It's official, I am following through with starting a business and I am calling it Business For A Better World. At this business, I make it my job to do what's best for the Earth. Because if you look at the picture above, may it be a reminder that this planet is frickin' miraculous. This business is an experiment to see if I can make a living by giving back to the Earth. I want this corporation to be in co-operation with the Earth. If we look at every living eco-system on the planet, we will see the symbiotic relationships between all things. Everything works together, and everything has evolved so that it functions harmoniously with the whole. This morning, after a weekend of emotional crisis and contemplating my life's purpose, two different song lyrics came to me. The first one was "I am letting go of the way I think things should be, so my mind can be present and my heart can be free. I am letting go of the way I think things should be, so I can allow in divine harmony." On this creative journey, I am a person with so many ideas and excitements that I can get overwhelmed and out of balance. When the dreams of creating solutions are pulsating within me like wild fire, it feels like I am channeling all of the ideas of angels in Heaven and they have many suggestions for humanity on how to make life on Planet Earth more harmonious. But when I don't feel like those dreams are happening, it feels like my heart is shattering. What I realized this past weekend is that sometimes when we really want something, but it's not turning out the way we planned, or we feel too overwhelmed, or our room is a mess, that is God's sign to slow down and get grounded. I had to let go of getting my way, because I was getting in my own way. The ego comes up with the exact plan of how things should go, and when reality doesn't live up to that expectation, all of the sudden our world comes crashing in. We feel like we are missing out, we bash ourselves for missed opportunities, we feel confused, helpless, depressed. My guidance told me this weekend, instead of doing the awesome things I had planned with others, to just stay home, do the yard work, and plant seeds. So I did the hardest thing that I ever have to do which is to say no to people, and I tilled dirt and cried. I cried because I felt like I was missing out, I felt like my dreams would never come true now, I felt like a failure. Then, through some kind of miracle, I saw the light. I saw the sunshine streaming through the trees onto the garden, the Spirit of Christ and God that I had been reaching for all day finally came, and I began to feel elated. I saw that the work that I was doing was God's work. Slowing down, planting seeds, tending the garden at home, and tending the garden in my heart was the best choice I could have made. It was a hard choice for the ego, but it was nourishment for my soul. A couple of days later and I am feeling more calm and focused, and feeling the guidance to follow through with some of the business ideas that I have been glowing in my heart for the past year or so.
With the Business For A Better World, I want to redefine what a business is. A thought had come to me one day that a "business" is really just an exchange of human creative energy. We go to businesses to create things to exchange for other things that humans create. Through my life experience so far, seeing all the things that humans are creating that aren't good for the Earth has really started to sicken me. We buy things we don't really need or that aren't good for us, and the destruction that these products have on the Earth just isn't right. Bottom line is that it just is not okay to be doing what we are doing to the Earth and I no longer want to be a part of a system that isn't working in harmony with the planet. But here's the thing: in this process of wanting to create a better world, I do not want to condemn or judge those who are not wanting to change or those who are a part of the system of destruction. We are all a part of the same system, the human race. If the world is going to change, it can't just be a few hippies, we would need to include everyone. "They know not what they do" is a very well said Jesus statement at this time because many people just don't know what is going on behind the scenes of what we consume. Or perhaps they do know, but they don't know what to do about it. Many people don't have the money or aren't in the right circumstances to make dramatic changes right now. Some people have been brought up in belief systems where doing what's best for the Earth isn't a priority. All of this is okay. Everyone is doing the best they can, and through these ideas I am not trying to change everything in a day. Not everyone will agree on things and that's okay too. However, hopefully, one day we can all agree that we want a clean and healthy Earth with happy and healthy humans on it. Hopefully one day we can stop arguing over politics, religion, race, and differences long enough to see that we are all on the same boat here. And even though we all have differences, I truly believe we all just want to live happy healthy lives, in a safe and clean environment, to have the freedom to create what we want, and to enjoy the beauty and miracle of life as a human on Planet Earth. If we could all agree on that and decide to focus on the solutions and path towards these goals, I think the world can truly be better.
