From SURVIVING to thriving:
PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FROM THE FRONTLINES OF the great CHANGE
We gather knowledge and inspiration from wisdom keepers, knowledge holders, pioneers in science and technology to provide us all with guidelines for creating community, safeguarding Mother Earth, increasing our awareness, and surrendering to a transformation of consciousness. This unifying collective contribution will help guide us through the necessary steps in redefining our authentic place on Earth.
This is a living document that will expand in time as we respond to this transition.
CLIMATE CHANGE SURVIVAL Manual - contents
TEN ESSENTIAL VALUES.
Researchers have long studied holocausts and states of extreme emergency and change. They have found that survival is dependent on certain essential values. Whatever happens, adhering to these values makes us stronger in the face of this global transition in co-creating our future on our planet.
MARTI PHOTOS: Kadir, a Bali farmer, at the waterfall | Refugee child/Nong Semet, Cambodia | Indian child/Pondicherry garbage dump
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LIVING IN COMMUNITY
The myth of superman or wonder woman saving the world are Hollywood symbols that deceive us into thinking that we can do it alone. In the face of real challenges, it is only people living in community with a strong sense of collective energy that will make it. Participating as a team provides us with more capability because each one of us has a different role to play. Some of us are good in conceptualizing change, others in strategy, still others in growing food or collecting seeds and planting trees. When the task is great, not only do we need more support, but the process will show us how our motivation levels increase because we aren’t simply doing it for ourselves. There is exponential magic in giving to others and collaborating as a team.
“We measure not in years, but in life times.”
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DEVELOPING A SHARED SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
Nothing happens by accident. If we want to shift the imbalance in nature, slow down climate change and heal ourselves, a shared spiritual practice based on honoring nature is essential. We need to understand that we humans are but a small part of the whole and that within this whole there is an incredibly powerful force behind our perception of it.
Stillness, awareness, trust and a shared spiritual practice based on humility and compassion that will guide us through the difficult waters we ourselves have created.
“Storms may come to disrupt our lives, but all come to clear our path.”
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RESPECTING OTHER SPECIES
Acknowledging the vast wondrous diversity on our planet will make us aware. Everything has spirit -- rocks, mountains, rivers, oceans, deserts, micro-organisms -- all sentient and non-sentient beings. Our very lives depend on safeguarding and honoring the balance and generosity of each and every species. After all, we wouldn’t be here without their existence.
With this consciousness our true reason for being here will be at the forefront of everything we do. Respecting the patterns of all species is what assures the cycle of life. A bear on a foray in the forest becomes an unwitting pollinator of seeds. A mangrove tree stretching its roots into the ocean becomes a protective cradle for small fish. Likewise, the positive and/or negative impact of our own actions may go far beyond what we imagine.
Nature is the quintessential example of abundance and diversity itself. Her majestic presence reflects the ultimate grace that allows for everything to exist. We are gifted with her generous and bountiful life only if we respect, honor and revere her true presence within us.
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INCREASING OUR FLEXIBILITY & CAPACITY FOR RAPID CHANGE
We are already in an environmental vortex of change and the laws of physics show us that the deeper we go into a vortex, the faster we accelerate. We will have to adapt, overcome our resistance, and surrender effortlessly to a new reality. To trust that the deeper intelligence of the universe is at play. And for each one of us this will require a radical transmutation in our DNA.
Unlike other periods of human history where evolution has taken place over a long period of time, we will see rapid change and we will need to be prepared for it, come what may.
As strange as it may seem, we may have to adapt fins and wings to realize our potential and to evolve with new and unpredictable landscapes.
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LIVING SIMPLY
Simple is sacred conveys the importance of defining the essence of our living in true harmony with the present. Paying attention to what's right before us and listening to its direct message allows us to be aware of its true frequency.
In actual fact, simplicity is one of the highest arts.
Simply by quieting the mind and tapping into stillness we achieve a profound sense of clarity that expands our awareness with all our relations.
By walking with this principle of less is more, we are immediately rewarded. Simplicity in its lightness and spaciousness opens up new possibilities that make our commitment to it effortlessly pleasurable.
“Simplicity is the Ultimate sophistication.”
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PROTECTING THE WATER, GROWING OUR OWN FOOD
From a tiny droplet to an immense ocean, water is the source of all life. The vibrational frequency of water mirrors the energy that surrounds us and holds all ancient, present and future memory in its DNA. Our own bodies are largely made up of water, which revitalizes our physical and emotional being.
