Self Improvement – Let’s Get Earthy!

"Earth Day"Earth Day April 22nd – that’s just a load of hippie tree hugging nonsense, right? Well, no, and in this article I’m going to tell you why not, and what you can do about it for your own self improvement…

Let’s go back a few years, to April 22nd 1970, and the first Earth Day, organised by US Senator Gaylord Nelson. Environmental issues were so far down the agenda back then, that basically they *weren’t* on the agenda.

Nelson managed to galvanise various campaigning groups and the public to get together, and 20 million Americans took part in events.

Fast forward to today. Right now. Have we made leaps and bounds in environmental issues? Well, that question really opens a can of worms, doesn’t it!

It could be argued that yes, we have. Corporations and governments have taken action, put laws in place to protect the environment, and this has led to a greater awareness from individuals.

Other people would argue the opposite – that corporations and governments are as bad as ever, maybe even worse, and that on an individual level, the majority of people could not care less about the issue.

Both sides of that argument have valid points, but I want to go to the individual level to talk about self improvement to make 2 points…

1. I hear a lot of people say that what they do makes little to no difference, and compared to the big guns of business and government, they are a worthless drop in the ocean.

Complete nonsense! Utter codswallop, with bells on.

There are, what, 6 billion people on our planet. Lots of those people are restricted in their personal choices unfortunately but vast numbers *do* have vast choices to make, and if you are reading this, you’re in the group with choices!

How about separating your rubbish so as not to fill up landfill sites unnecessarily? How about buying a reusable bag for your shopping? How about talking a little walk instead of the car?

Little things making no difference? No. Consumer power can turn businesses, and our household choices can add up together, which leads me to my second point…

2. Appreciation and abundance. I’ve written about this for many years, it’s slap bang there in my book as well. We live in a world of abundance, we live on a planet of abundance. Appreciate it. The simple act of appreciating what we have can do wonders for our self esteem, and a higher self esteem leads us to make better choices for an improved future.
If that sounds like hippie tree hugging nonsense, or happy clappy motivation, then I’d say this – try it.

Take the opportunity on Earth day to think of something you appreciate about the planet you live on, both on a global scale and down to your own personal level. The think of another thing, and carry on until you get to at least 5 things you appreciate right now, today.

Put yourself either physically or mentally in your favourite place outside, and think about the Earth, think about your own self improvement – it might just make your day!

Do let me know what you think, leave a comment below!

‘Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. My book mentioned in the article is available at a ludicrouse price still!
Transform Your Life in 21 Days!

Do leave a comment!

Leave a Reply to Francene Stanley X

10 Comments

  • Wonderful post! I sooo agree with you. The whole world consists of individuals and what we do make a huge difference to our Earth. As for hugging trees–it’s a great experience. You step forward with reverence–where would the Earth be without trees? Wrap your arms around the trunk as far as they’ll go and commune. Such peace comes back.

    • Thanks Francene,
      The tree hugging degrading was me putting words into other’s mouths, not mine, but your comment has nudged me to go and do it myself, haven’t done it for years! 😉
      Cheers,
      Gordon

  • I agree with you that every little step counts. The “well, if big industries don’t do anything, why should I?” it is just an excuse for me. As you say in your article, we have the power to decide what we buy and how we use or reuse things.
    I do whatever is in my hands to make this planet a greener one, and hope that little by little the minds will change and that everybody will also do it.

    • Hi Amaia,
      Yep, it’s amazing that people will roll out that excuse instead of taking responsibility for their own small actions adding up. Leading by example can be great for influencing our personal circles too.
      Thanks for stopping by!
      Cheers, Gordon

  • Love love love this post! It contains so many of the things that are important to me. I really enjoy recycling, even though I avoid housework as much as I can. For a long time I have thought of recycling, picking up litter etc as a loving act. I have even been known to take cans etc home from relatives’ houses to put in my recycling! Individual actions do make a difference because the entire population of the world is made up of individuals. Love the appreciation thing too. I am lucky enough to live in the countryside but even in the city we can connect with trees etc and we can nearly always see the sky. Thank you, Gordon.

    • Thanks Harriet,
      I like the idea of recycling being an act of love, that’s exactly what Earth Day is about, and it is amazing how much we can benefit ourselves by taking even the smallest time to stop and look at a tree or the sky – simple, effective and available to us all!
      Cheers, Gordon

  • We recycle as much as we can and it’s great now that local government are encouraging it so much in the UK – glass, paper, cardboard, plastic, batteries, cans, food waste and garden waste all go in different containers and are picked up at the door on a regular basis. Charities pick up anything unwanted that can be sold every week or two as well. I just wish that there was not so much packaging on the things we buy so that there was less to recycle.

    • Yes Ana,
      The packaging is still a big issue, but all we can do is keep doing our own little bits, and you are right that it’s being made easier all the time.
      I have mixed views about the idea of ‘forcing’ people by fining those that don’t recycle – ideologically it helps the environment, but maybe it smacks too much of big brother and restrictoin of choice?
      Cheers,
      Gordon