Becoming older means also becoming wiser. You realize what really matters in your life, what you privilege and who you choose to spend your time with.
Priority goes to what really matters in your life
During your youth, you felt almost always excited and you believed that the world was in your hands. You thought you had all the time ahead to realize and live your dreams. Becoming older makes you understand that time is limited and therefore precious.
Because of that, you want to enjoy every minute and every second with what is essential for you. Going out in the evening and getting home very late (or also very early the day after), nights spent drinking, dancing until your feet would hurt, no longer interest you. What matters is enjoying the time spent with your family, dedicating them qualitative time, that is time of exchange, time that counts and that is not forgotten. You realize that time flies, so you want to favour the present moment. Looking at photos together, savouring the small magical moments of hugs, or playing with your children are moments of unforgettable happiness.
Avoiding self-righteous people
Hypocrisy is no longer part of your life as an adult (at least it should be). Sincerity is what you are looking for. Instead of uttering an uninteresting sentence to someone you barely know or don’t particularly like, you’d rather be sincere, kind but sincere. At the same time, you will be attracted to people who are honest in their gestures, words and actions; people who bring a positive note to your life.
Respecting the lives of others.
Time and experience are great teachers when it comes to knowing oneself and the others. Wisdom teaches you to turn away from the problems and conflicts that don’t concern you, so as to avoid getting involved with bad energy. Therefore, respecting the lives of others becomes a fundamental principle.
Restricting your circle of friends
By ageing, the idea of making new friends doesn’t interest you any longer. Your priorities are more related to your family. You seek good friends rather than many friends. You try to build healthy relationships and you want to avoid toxic people.
Becoming older means crossing many paths with pitfalls. However, the difficulties that life presented you, allowed you to become stronger, more determined and wiser.
You have learned to know the difference between a person who is harmful to your well-being and a person full of positive energy who brings you joy and good mood.
We live in a time of political uncertainty and perpetual conflict. While it’s easy to give up and say that you can’t change the world, that one person can’t make a difference, the inspiring life of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) proves us wrong. Gandhi is the living embodiment of the values of democracy, and he inspires us to do good without ever giving up.
The Father of the Indian Nation
Leader of the Congress Party in 1921, Gandhi led national campaigns to reduce extreme poverty in India, give more rights to women, establish peace between hostile ethnic and religious groups, and gain the independence of the people. Perhaps his greatest legacy is the way he used non-violence to combat oppression, a belief adopted today by thousands of followers of peaceful resistance around the world. Indians often refer to him as the father of the nation. He owes his exceptional leadership to his way of building bridges between different communities: upper and lower caste Hindus, Muslims, Christians. Gandhi believes in the goodness of people, regardless of their religion, social class or gender. For him, no religion surpasses the pure force of true faith.
Strength of peaceful opposition
Eternally optimistic, Gandhi always believed in the ability of the human being to evolve towards a higher level of consciousness. This is what he demonstrated by leading by example into old age, turning every crisis and conflict into an opportunity for spiritual growth. “I never stopped being optimistic,” he said. « Even in the darkest moments, I always cultivated hope.».
Gandhi advocated religious harmony, he wanted equal rights for Muslims in India. When violence broke out between Muslims and Hindus, he resorted to fasting, repeatedly threatening to let himself die. He intended to be judged on deeds rather than words and firmly believed that his personal suffering would prompt men to lay down their arms.
Strengthened by this moral philosophy, his public and private life are closely linked. “Only the service of others makes it possible to apprehend the truth and discover the true nature,” he confides. He clearly showed us the power of peaceful opposition in the face of oppression, injustice and brutality.
However, non-violence is not about abstaining from any real struggle. It took a lot of courage for him to confront the violence and strengthen his convictions. “I oppose violence,” he once said, “because when it seems to produce good, the resulting good is only transitory, while the evil produced is permanent.”. Tragically, the irony is that Gandhi’s life ends in violence. He was assassinated on January 30, 1948 by the Hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse. Nearly 70 years after his death, the legacy he left us continues to live on and remains a true source of inspiration. In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2 October, Gandhi’s birthday, the International Day of Non-Violence.
Leading by example
Gandhi’s life served as a shining example to many political leaders including Martin Luther King, Václav Havel and Nelson Mandela, all of whom fought for social change. Their powerful message to us is to respect human dignity and reject intolerance. This is something we should all think about, especially considering the current political climate, where so many countries seem deeply divided in their way of thinking, that it would seem that there are two nations instead of one. While it is tempting to read the news and conclude that you cannot change anything about this sad situation, it is enough to remember Mahatma Gandhi and how he embodied the change he wanted to see in the world to convince yourself otherwise. One person can make a difference; our best hope for the future is to look to those men, women and movements that have positively acted in the past.
