This time last year, I was well into the shutdown of our nation – of the world – as coronavirus spread wide.
We all were impacted – some, of course, more severely than others.
Still, we were all impacted as we had to learn to live different lives. Social outings became a big no-no, work became a greater challenge, and the isolation was felt strongly.
Meanwhile, every single day, an endless wheel spun out the numbers – this many cases today; this many deaths today.
We were all impacted. It was devastating.
Yet, it all gave me a certain hope.
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Hope.
For this one reason: The world we had been living in was far from ideal, and I knew that a brighter world was within our reach if only we were willing to embrace it.
Here, today, I have an invitation for you: to help me open up to a brighter world: one in which we choose health, for our selves, for those around us, and for our dear planet.
We’ll loop back around to what that means. But first, allow me to continue with this story…
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As for that world we had been living in…
Our planet’s climate was changing significantly. We continued to pollute, to litter, and to take resources at non-sustainable rates, leaving awful scars across this beautiful planet of ours.
Meanwhile, our own species was breaking itself down. The state of most individual’s health was horrendous. Talking to others about important issues was becoming increasingly charged – making any chance of creating meaningful change less likely. And, of course, technology was stealing our attention at every moment.
All the while, we were drowning in unfulfilling dreams: working hard for outcomes that brought little satisfaction; living lives that didn’t radiate happiness.
The world wasn’t looking so great to my eyes, and I know that many – if not most – of the others I spoke to shared this same viewpoint.
So, when the world turned upside down and we were locked away with nothing else to do but listen to the numbers and think about all that was happening – the wheel turning day after day after day – I had hope.
That maybe we would pay attention. That maybe something would change.
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Today I stand in a world that is re-opening. Most of the population has been vaccinated, and the vaccine seems to be working. That is, rates are down in areas where people have been willing and able to receive the vaccine. Those who have been double vaccinated appear – for the most part – to be safe from the virus at this time.
Today, things are looking up. But today, I look back on the past year, and what I see horrifies me.
Of course, there’s the obvious horror: A world of individuals locked away in their homes, isolated from friends and family. The overwhelmed hospitals. Overworked healthcare workers desperately doing what they could for a losing battle.
So. Many. Lives. Lost.
But there’s another, more insidious horror. One that cuts me to the bone:
Memories of Covid testing – and later vaccination – sites luring individuals in with donuts; advertisements for the major soda companies displayed prominently in the background.
How could we not pay attention to the strong data that showed it is those who are metabolically unhealthy who are most affected by this virus?
We lived through a year-long (and counting) pandemic, yet I never heard any mention of a push to change our health habits from elected leaders or major news outlets. Instead, what I witnessed appeared to point in the same direction we had been living:
- pushing industries that create poor health outcomes
- pushing only medical technology to address the worst of the problems that inevitably arise
This is all to say, we built a world that readily creates unhealthy individuals and we built a system to manage that poor health.
Then, this unsustainable model turned our world upside down, and instead of looking at how our poor model is dysfunctional, we made the decision to stick with it.
And that is heart breaking.
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Then there’s the problem of our dear planet, for what I witnessed in the great outdoors:
Memories of being in my favorite outdoor areas – now crawling with humans, littering nature, and starting fires. It appeared that, because cities were now dangerous, we decided we had to bring our awful human habits to the great outdoors.
How could we not simply share the outdoors together, being even minimally respectful of the land and those around us?
I’m always happy to see more people getting outside, for I truly believe that connecting with nature is one of the greatest paths to health and well-being.
But as we do, it’s essential that we go into nature from a space of understanding and respect: that we are but one part of this world, and the world only functions if we work together, take only what we need, and respect the land and all others on it.
Unfortunately, the modern world didn’t get this memo, and the great migration out into nature that was driven by city shut-downs did nothing to instill this.
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Finally, and maybe even worst of all, today the world is opening back up, and what I am witnessing is that we are all so eager to rush back into the same world we had been living before.
Nothing changed, except that there are fewer among us while many are dealing with chronic symptoms of one more disease. Meanwhile, the virus still spreads.
Oh, and more forests have burned down.
But nothing else changed.
And that is utterly, completely, heart breaking.
An Invitation
Over the past year, my heart has been broken far more times than ever before in my life.
That breaking open is a factor of the number of difficult events I went through and witnessed around me, but it is also a factor of something else:
A willingness to take a good look; to let what is happening make an impact.
A willingness to refuse to look away.
A willingness to be in this; because this is reality, and it is only going to change when we are in this.
I no longer have hope that things will change on a cultural level. At least not soon, anyway. We were shattered, and we will be put back together again into the same fragile shape.
What I do have is a hope – combined with a fierce plan – to make this change we so desperately need happen at the level of the individual.
An individual – just like you.
Which is why I’m here, today, with an invitation for you to join me in healing this world.
Healing.
Beginning with our own selves – our own bodies and our own minds – as we help encourage the same for those around us.
Along the way, looking out towards our planet, doing all we can to support the healing out there.
So, here I am, inviting you to join me in the latest initiative to focus on healing.
Of our own bodies, because the modern world does not support it with the nourishment it needs, while also providing too much junk with so little movement.
Of our own minds, because the modern world is filled with stressors that are all just so hard on us.
And, of course, of our dear planet.
And, yes, I do think we can do it all. Not necessarily at once, but over time, with the right process, I believe whole-hearedly that we can make the journey.
Ready to take the first step?
Here’s How in 4 Steps
- First, go Join The Facebook Group
- Second, Join The Newsletter
- Third, read this post outlining The Process for moving forward through your own health journey.
- Finally, and most importantly, set the intention to show up for the journey every single day, whatever that means for you.