Spiritual Sustainability: So You Want to Change the World? Start Inside

Changing the world begins within, with healing our deepest wounds, which creates a lasting ripple effect on others and the planet itself

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Our planet needs healing. Yes, it’s true. The tragic imbalance of our Earth is evident daily. Our forests, oceans, animals, and climate require people who care and people who will advocate for change. But how? Politics, laws, and protests aren’t creating lasting change. Most days, we only see more turmoil than turning points. I see many people advocating, but I see very few healing themselves first. Maybe this is a red flag? Perhaps this is a life-saving flair shooting high in the sky. If so, I am pulling the trigger.

Deeper healing is needed. Healing of humanity’s spirit. Healing of our hearts and minds. 

We have to think outside the box and consider something beyond our tangible world. The imbalance we see on our planet is a mere reflection of the unseen inner imbalance within ourselves. To create a lasting change, we cannot heal one without the other. Sustainability is the true essence of ‘healing’. 

One of my teachers, Baron Baptiste, gives the perfect description of transformation in his book Being of Power. He says, “If you took a banana and turned it into a mango, that wouldn’t be transformation. But if you took a banana and turned it into a banana that tasted like a mango, that would be transformation, because the new fruit would look the same but possess entirely new qualities. Transformation means housing a different quality and substance inside the same form.” 

What a brilliant way to describe lasting change — it’s an inside job.

Unless we connect ourselves to our inner wisdom, we fail to become the fullest manifestations of our life’s purpose. Spoiler alert: we all have unique gifts to offer humanity — it’s the way we are hardwired. Our natural talents and gifts were perfectly designed to bring balance to our world from the inside-out. When we look within for this wisdom, it’s there waiting for us. It was always there. But most of us don’t bother to look and get curious. We go to school, get jobs that make money, spend the money, get bored and exhausted, and then sometimes we decide to start looking for more meaning somewhere around our mid-life. Sometimes. Sometimes we buy a corvette or get a nose job. 

We all too often try to change the outside and ignore the inside.

I started my non-profit, Spiritual-Sustainability.org, to teach this understanding to people who are ready to transform and help humanity transform as well. My mission is to build a community of support around the essential people healing our hearts and thus positively impacting our planet through lasting methods. Artists, teachers, shamans, musicians, leaders, influencers, and many more who are all healing themselves and also the wounds of humanity, individually and collectively. However, the structure is set up significantly different. I only accept donors who are vetted and strictly aligned with our vision for holistic healing and transformation. I keep a very small, committed roster of donors so we can effectively collaborate and make their substantial legacy projects a reality with the most significant impact.

As people heal the deep wounds that prevent compassion and connection, then our planet receives these gifts. 

As our planet thrives, so will her people. As the landscapes suffer, so does our soul’s imprint. This cycle will continue until we reach a better understanding.

Spiritual-Sustainability is about cultivating a sustainable spirit, becoming more connected to yourself, to others and our beautiful planet. This connection is within, and your intuition is your guide. We support three critical areas with our funding; the arts and music, film and video, and retreats to share this mission. Our programs range from small, intimate settings to concert venues and festivals. Our methodology teaches transformation from the present moment.

Using the methodology of Spiritual-Sustainability, you will survey your current intuitive state. Regular assessment and refinement is a defining key in masterful living. Through our programs, you will tap into and deepen your intuitive level (no matter where you are on your growth journey). When you increase your growth capacity, others are inspired. It creates a ripple effect that ultimately cures compassion fatigue and accomplishes far more for our environment, including humanity.

When you gain more in-depth insights, you will increase a natural desire for a committed (or re-committed) spiritual practice. You will grasp the importance of healing our collective consciousness, which allows for more significant impact socially, politically, environmentally, and globally. You may be thinking, “How does my one life matter?”

I am a spiritual coach and advisor, but I call myself a ‘spiritual activist’ because we need more people advocating for the spiritual healing of our inner wounds as much as we do our environmental issues. 

I believe the two are intrinsically related, and until we acknowledge that the flame of our spirit as collective humanity has been snuffed out, very little will change with lasting impact. 

I invite all avid environmental activists to join me in the discussion of making the powerful shift internally and allow me to show them what is possible externally. When we operate from authentic empowerment, significant changes will occur in our physical environment; the outside will always match the inside. This symmetry isn’t just my opinion. It is the nature of resonance. It’s physics.

Whether you acknowledge it or not, your life matters. Your unique fingerprint is proof enough; there is no one else like you on this planet. When you cultivate your uniqueness, you are playing the most significant leading role in healing yourself and others.

Mother Teresa said it best, “If you want to change the world, go home, and love your family.” 

I believe her message, albeit simple, was profound beyond her time and even more relevant now. To love your planet is also to love yourself, and your family. Without starting here, we have missed the mark of true sustainability entirely. To heal our world, we must heal ourselves.

So, you want to change the world? Good. Look deep into your own eyes and your own heart. Know yourself. Heal yourself. Commit to spiritual practice, focus on Spiritual Sustainability. By doing this, you will change the world. And even better, you will heal yourself and others.

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You may also enjoy reading Morning and Evening Rituals to Enhance Mindfulness & Positivity by Barbara Larrivee