I recently met someone who was struggling with a debilitating disease he did not want, yet some of his ongoing actions had more than likely led to where he is right now. Initially, I felt very judgmental about the decisions he was making and I wasn’t very sympathetic about his physical state.
Yet, once I stepped back and began to look with more compassionate and wide-open eyes, I started seeing some of my own inconsistencies.
I say I want to live a more “green” life and I do many things to support that–one of the easiest is using reusable bags when I shop or placing my purchases directly into my purse. This takes almost no effort to do.
But when it comes to something that’s more difficult to implement, I sometimes fall short on my intention to care for Mother Earth or myself. For instance, instead of collecting the water that runs in my shower while I wait for it to get warm, I allow the water to go right down my drain. Or instead of always buying local, I enjoy salads out of season. And instead of making sure I take time to exercise each and every day, I often sleep in later or use that time to get going on the demands of the day.
So am I really any different than the gentleman who is making choices that are probably contributing to his deteriorating health? Not really.
The inconsistencies in my life may not show a direct correlation to my current health but, just like the gentleman, they do seem to be most apparent in the behaviors and actions that are hardest to implement or change. Rather than judge another human being for what I believe he is doing wrong, I need to own up to the awareness that inconsistencies occur in my life because they make my life easier in some way. They may not be best for me or our planet, but they take less effort, since they’re routine and/or habitual.
In my effort to be more authentic, I will continue to work on “becoming” in many aspects of my life. I will continue to check in with myself to see what my intentions are and inventory how I am doing. At the same time, I will work at being more accepting of others and more compassionate towards myself and others–change is difficult–but not impossible.
Most of us are doing the very best we can to be the very best we can. It’s important to acknowledge how far we’ve come as we persevere to achieve that which we most desire.
I desire to be healthy and to live in a way that contributes to our earth’s regained health and vitality. If I can do at least one thing each day that supports those goals, then I am moving in the right direction. At the same time, I can send well wishes to the gentleman who also has goals of wellness.
Namaste!
