Sciences Participating with Arts & Culture in Education

7 steps to loving earth and the work you do

Over the last hundred years, the speed of life has increased exponentially with the development of advanced technologies. Sometimes it’s hard to even hear ourselves think. This constant state of busyness keeps us going to work every morning to do things without knowing why we do them, buying things without knowing why we buy them. And I’m sure you won’t be shocked to learn that according to Deloitte Press University’s 2013 Shift Index, over 80% of the people in the world don’t like the work they do. 

This generalized discontentment may well be attributed to the collision between our desire to lead fulfilling lives and the mediocrity we settle for as we try to keep up with the economic and consumerist machine we’ve become locked into. I think another part of the problem is that we have become so far removed from the natural world and have forgotten that we live on a planet. A planet in a galaxy in the universe… How amazing is that? To embody and truly embrace this unique awareness has the power to blow the mind open and remind us of how delicate and fleeting our lives really are. 

Now, cultivating this appreciation for our planet Earth takes a little practice, but this 7-step approach to reconnect with our planetary existence may lead you to seriously reconsider your life choices and actively search for what you were always meant to do. 

1.    Boost your feelings of gratitude. The first thing to do is to boost your feelings of gratitude. Medical and psychological research on gratitude consistently points to a correlation between gratitude and an individual’s well-being. Try it and see for yourself: think of three things right now that have happened today that made you smile. They can be very small, but what counts is that you recognize what you have received, whether tangible or intangible. Make this a daily routine. To get you started, watch an Experiment in Gratitude by SoulPancake. 

2.    Be kind to strangers. It can be hard sometimes when we are drowning in work, visual stimuli, social obligations, noise, sleepless nights and financial worry. But, hey we’re in on this together. Everyone’s got their story. The truth is that the spontaneity and warmth of connecting for a moment with a pure stranger holds a therapeutic value. Being kind to people around you and being open to receive acts of kindness reminds us that we all take part in the human experience and that we are deeply interconnected. Check out this thought-provoking collection of photos that reveals complete strangers posing together by Richard Rinaldi, entitled Touching Strangers. 

3.    Recognize what people thank you for. Sometimes we haven’t the faintest clue of what we could be good at or how we can be a driving force for positive change in other people’s lives. I dare you to find three things people thank you for. Because people will thank you for the actions you do that come from the heart. It might take a few days before you figure this out, but once you do, find a way to make that your work and reason for living. The rest will take care of itself. Listen to philosopher Alan Watts in What if money were no object? 

4.    Spend time in nature. It can definitely be daunting to being absent for a weekend or even an afternoon from your daily life to spend time with nature. It's just not a priority. The city has a way of making you feel like you can’t leave until you actually get away and wonder why you didn’t get out sooner. If you’re not the biggest nature-lover, find someone around you who is and ask them for an introduction. If you know a park where birds still sing, go there. If you can find a water fountain or be by a river, do that. Spending time in nature will help you recalibrate and find a renewed inspiration to pursue what you really want in life. Watch Nature. Beauty. Gratitude by Louie Shwartzberg. 

5.    Use food as medicine. By being more selective about what we eat, we can not only improve our overall well-being, but also nurture an awareness of where our food comes from, who was involved in its growth or preparation and how human activity directly impacts the quality of our food. Headaches, dry skin, obesity, constipation, heartburn and acne are just some chronic health conditions that can be treated with food. Most of our physical ailments are caused by poor eating habits. Making better food choices not only gives you renewed energy but is also a step towards loving our planet. We simply will not survive on Earth if our soils can no longer produce safe, healthy foods to eat, if our water sources are laced with chemical residue and if we insist on eating meat. If you are not sure how food can equate to a highly increased quality of life, watch two of my favorite food documentaries: Eating by Michael Anderson (2002) and Food Matters by James Colquhoun and  Carlo Ledesma (2008). 

6.    Practice mindful breathing. Someone told me once that if you cannot be your own best friend, then how do you expect to be someone else’s? It’s a daily battle to be kind to ourselves and give ourselves credit for who we are and the things we accomplish. How are we going to find that self-love to pursue what we were always meant to do? Alternate nostril breathing is my super calming technique to bring me back to healthy thoughts and be happy just because. It has an instant calming effect on the mind and the nervous system. Breathing techniques have been used throughout human existence to release stress and heighten awareness so I’m not inventing anything here. You can be sitting or standing anywhere. This technique involves alternating breathing from nostril to nostril where the exhalations are slightly longer than the inhalations. After five minutes of this, I dare you to think about something that worries you. It’s very interesting to observe how the mind won’t entertain that thought because our breath has brought us into the moment and there’s no space for anything else. Some say, that with every breath we take, the universe flows through us. Read Great Reasons to Start Alternate Nostril Breathing from Carole Fogarty’s Rejuvenation Lounge to learn how to do it.

7.    Break a sweat daily. Yes ladies and gentlemen, because there is no secret to feeling better in your body. You have to use it and get your heart rate up daily. In the history of humanity on Earth, the human body was designed to thrive in a nomadic life of hunting and gathering. Tap into that physical heritage. It’s in us all. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming or epic. Climb the stairs. Run to the bus stop. Take up a dance class. Sit in a steam bath. Go swimming. Do yoga. Scuba dive. Bike. The choice is yours. As Scott Dinsmore mentions in his video How to find and do work you love, engaging in physical activity allows you to break those mental limitations and create achievable fitness goals. Every time you break your personal fitness record, confidence is compounded and spills into all aspects of your life. Ultimately, physical activity can translate into courage and momentum to take the road less traveled. It can revive self-love and lead you to learn more about who you really want to be. 

I quit my office job a year and a half ago and have been cultivating my love for planet Earth and seeking out unique and inspiring ways of making an income while living in tropical places. I decided to make the leap into the entrepreneurial life and launched my own writing services company in June. Since then, I have been intensively searching for clients and a part-time employment to keep my head above water. I applied to over a hundred job postings, wrote at least 20 unique cover letters, revamped all my profiles on social media platforms, created over 30 different PDF versions of my resume, did an average of 5 hours of cold calls a week and broke down and cried more times than I can remember. I came so close so many times to giving up on my dream to be my own boss and settle for the 9 to 5 drudgery just to find financial stability again. 

Over the months, support from family and friends has been humbling. What strengthened me tremendously was all that introspection that came with defining and promoting my services as a copywriter. The process became a query into what is meaningful to me in my life. And these 7 steps have allowed me to focus on my goal and find happiness everyday in small things. Trust me, you’ll need it when your bank account dips down to the 2 digits. 

But don’t worry about the money. Somehow, life will provide what you truly need. And don’t be afraid to receive all the help that will come your way. Because once you finally make that choice of following what you were really meant to do, the universe conspires to make it happen.