It is the end of winter and spring appears timidly showing us the first blossoms, longer days and birds that build nests.
Spring marks the awakening of nature and therefore also our awakening, not only physical but also spiritual.
There is a Sanskrit word that defines spiritual awakening, but which actually means “liberation”. The word is Moksha.
According to the Indian tradition, the discovery of one’s Self is associated with that of freedom.
But why? What kind of freedom are we talking about?
First of all, let us remember that waking up our true nature means becoming aware that there is a much wider presence within ourselves than the individual we normally identify with. The Self is called Atman in Indian philosophy.
The first freedom that we should discover is to abandon identification with the body. In fact, by discovering our Self, we stop living as prisoners inside our body. Suddenly our presence, which was previously closed within the perimeter of our skin, becomes immense and limitless. We join the world. We are no longer inside our body, but it is our body that is inside us.
The second freedom is the discovery that we are not dependent on our thoughts. The Self is not a thought, but it is consciousness, the awakened space in which our thoughts appear and disappear. Liberation from thought is like liberation from a corvee, from a hellish cycle of recurring thoughts, and it gives us silence.
The third freedom consists in the discovery that our Self is free from our past, from what has happened to us of both positive and negative. Our past remains, of course, and constitutes our history, but the Self lives only in the present moment, so it is always new, original, fresh. It allows us to regenerate the source of our presence every moment.
The fourth freedom is that from the judgment of others, which too often is very heavy. Others see us, judge us and this makes us lose some of our freedom. But others cannot see our true Self, they cannot see who we really are. They only see our appearance, our body, but they cannot see our true nature. Thanks to awakening we are able to free ourselves from the gaze of others and finally to be free.
There are a lot of ways to incorporate responsible actions into your daily life. Climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges the human kind has to face. More and more people are trying to live responsibly and are also becoming aware that even small changes can have a positive impact on the future of our planet.
Time for change has come. Drastically changing your habits and sticking to them may be difficult. To help you get started, I have come up with 10 eco-responsible actions that you could easily apply daily.
1. Choose where to buy your clothes
Today, unfortunately, many fashion items are still produced in factories with deplorable working conditions. Before buying your clothes, do some research and choose brands that sell ethically produced clothing.
2. Refill, reduce, reuse
Choosing sustainability does not mean any longer being able to enjoy moments of well-being. It is simply a matter of integrating these moments into your daily life in a sustainable and meaningful way. Buy refills for a large number of products, such as face creams or liquid soaps, so you can continue to take care of yourself and enjoy moments of well-being by helping to reduce unnecessary waste.
Use skincare and home care products that can be refilled, and while it may seem obvious, only buy the products you use. Be sure to finish them before buying new ones. When considering buying a refill, take a look at the figures that show the impact reductions. They will tell you the efforts you are making by using them.
3. Switch to a bike
Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted by cars contribute to global warming. If you work far away from your home, taking the bike every morning may seem difficult. If you can’t ride all along the way, why do not you ride at least to the bus, subway or train station? There are only benefits: let the planet breathe for a few moments, save some money and keep you fit.
4. Eat less meat and sugar
According to scientists, the most effective way to protect the future of our planet is to adopt a vegetable-based diet on a more regular basis and limit sugar intake. The food industry consumes a lot of energy. By consuming seasonal, vegetable-based and, ideally, locally produced foods, you too can act for the planet. Vegan and vegetarian foods can be incredibly tasty. You can try shopping at your local grocer instead of at the supermarket. Maybe there’s a farm near you, or even a local vegetable garden where your neighbours grow and sell fruits and vegetables? Or you could grow your own vegetables and fruits!
5. Travel with discernment
Because of the pandemic, in 2020 many of us travelled less than in previous years. Now that “normal” life resumes, you can try to limit unnecessary air travel as much as possible. Turn your next trip abroad into a holiday at home or consider another means of transport, such as the train or bicycle. Think of travel as part of your vacation. Don’t just focus on the destination. Why do not you go on holiday by train reading a good book?
When you think of green energy, the first things that come to mind are electric cars and solar panels. Actually, you might invest in these solutions, but it’s not always possible. A very simple way to provide sustainable energy to your home can be to opt for a green energy supplier. These companies offer gas or electricity in the same way as traditional companies, but in a more environmental friendly way thanks to energy from renewable sources, such as wind, sun or water.
