Blessed Unrest

"Blessed Unrest" by Paul Hawken is a book I will probably be blogging about for a long time because it has given me so much clarity. I'm almost finished reading it, but what I can say now is that it is a direct hit on what is currently on my mind and soul.

How can we save the world?

Well, Hawkens says that what we really need to do is reinvent our civilization. The main challenge is how can we modify human behavior to stop screwing the Planet and the millions of underprivileged people who live on it?

He says we actually are taking action, in a million different ways around the world. He points out to the thousands of social justice and environmental organizations that ARE making a difference. He compares them to the body's immune system -- responding to a hostile pathogen.

Now, these are the most profound words that I will ever say:

We humans need to reinvent our relationship with the environment and to one another. That is the secret of our survival and sustainability.

In short, we need to live in such a way that we are not harming people, places, and other creatures. This is hard to do because we are so entrenched in our lifestyles, and we may not realize that each day, in a thousand little ways, we are hurting fellow humans and the Earth. This really hits the nail on the head of what my life's mission is all about. I thank author Paul Hawken so much for giving me this clarity.

Now, to begin the work -- at all levels. We need to continually pressure our institutions from the bottom up. Tomorrow I am going 90 miles away to another town to campaign for a green politician, going door-to-door. I really don't want to do it, but I've been lacking a little courage lately and need to face my fears. Most people, even highly involved activists, don't have the balls to do this. But I think of the people around the world who are risking their lives for their environmental or social cause, and I figure this is the least I can do.

I have to keep in mind that INSTITUTIONS THAT BENEFIT FROM THE STATUS QUO WILL RESIST CHANGE. Of course, the three big institutions in this world are government, religion, and corporations. All three are in urgent need of reform, and, once again, the pressure needs to be applied from below.

As for me, I am just a mass collection of cells. I am no better than my dog, any other living thing, or any other person. Maybe that's what Jesus was trying to tell us, but no one listened. Yeah, right.