Be the change

We All Have Oil on Our Hands

At first I resisted commenting on the oil spill in the Gulf. What more could I add to what has already been said. But then I realized that as disturbing as it is, this disaster provides us with an opportunity for something good, perhaps even a turning point that invokes sustainable change in our lives and for the environment.

I know that I will be seen as a radical when I say that this isn't the fault of BP or Transocean. It's not the fault of the government or bi-partisan politics. It is not the fault of oil executives and big corporations.

It is my fault.
It is your fault.
It is our fault.

This is the universe's way of waking us up, of letting us know that it is time that we take personal responsibility for the havoc that our collective greed has had on our planet. It is known that thoughts and actions create energy. Whether or not you believe in Karma you can at least accept what physicists say that consciousness determines reality. If this is our reality what is our consciousness saying?

This disaster is the most recent effect, in a long line of effects -- from Madoff to the War in Iraq -- that stem from putting our heads in the sand and refusing to face the reality that our consciousness, our desires, our thoughts, our actions and even our solutions are based on short term and selfish thinking.

Our dependence on the pollutants of this earth have always, and will continue to have far-reaching consequences to our eco-systems, biosystems, geosystems and our race's natural evolution.

Change is inevitable. Things absolutely cannot stay the same. The type of change we invoke is up to each and every one of us. If we each take responsibility in shifting our own behavior, we can trigger the type of change that is necessary to achieve sustainability for our race or this planet.

We change our planet, our environment, our humanity every day, every year, every decade, and every millennia.

It is critical that we believe that you and me can actually make a difference. If we neglect our power and let things just happen, then we are merely contributing to future oil spills and other impending disasters.

As with every revolution or movement of change, a critical mass must be achieved. A tipping point where one person, one event, one incident galvanizes society into action. This disaster could be it. The power of one is key to our success. The power that you, me, our family, our friends, our spheres of influence, and our full extensions, can invoke positive changes that alters the course of human history. We have reached a critical juncture in our existence on this planet. All of us can do one thing differently towards change. All of us can alter one aspect of our behavior. For each of us, it is a different change in our routine. For some, it might be walking or biking to the market instead of driving. For others, it might be car-pooling or even drinking from re-usable bottles instead of discarding plastic bottles. For others it can be not slamming the car door that will cause a tornado on the other side of the world - Google butterfly effect and read about the power of a single action.

Trends are made up of individuals wishing to make a change. How incredible would it be if you would be the actual person to bring on the tipping point. How awesome would it be if you and me, our friends, our family, our society, were responsible for the changes that can positively impact our environment and our planet. Personal responsibility is not only recognizing the errors of our ways. Personal responsibility lies in our willingness and ability to correct those errors individually and collectively.

It all starts with you and me!