7. Borrow instead of buying
Opt for sharing, lending or borrowing rather than buying items. Borrow your neighbour’s drill, temporarily refresh your wardrobe with clothes rental (perfect for fast fashion or special occasions), and swap books with friends (or look for books in book-crossing points).
8. Optimize daily commutes
Because of the pandemic, many of us don’t take public transport any longer. If you’re driving to work or planning a day trip, why do not you suggest your colleagues or friends to go together?
Did you know that your tire pressure has an impact on your car’s carbon emissions? Deflated tires need to be replaced more often and consume more fuel. You can check them also at gas stations.
9. Take smart showers
In the bathroom, the greatest impact on the environment does not come from care products, but from the energy used to heat the shower water. This accounts for about 77% of the impact, as the water is often heated with gas. According to research, skincare products account for only 5% of the impact of your overall environmental footprint. Consider buying an inexpensive water-saving shower head. You will save a lot of water and taking a shower will be the same.
10. Think outside of the box
Small actions add up and if you experiment with creative solutions, your mindset will also change for the better. For example, your gift boxes can be reused to store small souvenirs, jewellery, letters or photos.
What is the ego? Is it really negative? How to keep it under control?Is the ego a friend?
The word ego comes from the Latin and means “I”. It is difficult to define it because it is not visible and it manifests mainly in a negative way. It is easier to recognize the ego in others than in oneself.
Sometimes, the ego is represented with animals. The octopus, the bloodsucker, any parasite, the wolf or the tiger. Or it is also represented with objects. Mask, dress, glasses, onion, egg or even serious illnesses.
It is a mystery and a paradox at the same time. The ego is us but not really us. It is a false self, or a pseudo self. It is not the personality but a part of the personality. It is not our true consciousness, but an altered, partial and non-objective consciousness. It does not represent a real need, but it wants to make us look perfect in a certain way, it wants to control everything and always be right. It is not real, but an illusion, an empty shell, which is based on fear, separation, loneliness and opposition. The ego can be a defensive or an aggressive reaction. In reality, the ego tries to protect us from showing our vulnerabilities.
Is the ego negative?
For Westerners, the ego is a necessary evil with which we must live, it is not so serious, indeed sometimes it can be useful or even positive. In fact, Western civilization since 1623 is based on the ego thanks to Descartes.
On the contrary, for spiritual masters, most of them Orientals, the ego has nothing positive, since it is the opposite of love, it represents our dark part, our Mr. Hyde, our shadow zone.
The ego is a false friend that makes us lack authenticity, honesty, and humanity. This is why certain traits of our character might be selfishness, self-centredness, narcissism, individualism, greed, possessiveness, materialism, avarice, susceptibility, and even paranoia. The ego is responsible for almost all of our negative emotions, especially hatred. It pushes us to defend ourselves, to justify ourselves, to rationalize, to deny the evidence, and generates childish behaviours. Escape, rejection, negative or destructive communication (like haters). It can also be responsible for toxic relationships, manipulation, harassment, and violence in a broad sense.
Why would we keep the ego under control?
On an individual level, keeping the ego under control would mean being happier, having better physical and mental health, more self-confidence, connecting better with others, living in harmony, having happier relationships, more energy, and being even more efficient.
On a social level, keeping it under control would help society overcome racism, sexism, nationalism, domination, oppression, exploitation, delinquency and even war! It would allow us to live better together, to develop a sense of brotherhood, equality, cohesion, solidarity, understanding and peace.
How to keep the ego under control?
It is impossible to eliminate the ego, because it is part of our personality. What we can do is trying to control it.
At the social level there are institutions such as the family and school that are delegated to this role. Other institutions, such as the police and justice, try to correct it.
We can try to transform the ego into our ally with meditation techniques, practising yoga, or using psychotherapeutic techniques that can help us to be more attentive, conscious, and to become more collaborative. We will be able to learn to listen, to help, to forgive, to let go, to create, to laugh and make people laugh, and of course to love.
I would like to conclude with a short story, The Story of the Two Wolves.
“One evening, an old Indian grandfather tells his grandson the story of the two wolves.
In each of us coexist two wolves, constantly fighting. One is bad, angry, jealous, sad, greedy, arrogant, liar, feels superior to the other wolf.
The other wolf is kind, empathetic, generous, sincere, compassionate, cheerful, peaceful, serene, hopeful, and humble.
The grandson asks his grandfather: “Who wins between the two wolves?”
Grandpa simply answers, “The one you feed will be the winner.”
Eco-anxiety or climate anxiety can be defined as the stress that some people feel due to environmental events even though they have not had to deal with them (yet).
