Gardeners of the Earth: Sowing Inner Healing to Reap Global Progress

Ever feel trapped in a cycle of helplessness, believing that every potential positive action might lead to unforeseen negative consequences?

You’re not alone.

Yet, the key to breaking free from the status quo and inspiring a brighter future is closer than you think — it’s within YOU.

On a recent walk with my wife Richelle, the conversation turned to the towering cottonwoods dotting our path. Richelle noted their quick growth, suggesting that the rapid propagation of such trees, or perhaps even bamboo, could be a practical solution to deforestation, ultimately contributing to the healing of our planet. However, she also acknowledged that the large-scale introduction of non-native species could disrupt existing ecosystems, creating new problems in the process. This paradox left us once again feeling powerless, stuck in a status quo that appears immovable. Our seemingly good intentions still had the potential to cause harm, reducing us to inaction.

This encounter gave rise to a thought that has since occupied my mind. Perhaps the most profound change we can effect, one that carries no negative consequences, is the healing of our inner selves. Rather than attempting to manipulate the external world, we can focus on personal growth, seeking harmony within ourselves and extending it outward. By healing ourselves, we may inspire others to undertake the same journey, sparking a cascade of positive transformation.

Indeed, self-discovery and transformation can be complex, and it’s not a journey to embark upon without support. It can be invaluable to consult with mental health professionals who can guide your journey, offering understanding and helping manage emotions. Everyone’s experience is unique, and finding an approach and a guide that resonate with you is essential.

Our modern society often instills a sense of separation in us: the mind is detached from the heart, individuals and social groups are pitted against each other, humans are set apart from animals and nature. When we make decisions in this state of perceived isolation, we often fail to consider our connections to the broader world and the potential ramifications of our choices. Multiply this effect across an 8 billion-strong global population, each person making countless decisions every day, and we find ourselves amidst the current world crises: wars, socioeconomic and geographical inequality, environmental catastrophe, and mass extinction.

To truly initiate healing, we must begin with our mental health, integrating our internal contradictions, aligning our heart and mind, and living every moment aware of our interconnectedness with all things. This is the communion that sacred texts spoke of: a state of oneness with our whole selves, each other, and the planet. Now imagine a mirror image of our world where we live this sense of communion.

In this mirrored reality, society cultivates interconnectedness rather than separation. Every decision made, by every individual among the global population, arises from a sense of oneness with the world and its inhabitants. We create technology that augments our minds ability to consider as many complex interconnections as necessary. Every action becomes a ritual of love, connection and respect, reflecting our deep knowledge and understanding that to harm another is to harm oneself. This communion nurtures a harmonious world marked by more peace, equality, and environmental stewardship, demonstrating that our collective wellbeing is intrinsically tied to the wellbeing of all.

This is a sustainable world where not only do humans have a rightful and sustainable place, but also where we take pride and find fulfillment in having contributed to its creation. It’s a world where the simple act of belonging brings immense satisfaction. From consumers of the Earth to gardeners of the Earth.

I know this is a lot to take in and you might think to yourself that I am being unreasonable and even na?ve in saying those things and that you’re ready to scroll on. I would like to respectfully challenge this perspective. I make the proposal that this very thought is a defense mechanism stemming from our conditioning to perpetuate the equilibrium of the status quo. It is a feeling of separation from this message. Exactly the separation I am urging us to heal from. But you may ask for more concrete advice on how to engage on the path of healing. I will attempt a suggestion.

This healing process starts with scrutinizing every information, thought, feeling, or system that fosters a sense of separation between us and others. We need to be mindful of the ways in which we might unconsciously contribute to divisions, whether that’s through language, actions, or unexamined beliefs.

We need to acknowledge these divisive elements, understand their origins, take notes of them and explore ways to reconcile the dichotomies.

The underlying assumption here is that separation is the illusion, while hidden unity is the true nature of reality.

Let’s consider a man named Stan who’s dealing with this issue. Stan, raised in a culture where men were expected to be stoic, hiding their emotions and always appearing strong, was struck by a male artist’s interview about his raw emotional experiences. Rather than dismissing it as weak or unmanly, Stan noted it and reflected on why this openness seemed so foreign yet so compelling. He began to question societal norms about masculinity and emotional expression. Acknowledging that his stoicism was learned, not inherent, he saw that his emotional repression was not protecting him, but rather disconnecting him from others and himself. Realizing emotional expression could enrich his relationships, he chose to be more open, starting with joy and progressing to other emotions. Over time, he found that allowing himself to experience and express his emotions did not make him less of a man, but rather a more whole, connected being, redefining his understanding of manhood. This transformation started with a simple question and led to a profound shift towards unity and authenticity.

Indeed, healing is a never-ending process, and none of us can completely resolve every contradiction, every pair of opposites. Yet, by healing some of these, we have the chance to help heal others around us, and in doing so, begin the collective healing of humanity.

This idea of polarity is echoed in the wisdom of The Kybalion, an esoteric text that shares the teachings of Hermetic philosophy. The text illuminates the Fourth Hermetic Principle, the Principle of Polarity, which asserts that everything is dual and has a pair of opposites. The difference between these opposites is not absolute but a matter of degree, hinting at an inherent unity underlying all things.

According to this principle, what we perceive as diametrically opposed elements are just different manifestations of the same thing. Heat and cold, light and darkness, good and bad are all pairs of opposites, but they exist on the same continuum, with countless degrees between them. Even what we categorize as love and hate are not absolute; they are different degrees on the scale of emotions, transmutable into each other by shifting their polarity.

Understanding this principle provides a powerful tool for transformation. We can learn to transmute fear into courage, hate into love, and passivity into action by simply shifting our mental state along the spectrum.

Finally, recognize that this is a process and not an end state. No one achieves perfect unity, perfect integration, perfect healing. Instead, we are all on a journey of discovery and self-improvement, always learning and growing. The goal is not to eliminate all opposition, but to learn to navigate it, to find the common ground and the hidden unity within it.

When we start seeing our connection to others, to the environment, to the universe, we start making decisions differently. Our actions become less about “me” and more about “we”. That shift alone can be profoundly healing, not just for us as individuals, but, when multiplied by 8 billions, for the entire planet.

In conclusion, the answer to emerge out of the cycle of powerlessness and inability to enact positive change is to turn our work inward and to heal our inner selves. We need to start by reintegrating our hearts and minds and realize our oneness with the world. By healing our inner selves, we can help heal the world. Remember, change starts within us.