Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.
-Chief Seattle, 1854
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.
-Chief Seattle, 1854
::elizabeth::
How we feel about the web is important too. I try hard not to despair over all the ecological challenges that our world faces. I choose to believe that our earth is powerful, beautiful, and able to heal. I choose to recognize the sacredness of all life, to be mindful of my relationship to all life, and make choices that will not cause suffering.
I have to start with myself….I have to try hard not to despair over all the challenges that I face. I have to believe that I am powerful, beautiful, and able to heal. I have to recognize my own divine nature, to be mindful of what I do to my body and make choices that will not cause suffering.
Whatever I do to myself, I do to the web.
::lisa::
This quote is such a powerful reality check and grounding reminder to me. So often do I feel so caught up in this or that, yet if I take a moment to step back from whatever it is that is on my plate in any given moment, I can see that I am merely a speck of dust in comparison to this vast web of life that we are all a part of.
I feel like our present day society tends to be very power and control centered…we live in a very all about “ME” world. We always tend to need more of this or more of that to make our life better in some way. I too get this itch of desire, however, I always try to bring myself back to what is really important when this nasty feeling emerges, reminding myself, that never could I ever be content anywhere else in any way, regardless of what I had or didn’t have, unless I am able to be completely content and at peace right here and now in whatever situation I am in.
The more at peace I am, the more peaceful the people around me feel, and so on and so on. I think of it as a domino effect; having the ability to affect others through many connective layers. Everyone and everything on our planet, and far beyond our levels of comprehension, are connected. By reminding ourselves to remain centered in the positive, we have the ability to reach far lengths within this web of life, creating a more positive world and environment. Even if we do not see the results of our actions firsthand, the effects always come circling around and back to us in one way or another. This quote says, “we are but one thread”, and together we have the power to weave an inspirational tapestry that can reach far far beyond our tiny little world.
The speech this quote comes from is one of my favorite pieces of writing. The idea that we are a strand of the web of life, connected to everything else, is a complete paradigm shift from the common idea that we are separate from the rest of reality. If we accept that we are truly connected, our every way of being in this life changes, for everything is an extension of ourselves.
ReplyDeleteLovely.
Oh, I love your messages today! A few of the many things that stood out to me in your words were these: "I choose to believe that our earth is powerful, beautiful, and able to heal." And that we are the same... powerful, beautiful, and able to heal. (Such comfort in these words!)
ReplyDeleteI also love how you shared that we search for more of "this or that" to make our lives better in some way, but really none of those "things" truly bring peace and contentment. ~We can choose to feel peace and contentment right here and now in our lives. ~ ~Love this! As always, thank you so very much for a beautiful entry!
Yikes~ I just noticed as I posted my comment that my name is listed as "about me!" I was doing some re-arranging on my blog the other day and think I made a bit of a mistake there... glad I noticed that here and was able to fix it to show my name. ~A bit embarrassing. :0) Sorry!
ReplyDeleteThe more at peace we are with ourselves the more people are peaceful around us...I am a believer of that. Also I think our circumstances whatever they might be seem more peaceful.
ReplyDeleteI have a mantra "refocus your focus" it gets me out of a lot of trouble I concoct for myself...and into calmer/peaceful waters.
Beautiful post today girls.
Lovely words today ladies.
ReplyDeleteI agree. One bad attitude can quickly bring everyone else down. Keeping focused on being positive really helps. And remembering we are but one little speck on this earth.
camilla, i like your mantra so much. i'm gonna remember that.
ReplyDeletelisa and elizabeth, i love being reminded of this, the butterfly effect.....i also love thinking about the VASTNESS of the universe, of all the universes, and how something i do, hopefully peaceful, will reach to the end of all the universes somehow. and i love to think about how it can travel that vast distance in an instant. magic.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate the quotes you two choose. Some I know, some I don't, all such powerful statements. I can relate to what both of you share here, but Elizabeth, in particular, this week. I fight feelings of panic regularly now about the state of our environment. I know I am not doing all I can to help the earth, but it is the actions of others I cannot control that worry me the most. I saw someone pull their car over to throw their fast food containers on the side of a field the other day. I can't imagine. It seems such a small group of people trying to change the burden of everyone. That doesn't mean I give up, but it does mean I worry for our children.
ReplyDeleteNicola
ps. I only just noticed you linked to my post under radiating light. Thank you!