I also make a practice not to shame people who aren't necessarily following all of the LNT principles perfectly. Everybody is at a different place in life and in their outdoor educational experience, and we do not make progress by using bullying tactics to attempt to change the behavior of others. We live in a very material world, and the point is not to be perfect... the point is to make small changes. The world is greatly impacted by a lot of people doing small things, rather than one person being 'perfect'. Even if you drive an SUV (I do!), or even if you used 10 pieces of single-use plastic last week... it doesn't mean that you are bad. Making an impact is simply the process of becoming aware of ways in which you can take small steps to reduce your impact on the environment. Each of us can start today.

I might be somewhat of an anomaly in the way that I approach 'threats', but I intentionally do not focus on the things that I don't want. When you focus on what you don't want in any area of your life, you actually amplify the energy of that which is not wanted. Have you ever noticed how when you focus on something that you don't like or a lack of something... that it stays the same or gets worse? It's the same for our environment, and the collective power of a lot of people focusing on what they don't want is actually cultivating an environment where change will not happen, and in fact, the 'problem' might get worse. The problem and the solution are not on the same frequency - which means, if you are focused on the problem, you will not be in the vicinity of receiving a solution. I'm not indifferent to 'problems' in the world, but the way in which I approach them is very different, because I don't focus on what I don't want, instead, I think about what I do want. 

What do I want? I want a healthy, abundant planet where the flora and fauna flourish. I want a planet that retains its natural state of well being. I want a planet that easily thrives and easily provides for the human beings on the planet. I want human beings on the planet that love and respect the planet and intentionally are mindful about making decisions that are in alignment with what is best for the health of our natural world. I want leaders who have a deeply rooted vision of a healthy, abundant world. I choose to focus on what I want, because I know that I will be inspired to actions and behaviors and ideas that will cultivate an environment that will allow that reality to flow naturally. I hope that others can begin to shift their focus away from problems and anger to one of solutions. It will be pretty fantastic to watch that happen.

I'm inspired by a deep love of our planet and a deep knowing that we are all so connected - we are all a part of life, and when we protect our environment, we are also protecting ourselves. I think that loving the natural world is the most natural love of all, because it is this planet, afterall that made our lives possible. If you stop for a moment and think about all of the things that our planet does for us - provide water, food, the perfect location from the sun, rotating in orbit, etc... it's hard to fathom. We go about our lives on a daily basis and never have to think about something like the angle of the earth's rotation, and yet, without us needing to do a thing, it rolls on and on, providing this incredible space for us to live. People who have experienced the connectedness with life itself through experiences in nature have a different understanding of why it is so important to be mindful about caring for the environment. It isn't just the earth we are caring for - it is each other.

I said this a bit earlier, but I would absolutely love for people to spend more time focused on what they want and truly visualizing what they want for our planet, and allow that vision to inspire them to actions that will cultivate an environment for positive change. It's easy to get angry when you think about a problem and as a result, we end up amplifying the energy of the problem, rather than the solution. Believe that change is possible and then make the conscious choice to approach that change from a place of inspired love for our planet - from a place of deep appreciation for what we have and for life itself... and see what happens. I have so much hope for future generations as we begin to awaken to what is possible when we subtly shift our focus from 'where we are right now' to the world we want to create. Everything is possible, and our planet is an abundant, resilient place that is waiting and ready for each of us to focus our hearts and minds in a forward thinking direction.