As gentle as a butterfly kiss

Everything is connected to everything.

I am the youngest of three sisters. Yesterday, my eldest sister called and told me that our middle sister, A., had to undergo emergency laser surgery on her retina Monday due to tears in the 'jelly' connecting the retina to her eyeball.

In the past few months, two friends have experienced torn retinas, and now my sister has holes in hers. I didn't even know the retina could tear let alone develop bubbles in its jelly.

"It's the ageing process," my sister told me. "That's what A's doctor told her."

Ahhh, the joys of ageing. Just as I'm beginning to see myself more clearly, age takes over and my eyesight starts to weaken.

Karl Gustav Jung wrote, "Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens."

Throughout my life, I have sought clear vision. An understanding of who I am, why I am the way I am, and what I can do to be the person I want to be, am meant to be.

Throughout my life, the journey inward has guided my heart into awakening to the truth that who I am meant to be is my most magnificent self. That being less than my human nature is to play into the voices of doubt who would have me believe I am small. I am inconsequential. I am unimportant.

We are all important. Every human being on this planet adds value. Adds context. Adds texture to the ebb and flow of our world around us. Like a butterfly fluttering its wings in Africa, every person gives and takes from our planet, creating a stir, however infinitesimal, where ever we go.

Everything is connected to everything. We live on a magnificent planet to which gravity connects us with invisible bonds. To sustain our presence on this earth we must gently and lovingly protect the world around us, celebrate its beauty and express our gratitude for its abundance in everything we do.

Yesterday, a beautiful and dear friend (thanks BA) sent me the link to a short video presented by the makers of The Secret. Called Planet Earth Forever, the video transports you from this realm into a world of wonder created by the planet upon which we spin our days.

We live on a planet of beauty and majesty. We live amongst abundance. Our planet is magnificent. And we are the keepers of its treasures.

It's time to get clear on what we do to our planet everyday when we indulge ourselves with the belief, nothing is connected to anything, what I do doesn't matter, someone else will take care of it.

What we do matters. How each of us behaves makes a difference. And if we don't do something, who will?

We are the champions of our world, the creators of all that happens on this planet every day. We are the creators of war, the harbourers of injustice, the purveyors of hatred.

We are also the lovers, the story-tellers, the earth-movers and shakers. We are powerful beyond our greatest imaginings.

There is no doubt. I am ageing. As I age, I have more time to reflect upon where I've been and a clearer understanding of where I'm going. Where I want to be and what in the world I want to create along the journey.

In my life, I have contributed to holes in the ozone, global warming, and a host of other ailments affecting this planet upon which I live.

It's about time I turned up for my environment and acknowledge, I am connected to everything around me and am responsible for my actions. It's up to me to participate in a meaningful way to protect and restore the sustainability and well-being of the world around me.

I've had a lifetime of regretting the mountains I haven't climbed, the lakes I haven't swum in, the rivers I've never crossed.

Now is my time to stand upon mountain tops, to leap off cliffs into still waters and to courageously bridge the gaps that open up before me as I fearlessly look inward to my contributions to this planet and the world around me. It is time for me to acknowledge where I do not add value so that I can change my direction immediately. I have the power to change my world. I have the ability to ensure I step lightly and tread gently like a butterfly kiss upon my cheek.

The question is: Are you looking outward at the world around you waiting for answers to appear? Or, are you travelling inward, courageous seeking your truth within your heart, fearlessly beating a path to your own magnificence, celebrating your value by making a difference in the world today?