Balance. Purpose. Enlightenment.
Earth Day 2017: Good News Revisited
Our fourth blog post, 16 months ago, was “The Day the News Brought Peace of Mind.” We want to revisit it for two reasons. First, the newspaper is bringing us more and more unhappy news now, and we need a break. And second, that post talked about Earth Day, 2015. Today is Earth Day 2017, and tomorrow, the Lemurian Fellowship is manning a booth in Balboa Park to honor this event. We hope many of you can come by!
The morning paper 16 months ago arrived as usual, but the news was anything but.
The front page headlined the 60th anniversary of a group called I Love a Clean San Diego, just completing their annual Creek to Bay Cleanup. They’ve done hundreds of cleanups, removing over 200 tons of litter a year. They believe education can make people want to change their behavior. “We don’t support propositions, bans, or lawsuits,” they said. A surfer added, “They do a really good job of showing people what they can do, instead of what’s wrong with the world.” A deeper understanding of service.
This group joined an Earth Day parade that attracted 60,000 people to Balboa Park and the 300 environmentally friendly exhibits at the EarthFair. Organizers say it’s the world’s largest free environmental fair.
Also on the front page, after declaring for weeks that it would have to close, the San Diego Opera decided it would do whatever it takes to remain in business after all.
There was an inspiring story about a local Ramona pharmacist who decided to check on an elderly customer who hadn’t picked up his prescriptions. His calls unanswered, he drove to the man’s home, and when his knocks brought no response, called the sheriff. Inside, they found the man lying in the bathroom after a fall two or three days earlier. He’s glad to be alive now, thanks to an alert young man thinking about helping others.
These stories caught our eye and raised our spirits. Oh, there was other news, little noted and unremembered – bad weather cut through several states, hospital errors were up, there was a killing somewhere – the kind of story you find every day. But why make ourselves miserable scouring the globe for the most upsetting world conditions, then beating them to death every night on the news? How does this bring greater peace of mind? If we think so much about catastrophes, are we becoming more afraid, even attracting a disaster of our own?
One Lemurian said recently, “I used to listen to the news on my way to work, and was filled with anxiety over all I heard. Listening to the Lemurian Viewpoint CDs is a much healthier way to start my day.”
“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he,” wrote James Allen.
So what shall we think about? The choice is ours. The troubles of the world? Or all the good that positive, hopeful, and ingenious men, women, and children do every day in spite of the trouble and unhappiness around them? Who do you want to think like? Who do you want to be like? Who do you want to be?
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. – Paul the Apostle
Copyright © 2017 Lemurian Fellowship
7 thoughts on “Earth Day 2017: Good News Revisited”
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As this article illustrates, keeping our thoughts in a more positive vein is helpful in making the here and now of everyday life more pleasant. But a recent science study is telling us such thoughts can lengthen our lives and make our lives healthier.
A current study of telomeres, those caps at the ends of chromosomes (likened to the plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces) that keep the genetic material from unraveling, indicates that our negative thought patterns, such as hostility, rehashing events, pessimism, and even thought suppression, can prematurely age (shorten) these telomeres and therefore our lives while also causing health problems.
So it seems we can address our thought patterns both from a spiritual aspect but also from a practical one as well.
This blog article is so true. My days go so much better when I focus on the good people are doing. There is so much good out there in the world to see when we choose to look for it, often right in our own environment and neighborhood.
Thanks for all the good wishes from Eric and others, and we DID have a good day at Balboa Park! There seemed to be hundreds of booths and at first two of us who dropped in from the Fellowship couldn’t locate the Lemurian site. When we did, we found two of our faithful Order members manning the neatly arranged space they had set up. The first things that caught our eye were two very colorful samples of Lemurian quilt-making, drawing attention to the table at the front. On the table were neat piles of our books and literature, and behind the table, an easel with a placard listing subjects that might reach out and grab the interest of those who came by. Though our booth was dignified and understated compared to others that had more of a carnival atmosphere, very fortunately for us, we were located next to a vegetarian booth that was giving away cookies! As you can imagine, a line formed at this booth which snaked around in front of the Lemurian one, so there was a made-to-order chance for our volunteers to talk with many. Books were sold, Introductory Circulars were passed out, INTO THE SUN and Frequently Asked Questions brochures were taken, along with many business cards. It was an exhausting, exhilarating day for the volunteers, and a productive and encouraging one for all of us.
I remember the first Earth Day observance in 1970. I was in college and thought it was another protest about something or other, but when we were let out of class, I found out it was about taking care of our environment. Besides, it was a beautiful spring day and I recall sitting on the grass, listening to the speakers and just taking it easy for once in the middle of a stressful week. I thought we ought to have more of these kind of “protests”.
In regard to all the negative news, I’m with the Lemurian that just shuts off the politics and listens to something else. Working on old AM radios it’s hard to avoid this but there are still a few stations that play actual music. “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.” (Mark 13:7)
Hope you all have a good day in Balboa Park!
What a good blog! A few years ago, I began thinking about my own thinking, concerned about how many things I thought about, looked at or said that were really negative. It’s a habit not easy to break. But I am beginning to make progress. There are two herons on our pond at Gateway and a pair of ducks. What fun to watch them — acting as though they haven’t got a care in the world! Who do they think they are? We could learn something from those birds.
Thanks for the reminder and encouragement to strike a balance in the kind of news I let come into and affect my consciousness. As the Fellowship has mentioned before in one way or another, at least to me: being informed is good and fine, but dwelling on negative news is not healthy or constructive. This article shows how one of the Philosophy’s teachings — “Look for the good, and you will find it” — applies to news also!
It occurs to me that controlling the influx of negativity from News and other sources is a conscious and constructive step toward controlling one’s environment.