Melting glaciers, fires that more and more often happen worldwide, unbelievable heat waves, just to mention some major events, could really cause eco-anxiety.
The dire effects of climate change are hard to miss, and they instil fear in many people who are worried about the future of the Earth and obviously of the human kind.
If these fears sound familiar to you, you are not the only one.
Respondents between the ages of 18 and 34, who are likely thinking about what the meaning to inherit the Earth on the brink of environmental collapse, were more likely to say they were concerned about climate change, and actually nearly half said the anxiety affects their life every day.
The online survey, which involved 2,017 adults in the United States, covered ecological anxiety and changing habits to reduce the impact on the climate.
The survey results were weighted to reflect the national adult population, taking into account factors such as age, sex, education, region, family income, and ethnicity. 60% of respondents said they had made changes to their behaviour.
The most popular, adopted by over three-quarters of participants, included reducing waste through reuse and recycling of items. In addition to improving the insulation of your home, limiting the use of services such as water, heat and electricity and consuming less in general.
Not all respondents, however, could change daily transport or eating habits. Only two-thirds said they had or would do things like carpool, walk, cycle, eat less red meat, or become vegetarians or vegans.
People who suffered from ecological anxiety were much more likely to feel motivated to change their behaviour than those who didn’t.
While climate change anxiety may seem demoralizing, there are practical ways to manage this stress. It is especially important to gain control because anxiety can increase psychological distress.
The APA survey found out that half of adults did not know where to start to combat climate change. While it is true that governments and the private sector have the power to make the most radical changes, every citizen can change their habits. Eating less red meat, for example, can reduce carbon emissions. Participating in strikes and protests, such as those held by Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for Future, draws attention to the issue and helps get others to act. Asking local politicians to do more on climate change is also a good rule of thumb.
Re-framing negative thoughts
Overall, research shows that re-framing negative thoughts can help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. If apocalyptic thoughts keep creeping into your mind, or even prevent you from making plans, it can be helpful to focus your attention on the present.
Addressing all the stressors
It is important to think about climate change-related stress as part of overall mental health. You may also experience financial, relationship, professional or physical stress, which can alter feelings about climate change and vice versa. It is essential to analyse the other stressors as well and, if necessary, seek the help of a professional, like a coach or a psychologist.
Building your resilience
Greater resilience can help resist eco-anxiety. You could increase your resilience by developing a close network of friends and family. Strong social and emotional support is linked to well-being, material aid during times of adversity, and lower rates of psychological distress following a disaster.
Plants improve the air we breathe and can be a place to grow vegetables. Therefore, green spaces have been increasing recently in urban spaces thanks to the creation of rooftop gardens.
For those who live in the city, the importance of having a green space close to home has become necessary during the lockdown due to Covid. From London to New York, parks and public gardens have always offered a precious refuge in the asphalt jungle of the streets, shops and offices that make up the typical urban landscape. But apart from these oases of peace, there is not much room left to become “greener”, which is why we are witnessing the development of rooftop gardens.
From improving physical and mental health to bringing communities closer passing by fighting pollution, the creation of green spaces at the top of the buildings can be truly seductive.
Here are some benefits you can get from growing a rooftop garden.
They help purify the air
All cities in the world face the same challenge: maintaining quality of life despite the high pollution rate and rising CO2 concentrations. For this reason, planting trees or shrubs on the roofs can be useful to exchange carbon dioxide for pure oxygen. In addition, roof gardens can also improve the insulation of the building, reducing heat loss in winter and maintaining a cooler temperature in summer. In this way, besides making a gift of oxygen to the environment, you will lower the consumption of electricity and heating, paying less expensive bills.
They offer shelter to wildlife
Loss of natural habitat is a threat to wild animals in general.
A roof garden can quickly become a refuge for bees, butterflies and birds, where they can rest and nest, thus keeping the pollination cycle active, which is essential for human nutrition.
They allow you to grow your own vegetables
Tomatoes, courgettes, peas and strawberries, all organic. The fact of sowing and growing your own vegetables is an incredibly rewarding activity that allows you not only to save money but also to eat healthier.
They inspire engaging actions for communities
Why not thinking about involving the primary school close to home by inviting children to discover your garden or vegetable garden? You will be surprised to see the enthusiasm of the little boys and girls. Gardening is a real contribution to integration into the local community. Where I live in Brussels there is an association called Parck Farm that has taken over a greenhouse and created a botanical garden. In addition, it offers small plots of land to cultivate. We share the land together with Belgians of several origins, Poles, Portuguese, … The association also offers the possibility of organising team building activities there. Participants can help members of associations to remove weeds, collect garden products, prepare the soil for winter. Educational activities for boys and girls are regularly scheduled to make them discover the wonders of flowers and plants. Workshops for the preparation of creams and syrups are other events organized by the association to promote integration among the inhabitants of the neighbourhood.
