Globally Interrelated

We are all connected to each other, simply through the nature of life. Each and every one of us needs the same basic elements to survive, and we all depend on our environment - planet earth - to provide us these necessities.

The Dalai Lama explains that "interdependence is a fundamental law of nature", in his book, My Spiritual Journey. "It concerns more than just the more evolved forms of life, for even the smallest insects are social beings who, without the slightest religion, law, or education, survive thanks to mutual cooperation, based on an innate recognition of their interrelatedness."

If we truly hope to move our current civilization forward in a positive way, capable of overcoming the serious threats of our time, we must recognize our potential as individuals within a collective global society that is interrelated. We all need to cultivate an awareness of how our individual impacts ripple through the connectedness of humanity as a whole, creating our current and future reality.

Author John Perkins, in his book The Secret History of the American Empire, emphasizes how individuals can make a big impact and crucial difference within this realm of interdependence. He says "it is imperative that we develop an awareness that every action we take and every product we buy impacts other people and the places where they live; collectively, our lifestyles today determine the future our children and grandchildren will inherit."

Our inspiration for finding this awareness in ourselves and nurturing it, should be an intrinsically fulfilling, altruistic motivation to do what is fair and right for humanity and for all life forms with which we cohabitate on Earth. It may be difficult to tap into this concept at first for many reasons, including the fact that we're all experiencing life differently, along with all the distractions that accompany our personal, day to day lives. Once we acknowledge and accept our interrelatedness, our responsibilities as citizens of a united and connected world become clearer, making it easier and more effortless to choose and act in accordance with what benefits the global community and the future - not solely the individual and the now.

As the Dalai Lama states in his book, "universal responsibility is the best possible basis to ensure our personal happiness and world peace. It implies that everyone be given equal access to natural resources, by protecting the environment for future generations." He explains that "the human community has reached a critical point in its history. The world today forces us to accept that humanity is one. In the past, the various communities could allow themselves to think that they were separate. But today...what happens in one country affects many other countries. The world is becoming more and more interdependent." Closing the point he says, "without understanding and promoting the sense of our universal responsibility, our future itself is threatened." Explaining further that "many problems in the world arise because we have lost sight of the basic humanity that unites all members of the human family. We tend to forget that despite the diversity of race, religion, culture, language, and ideology, we all have an equal and fundamental right to peace and happiness."

Together we can do this. We can take individual strides to create a better future for everyone. And in doing so, we can shift the status quo, we can cause a mindset change toward simple, sustainable and satisfying lifestyles. Remember, ECO-MAD: Exert Conscientious Options - Make A Difference!

**Put It Into Practice**

There are nearly 7.5 billion of us on this planet. Think about that power in numbers. All it takes is cooperation. Even baby steps help if they're in the right direction. If we all use a single-use plastic cup, straw or bag even once in our life then that's 7.5 billion pieces of waste across the globe breaking down over thousands of years and causing environmental plight as it does so. But, if all 7.5 billion of us said no to the single-use option even just once, there would be 7.5 billion less pieces of trash existing across the globe! Imagine how much waste could be reduced from the consumption cycle and removed from our environment if even half the population of the world took steps to switch to a more sustainable lifestyle. Billions and billions of pieces of unnecessary waste not being created, not polluting the planet, not endangering our future - that's a win for all of humanity.