11 Dec 2004 @ 12:05, by swanny
Towards A Holistic Lifestyle
It seems with each passing day, we are beginning to hear more and more about how the planet can no longer tolerate or process, what seems to amount to our abuse or ignorance of it. Our desires for instant gratification and addictive natures seem to have accumulated to the point where, if we do not become conscious of and change some of these destructive patterns and now, the consequences to the future will be compounded and dire. It is interesting to realize that hey, we puny human beings as a whole, can have an impact on this planet, which when thought about is quite extraordinary given its vastness and scope. Yet wouldn't it be more logical and better to have an impact that is perhaps beneficial, constructive, and advantageous rather than negative or destructive.
What though, could be considered in a nutshell, to be our most destructive behavior pattern? It is difficult to say and to nail it down to one predominant behavior. I think the effects are cumulative and habitual and the problem lies in the area of "behaviors" or lifestyles. I suspect then that it is the "consumptive" lifestyles that have allowed the problem to propagate and fester. They say for instance, that there are now more cars in North America than people. An indication that something is rather skewed. It would seem then that this consumptive lifestyle is somewhat inconsistent, problematic, and incompatible with the planets design constraints or at least the design constraints of the existing and current "biosphere."
Now over time perhaps, the planet could possibly "evolve" to accommodate this human error but evolution does not happen overnight or not usually and I think humanity has to kick a little cash and effort and contribute something to the equation. How? What can be done? What can we do?
Well in my own opinion and estimation, I think part of the answer perhaps lies in making and adopting a more conscious, committed and holistic lifestyle and thusly living in a more holistic manner or what could be called, adopting a more holistic outlook to life rather that the consumptive one. What would a more holistic lifestyle or outlook involve or be? Being holistic perhaps is about thinking logically but also living a little more out of ones own box and on a global scale or sense and being conscious and aware of how ones behaviors, actions and even thoughts effect, affect and impact the well being and health of the planet as a whole. And it means not simply paying lip service to such but actually doing, living and embodying it. It means accommodating and following the process and path through to its natural, logical and cumulative outcome and outputs, in the that way things work on this Earth, which to my understanding, is in a sense, in a whole systems and cyclic manner.
Is this the answer then? Ah alas if only life were so simple but If we can at least begin and do this and perhaps a little more and then if we can pass this knowledge and wisdom on to the future generations then humanity could stand a better chance of being more than just a minor blip on the universe's timetable.
Alfred G. Jonas
2004 Earth (c)
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