They improve physical and mental health
We all know that spending time in nature revitalises the body, spirit and soul. This practice is known as shinrin-yoku (forest bath) in Japan and has been validated by scientific research. In 2019, a study revealed that spending at least 120 minutes a week (the equivalent of about 17 minutes a day) in nature can have a significant impact on our health and general well-being. Other research has established a link between regularly visiting green spaces, improving sleep and decreasing negative thoughts.
Life is constant change, Buddha and Aristotle already said it: change is a fact of life. But change has also been accelerating in recent decades. Massive disruption across the social, technological, political and environmental dimensions of our lives means that we are constantly trying to figure out how best to manage uncertainty. And for someone it can be scary.
The origin of this fear can be found in biology. Our brain is the result of two and a half million years of evolution. We have lived in caves much longer than we have in cities. This means that we have “coded” automatic responses to successfully respond to everyday threats.
If absurdly you see a tiger walking down the street, you would not try to understand what breed it is but you would rather try to escape as quickly as possible (flight). Another codified reaction would be to stay still, hoping that the tiger will not see you (freeze). The last possible reaction would be to fight it (fight), with very, very limited chances of success, so your brain would immediately discard it.
Flight, Freeze or Fight are the three primal reactions to events that we perceive as dangerous to our safety.
However, the wonderful circuits that have allowed us to evolve as a species are not suited to addressing the most subtle threats of our age, such as digitization, the pandemic or the risk of losing your job.
These fears are evolutionarily new and are not always easy to manage.
Remember that the brain is designed for your survival, not your happiness. Therefore, to face changes, you have to understand them as opportunities and learn from the potentials they entail. Moreover, this is not as automatic as running away from something dangerous. On the contrary, it takes effort and training.
Let us see how you could get started by following these four tips.
1. First of all, it is important to train your mind daily. Just as you go to the gym or practice by yourself, you need to keep your brain muscle in shape. Try to do something different every day. For example, you could change sources of information when reading the news (also useful to understand various points of view), change your route to go to work, or try a new dish.
2. Second, you can try to consider what happens to you in a different manner. For instance, a good way is reading history to realize that although we live in an age where changes happen very fast, all these progresses have allowed us, for example, to increase our life expectancy.
3. Third, try to disconnect from technology and reconnect with yourself and your surroundings. If you are always immersed in the digital world, you will not have time to integrate learning and to find a certain and needed tranquility. For example, one day during the weekend or on vacation you can put your mobile in the “don’t disturb” mode.
4. Fourth, trust. If you look at the difficulties that you have already faced in the past, you will see that now they look easy to you. If you have already been able to overcome challenging situations, why should not you be able to do it now?
Qi Gong is an ancestral discipline born in China about 5000 years ago. It has been influenced by various philosophies, such as Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.
After having developed within religious and spiritual fields, Qi Gong has been contaminated by fighting techniques becoming in this way also part of martial arts.
Today, more than a thousand forms of Qi Gong are known. Actually, each teacher develops his own technique observing though the same principles and purposes: to stay healthy by keeping the body, spirit and energy in balance.
According to Chinese medicine, good health is the result of a good circulation of energy in the body. Qi Gong is considered a prevention measure.
The search for balance, the precision of intention (Yi), the fluidity of gestures represent not only a path towards self-knowledge but also the pleasure of encountering oneself. With Qi Gong, we learn to love ourselves, to open up to the universe, to live in harmony with everything around us.
In the search for balance, you will experience moments when you focus and moments when you rest. Feeling too much or what is missing, for example when you go from one foot to the other, allows you to become aware of your own fragility. When, on the other hand, you stand on two feet, well anchored to the ground, you feel then balanced, and stronger.
Working on balance brings a feeling of lightness and freedom, without forgetting that through the movements and stimulation of the meridians (energy circulation paths), organic functions improve (circulation, digestion, breathing).
The body is at the centre of the relationship with oneself, with others and with the environment. Body awareness passes through listening to your body at first, by observing muscle tone, tensions, balance, posture and the direction of movements.
Qi Gong can be considered above all as a search for energy balance and harmony between body and spirit. By paying attention to the gestures, we realize that our way of thinking also changes and we get a more peaceful look at the world.
Crisbie Coach 