Blog Action Day is here at last!! Blog Action Day (Monday, October 15, 2007) is to promote awareness and action around the environment. Rima and Neda are showcasing art on their gallery Maraya Galleries. My contribution can be seen in my post here. Here is another painting in honor of the earth. The face in the painting is from oil painting, Mother Watching All.

Compassion, Digital © Diane Clancy

I have been writing off and on all week about the environment on this blog. Tonight I want to talk about 3 more aspects of the environment …. awareness, consciousness and compassion. Obviously, if we pay more attention to our world around us, then we will behave in a more responsible way.

The earth, the environment is what allows us to live. Without the earth, we are not alive. Everything physical – and we are physical beings – comes from the earth. If you have an expensive, sporty car and you don’t take care of it, it won’t last. The earth is our vehicle for life. We have to take care of her to live – and for our children and grandchildren to live.

In some Native American cultures, there is a saying to “Weigh the effect of your every action on the next 7 generations.” So not just your grandchildren but their grandchildren and then some. This is the consciousness and awareness that I am speaking of. Thinking about our impact on the environment. Little actions can build on each other. Little actions can impact things to move toward protecting the earth.

At the same time compassion is important – and crucial!! Compassion for ourselves that we are far from perfect, compassion for our fellow people who also struggle to do what is right. The purpose is not to hold up some impossible standard and try to be pure. It is not about purity and being perfect – we are human and NOT perfect. But striving and working toward lessening our impact. As humans, I guarantee we will impact the earth and use resources.

Compassion is also for the other humans and for the animals and for nature itself. When we feel compassion and connection, then we will also naturally be more responsible toward others and the earth. Compassion and connection for ourselves (all parts of ourselves) and for others, including the earth is necessary.

Awareness, consciousness and compassion will go a far way toward helping us take better care of the earth our home. Please share your own stories.

~ Diane Clancy

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