ARE A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

By Jeff Singh

In the prevailing human paradigm, we grow up learning we are individuals who need to fend for ourselves to survive in this crazy world.

Seeing the world from this core perspective has us creating all kinds of strategies to ensure our individual survival. We form alliances with family packs, social circles, religious and national ideologies that shape our identity in the world. We form contractual relationships of give and take to ensure our needs are met. We get into power struggles to make sure we succeed over others.

I wonder if you can see this playing out in the world as well as your own lives?

Through school and work there are

unwritten rules of fitting in and getting ahead that shape who we become. In relationships we argue to meet our needs for love and validation. There is a huge industry of selfhelp as we search for ways to improve our own lot in life.

It’ s really a matter of fearful individuals trying to meet perceived needs.

Notice I mentioned perceived needs. Because most of the desires we wind up chasing are to fulfill perceived needs that come about from this perspective that we are lone individuals who have to make it in the world.

If we feel ourselves to be separate individuals in a hostile environment that does not have our best interest, then of course we’ re setting ourselves up for a struggle. We’ re going to do whatever it takes for our survival. Even if it means taking from others and trying to control the environment to best serve our needs.

All of this because we see ourselves as individuals separate from our environment.

From this perspective, our idea about life and what we are becomes very limited.

This is why so many, even well meaning, have this feeling that,‘ I’ m just trying to meet my own needs.’

If your entire power and intelligence has become hyperfocused on protecting and aggrandizing a fragile individual self, then of course you’ re not available for the rest of the world or people around you. Then we cannot even fathom the entire scope of experience which could be our lives.

But let’ s find out if this idea that we are separate individuals holds any weight.

Do We Have Individual Thoughts?

Now let me ask you something to consider. Is there any idea that you’ ve come up with solely on your own?

While we may claim ownership of our thoughts, chances are we’ re not living in a vacuum and there have been countless influences from media, books, friends, and relatives who have passed on fragments

of thoughts and ideas lodged somewhere in

memory banks.

Even great leaders and dictators have not come up with ideas all on their own.

Although they may take credit as such; even the greatest scientists and inventors base their research upon centuries of discoveries.

Ever since we’ ve been sharing stories, the mass production of books, the advent of media, and world-wide internet connectivity, our ideas have been coming

from people all over the world.

With this network of constantly moving, shared ideas, how do

we claim ownership of what we call our ideas or thoughts?

You may want to say,‘ well I’ m having these thoughts and no one is in my head.’ But I’ ve just shown you how countless people’ s thoughts have been moving through your head.

Where is the individual owner of ideas in this magnanimous network of thoughts?

Do We Create Our Own Things?

Next thing to consider: is there anything that you’ ve created solely on your own?

If you look around the things in your house, the groceries you eat, the clothes you wear, it’ s blatantly obvious how inter-connected we are. We’ re counting on a network of farmers, truck drivers, store clerks, and so many more just to be able to eat something.

We’ re living in an era of globalization where the things around our house and the clothes we wear are coming from factories and people on far sides of the world.

Even if you were building your own house in the middle of the forest, you’ d have to get tools and supplies from somewhere around your environment.

Even packs, tribes, and civilizations make deals to look out for their own- to honor the hunters, the gatherers, teachers, and creators alike.

However, now the people we count on for

our daily lives expands the globe. How is it that our idea of community has not expanded in like?

Are We Biologically Independent? On a biological level, our connectedness is enough to make the CDC & antibacterial companies tremble.

If you want a sliver of evidence, just listen to your gut. According to the latest research, there are just as many bacteria living within your body as there are your own human cells- most of these residing in your gut flora. * The latest research shows an average of 30 trillion human cells and 39 trillion bacteria in the human body.

Where do these bacteria which are not of our human body come from? Truth is we’ re constantly sharing and trading bacteria from the environment around us, the people we interact with, the food we eat, and yes, the soil that grows that food. This exchange with our environment is happening on a level of trillions of cells.

If the microbes in your gut have taken such an inter-connected journey, just imagine the strange journey the cells and genes of your body have taken from carbon atoms in cosmic dust to where they are now- living and operating flawlessly within you.

These cells of the body and bacteria operate in concert with each other. It’ s a strange

constant communication of intelligence.

Now imagine if one cell decides,‘ to heck with this orchestrated concert of activity, I’ m going off to do my own thing.’ It would be instant disharmony.

And yet that’ s exactly what we’ re doing with the idea we are separate individuals, trying to make our own way. In that way, we point ourselves against the flow of biological, evolutionary activity- we point ourselves away from the innate intelligence operating within us.

Operate from Greater Perspective.

This realization of inter-connectedness with each other and the environment brings a whole new light to what you consider your life.

It’ s no longer a matter of protecting a body, some ideas, or creations which are never solely your own really.

There’ s a profound realization that where you come from and what you are- is this society of thoughts, this biological environment, this planetary ecosystem. The very intelligence which created life operates within you- if you let it.

Now this whole matter of wellness and sustainability efforts becomes a lot more personal. Now you are activated to protect the soil and people that feed and nourish you. Continues page 11