Green Spirituality - Lighten Your Carbon Footprint, Enlighten Your Life

By Dora Varis

Man Up and Green Up: Start lightening your carbon footprint and enlighten your life.

Most of us have gotten as far as replacing a few of our old incandescent light bulbs with the more energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs and we've certainly taken a stab at the recycling thing, but what about taking some heavier chunks out of your carbon footprint? We all love nature and appreciate its beauty, but maybe not to the extent that we have been willing to join Greenpeace or anything in order to preserve it. Now we've got some pretty serious problems.

You probably know you're supposed to unplug your electronics, turn off lights and adjust the thermostat, but maybe you're ready for more. Maybe, in a few paragraphs, I can convince you that your personal health and well being are at stake. You want to do more for the environment, sure, but what if you and your environment are one and the same. To man up and green up will affect every level of your being.

Your food supply is threatened by soil depletion and erosion and toxins in the ground water, and therefore your health is threatened. Your water supply is highly vulnerable and may soon be considered a more precious commodity than oil. Maybe you live in a coastal region that may soon be under water as the ice melts and sea levels rise. The very air you breathe is at stake through air pollution and higher Co2 emissions. Is this starting to get your attention?

So what does it mean to "man up and green up"? Manning up - and gender doesn't matter here - means doing the right thing even though it may be inconvenient or even quite difficult at first. It means taking responsibility when something has to be done. It means maturation of spirit. When you wimp out and just leave the mess for somebody else to clean up, you are creating a spiritual deficit in your personal power account ... and your planet, your home, where you live and eat and breathe, suffers.

Conversely, it builds power every time you take the time to tote your water jug to the filter station at the market instead of buying bottled water. You make a power deposit when you start a community garden or carpool, walk or bike to work. Your inner strength grows every time you choose a green-up option like exploring solar energy alternatives, buying organic foods or products made from recycled materials, or using non-toxic cleaners and personal care products in your home.

Consciously choosing to man up and green up will give your spirit a boost that will translate into better health and higher energy. You may find that other areas of your life that you have been struggling with start improving because you are changing the way you think and the way you live.

Of course, your planet will be better off too, if you tread lightly upon it.

Dora Varis is a musician and writer with a passion for green eating and natural living alternatives: http://www.thegreenregime.com Join the green wave of super foods and conscious living and receive a preview of the e-book: Healing Greens by visiting: http://www.thegreenregime.com

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