Collective Value

         We live in a world where everything is dispensable.  How many times have you heard the statement: “it doesn’t matter it’s just a plate, just a car, just a pair of shoes…” On one hand it’s our way of saying: “there are more meaningful things in life than our belongings.”  And yet, we forget that for everything we break or discard for something else, it means that we are asking the Earth to carry the burden of it.  Lets face it one of these days we’ll run out of space for our garbage.   Our ancestors left behind pottery; old tools for labor and worship but that is far cry from kilometers of dump space with everything from cars, to toys, and appliances.  Will the next generations of humans need that kind of reminder that their ancestors borrowed from their future and literally got buried in debt? 

How do we stop a bad habit that has gotten so out of hand that it became contagious all over the planet?  Some people will say, “there’s no use even trying”.  I tend to believe that it takes one to start and perhaps we can eventually reverse the contagion.  Why not give our excess belongings to those who are less fortunate? If you need a little money keep your boxes of old stuff for a garage sale.   Did you know that old computers and old lawn mowers could be recycled by experts in these fields? All it takes is to call around and see where these specialists are hiding.  It gives you a chance to get to know people and to open your mind to new ways as well.   If your renovating your kitchen sell your old cupboards on e-bay or use them to reorganize your garage.  Get creative and learn to give new value to old junk!

            I remember having a hard time furnishing my first apartment.  I was 19 and didn’t even have a pillow to my name.  When my husband and I went shopping for our first bed it was like it we were looking for the most precious thing in our life.  I never imagined that I would get to a point where I would feel like I have too much.  It’s a nice feeling to be abundant but at the same time it’s a responsibility one that we are not aware of as we are amassing it.  How do we teach our children to strive for success and good fortune but without being irresponsible and disrespectful towards others and Mother Earth?  I think this is a lesson that we often forget to teach and that it often takes a long time for us to learn.

            Every year I add a new plant, bush or tree to my garden.  This year I thought it would be best to work with what I have.  Plants, bushes and trees need to be taken cared of and every year they grow twice as big as the year before.  Taking care of a big home is kind of the same thing.  The roof and windows eventually need to be changed as well as the plumbing and the decoration.  How do you manage your abundance without getting overwhelmed and without eventually giving up on it?  I think that’s the question this month: “When does your good fortune become dispensable rather than valuable or priceless?”

             Commitment is something that we all struggle with.  When does it get to be too much commitment or is that even possible in the world of commitment?  Just this weekend I told my daughter “that I don’t believe in giving up on anyone or anything.”  I’m one of these people who believes that my choices will never lead me astray.  If I chose to marry a man or to buy a dog or to have children or to buy a house etc… it’s for the long haul.  I don’t take my decisions lightly.  I understand that at times the hardships make it difficult to believe in myself but faith is about believing in something bigger than me. 

            Everything we touch is nourished with memories and energy, which means everything we touch ends up having spirit.  It makes no sense to dispense and forget about anything that has spirit.   I try to keep that in mind as I bring changes in my home and in my life.