, I too have struggled with people's seeming indifference to the destuction of our natural ecosystems. I read a startling fact today that if everyone on the planet had the lifestyle that we partake of in the UK, we would need THREE planets to sustain us!!!

It still does frustrate me but then I remember a little piece of guidance spirit once gave me:

"How can you be a candle in the darkness is there is no darkness?"

Yes, I too believe we are entering "end times" and it will become "the end of the world as we know it" - so not necessarily the end of the world in a physical sense but, perhaps the collapse of our unsustainable way of living.

Did you know for example that there is £1.1 trillion of personal debt in the country? It only takes a hike in oil price and interest rates to bring on a recession followed by depression followed by....

This is what happened in the 30's. It wouldn't take much to bring it on again.

In my view, it would be a good thing - we can't continue much longer as we are.

Much love

Chris

It's interesting that you mentioned personal debt. Yes, so many people across the UK alone are sitting with an incredible debt millstone around their necks. Might feel uncomfortable now, but what if the FTSE crashed, or a major hike in oil prices, maybe this is all folk need to push them and the economy over the edge. People start to loose their homes, and yes, from recession to depression and so the downward spiral gets faster and faster.

Combine that with flash flooding, hurricanes, power blackouts, transport networks start to disintegrate....

Here's an article posted http://news.uk.msn.com/global_warming_hotspots.aspx which claims that we only really have 10 years left before it's too late. I suspect it already is, but remember, if people think it is already too late then they don't bother to change their behaviour at all. Maybe, just maybe, if people think we have a little time, something of our world can be salvaged.....if the caterpillar is to become the butterfly, its essence needs to remain, not be destroyed completely eh?

But I can't leave this posting there as it's far too gloomy...

...and no sooner had I typed that sentance than Monty Python's 'Always look on the bright side of life' popped into head.

For me it's really important to be able to air these views, but I always need to find the space for a smile too.

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree"
- Martin Luther King Jr

I too have found it difficult to stand and watch helplessly as this planet is destroyed and abused! My heart goes out to anyone out there who is inspired to help make things more harmonious.

All we can really do is open our minds and hearts, and flow...

Heartfuls of Love
Trinity

p.s S - I was humming the REM song all the time a few months ago too!!! (and also "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine" ). We should write a new forum dedicated to your pick of the day

"When the day is long and the night, the night is yours alone,
When you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on.
Don't let yourself go, everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes.

Sometimes everything is wrong. Now it's time to sing along.
When your day is night alone, (hold on, hold on)
If you feel like letting go, (hold on)
When you think you've had too much of this life, well hang on.

Everybody hurts. Take comfort in your friends.
Everybody hurts. Don't throw your hand. Oh, no. Don't throw your hand.
If you feel like you're alone, no, no, no, you are not alone

If you're on your own in this life, the days and nights are long,
When you think you've had too much of this life to hang on.

Well, everybody hurts sometimes,
Everybody cries. And everybody hurts sometimes.
And everybody hurts sometimes. So, hold on, hold on.
Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on.
Everybody hurts. You are not alone."

Thanks for your posting of that song Chris. Just last night my relationship with someone very special ended and as I'm sat here feeling very sorry for myself I thought I'd check Openhand forum for some words of comfort and lo and behold, there was your posting of that song.

I guess it's ok to be really upset and feel like letting go and that it's all too much, but it's also really comforting to remember that I'm not alone.

And your thought for the day really sums it up too. This time the best course of action really is to do nothing, which in my heart I know is right. Poignant words indeed...

Bless your heart! Know that you are never alone S.
Within your heart is the entire universe!
All Love
Trinity
xxx