The masterful intelligence of water shape-shifts across smooth and rugged terrains and finds the paths of least resistance. From a light dew in the early morning to a downpour of heavy rain in the evening, water moves with fluidity, ease, and often, with incredible grace and force.
Not only is water magical in its shapeshifting, it is also essential to our own survival. We have become increasingly aware that we need to grow our own food. Safeguarding our water is the key to assuring our own health and that of our planet.
Our ancestors would sing to the clouds to welcome the rains that would replenish the earth. And then they would plant beautiful nurturing gardens to provide for their own needs. Hands in the soil and hands turned towards the heavens in gratitude.
“However far the stream flows, it never forgets its source.”
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LETTING GO OF ANYTHING THAT NO LONGER SERVES OUR HIGHEST PRINCIPLES
We have all been programmed to believe that separation is a fundamental reality. This has birthed societies based on greed, dominance, inequality, and extraction of the natural world.
Our highest principle is to live in cohesion with our true nature and being-ness. Letting go is experiencing a deathless death of our identity: who we thought we were. It’s discovering who we truly are by understanding our inter-connection to all life.
Everything we need is within. As we trust in the universe and release the emotional and material, we become truly present to respond with equanimity, joy and ease. We will flow into being here now meeting the universe half way.
As we trust in the unseen and follow the love in our hearts, our greater self emerges as a guiding star, setting us free from confusion. This awareness will be at the forefront of our actions.
“We have to be ready to release our knowledge in order to come to a higher understanding of reality.”
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ACKNOWLEDGING THAT RELATIONSHIPS ARE EVERYTHING
We wouldn’t exist, without relations. There is a constant dialogue with everyone and everything that surrounds us. The universe is eternally waiting for our attention to listen and respond. From the cells in our bodies to the interstellar gravitational fields of stars, we are never alone.
Relationships are the magic of existence. Each relation provides a unique sense of intimacy that reflects our inner being. We hear the world around us and the world hears us. As the wind blows, we hear the whispers of our own breath.
True relations foster revelations, stop time in its tracks. Every experience is filled with a repository of memories that contributes to our evolution. We learn patience, build trust, understand our obstacles and become fully alive. We cherish and embrace everything that is happening. This is the essence of true gratitude. We smile back at the universe and become one with it.
“To all my relations”
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DEVELOPING COMPASSION, COURAGE, AND INTEGRITY
The true essence of these essential values is the strength and power of the heart itself. Each value moves beyond the mind to a deeper understanding that we are divine beings.
Compassion transmits peace and unites us when we understand that we are part of everything that exists. It is a place of the WE ARE that transcends the illusion of separation. Compassion is a practice that moves fluidly from a higher force as we open our hearts to see the reciprocity of our spirits beyond the core root of pain itself. True compassion is based on unconditional love. It is free from judgement and preconceptions that limit us when we are in a state of resistance. We no longer feel attached to the outcome as we ease the pain of suffering of others through our awareness and we engage in a selfless act of humility and trust.
Courage is about embracing our fears so that we understand that true power lies within the heart. It is not necessarily based on heroics, rather on becoming open to our own vulnerability. It is like being on a tempestuous sea where we face threatening waves but find the right balance to succeed in our task. Surrendering fully to a power beyond that sustains us through our journey.
Integrity is being in alignment with the most fundamental essential values of the universe. This requires that we remain centered within our core being and become fully aware of the natural parameters and rhythm of life around us. This allows us to embody synergy and equanimity and the highest principles of transparency, honesty and respect.
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GIVING GRATITUDE TO THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US AND TO THOSE WHO WILL COME AFTER US
Gratitude is the higher understanding and remembrance that life is a precious gift that the universe has given us. It is an acknowledgement that we are the spirits of ancient people, timeless forests, and souls yet to emerge. This becomes our guiding force.
Expressing deep gratitude for our origins, being thankful for our presence here and now, looking forward to what is to come strengthens us for our cosmic journey into the unknown. The universe was born out of a spark and will eventually condense into something smaller than a grain of sand. Yet it has given us this moment in time on a beautiful planet that is unique in all the cosmos.
“WAWATAY—the shimmering ribbons of light of the Aurora Borealis— are the spirits of ancestors dancing in the sky to celebrate life and remind us that we are all part of the celestial wonder of creation.”
“We are creatures of the gallactic highway, the mirky back road swamps, the dusty trails, the steep mountain paths. Our souls have no color, no gender. They have little concern for linear time or space, for they measure not in years, but in lifetimes. They know that anything can happen between now and never. Walk softly on this beautiful planet. Look up at the skies. For every star you see, there are billions more.”