If you are reading this, you are basically reading my deepest thoughts about the human experience right now. I went on a little tangent but it was a good one. I had mentioned that this morning two song lyrics came to me. I stated the first above but the second one was simply "We are evolving love." If we look at the animals and plants of this planet, everything has evolved by ingenious design to function optimally in it's environment. We too, are an evolving species and I think it's important for us to look for where we can improve. Don't hate and mull over our mistakes, but instead learn from them, grow from them, forgive, and focus on the solutions. So here is where I will go a bit more into what Business For A Better World is all about. It's an evolving project but the basic idea is that all of the products and services provided through this business will align with what is called a Triple Bottom Line Business Plan This is a business that is not only for profit, but is also for the planet and it's people. Meaning that everything we do, we will be doing what's best for the planet and what's best for people, not just so we can make a profit. I want to try to dismantle the societal construct of competition and focus more on how I can co-operate and support other businesses, organizations, and people who are also helping better the world. Where do I begin? At my local farmers market. I plan to be a vendor where I will be selling the following items that I believe help better the world:
-I have a collection of glass bottles that I have found while hiking and that I've collected from the recycling. I plan on selling flowers in these bottles. The flowers that I sell will actually be from the homes of the women in the Lebanon Garden Club and other local gardens.
-I create art on cardboard so I will be selling that. I get the cardboard from the dumpster and anywhere I can find it. The only thing that is not sustainable about this painting process are the acrylics I use. One of my first missions of my business is to raise money to look into more sustainable paints that I can begin using and to inspire others to have eco-friendly painting practices. DISCLAIMER: in all of this I am saying I want to do what's best for the Earth but do I always do what's best for the Earth? No. I try my best but I think we can all agree that it is hard sometimes. Therefore I do not expect my business to be a zero-waste business right off the bat, but that is the goal. One thing I can commit to is not cutting corners because of profit. Right now acrylics is all I can afford and I seriously have debated not painting at all because the use of acrylics has really begun to bother me. But as soon as I have the funds I will be experimenting with new paints. One thing that I see in businesses a lot is that they say that being more sustainable just isn't cost effective. Which is totally true, and again I understand that people have to make a living and we are all doing the best we can. But I'd honestly rather be poor, living in a shack, finger painting with expensive earth paint than continuing to support a system that is destroying the planet. It simply comes down to making the moral business decision of what do I care about more? The Earth? Or a profit? Again, disclaimer, I drank out of a plastic bottle today please don't sue me. 100% authenticity and honesty is another major guideline for my business. So the best thing I can do I think is if you want to know what I am doing that isn't 100% sustainable then I will tell you. As long as I am being honest and always working towards becoming zero-waste, I think that is the best way to go about my business.
-Re-usable bags out of t-shirts and other items that encourage zero-waste living
-I just got the greatest idea, aside from selling flowers in glass bottles, I also want to sell them in mason jars. Jars are a great zero-waste item to have once the jar isn't being used for flowers. There is a local store in town that I love that just started selling teas in bulk. Perhaps I could team up with the shop and have a coupon where if my customer takes their jar into the store, they can have a percentage off the bulk tea! Wow, see what happens when you want to do what's best for the Earth and everyone, God gives you such sweet ideas.
-I will also be selling CD's and sharing music from my album Faith Grows Flowers. It's an album that is very dear to my heart and it has a lot of earth-centered music in it, encouraging people to plant seeds and follow their dreams.
Those are my first steps. Their are many more ideas that I have but this is what I am beginning with. Another phase of this project is to create a Blossoming Solutions Network. I want to have a group of people that get together over a webinar each week to share ideas and work together with how we can better the world through our businesses and creativity. I want this to also be a volunteer network of people who would want to come help build and tend gardens with me. That's the other huge phase of this Business For A Better World. I think the best way that I can give back to the Earth through this business is Creative Gardening. What is Creative Gardening? It's a term that I literally just made up so I don't know with it means. But basically some friends and I have been experimenting around with Spiral Gardens which is where, instead of planting you're garden in rows, you plant them in a circle. This idea means a lot to me because circles symbolize togetherness. If you'll notice, much of our world is made up of lines. Our houses are shaped in boxes, in school we are in rows, telephone poles and power plants stick out of the ground, lines of drills drill into the ground. Lines are great for getting things done quickly and efficiently, but are they what's best for the Earth? When you have a straight line, energy is coming in one end and going out the other. When you have a circle, you have infinite energy renewing itself. If you look at the Earth on a micro and macro level, you will see that everything is made up of circles, it's the building blocks of life. I think a huge evolutionary step for mankind is to realize this connection and try to design systems with circles in mind, with togetherness in mind, and with the well-being of all in mind. Creative Spiral Gardening is a great first step because creating a garden in this way allows you to use your creativity. What pattern of spirals do you want? What colors go where? How can you make it look beautiful? Unlocking our creativity is the way to unlocking solutions. Not to mention, garden's also feed people, create a sense of purpose and community, and are great for the Earth because they provide food for other walks of life in our circle. The solutions to our planet don't come from the same mindset that created the problem (thank you Einstein) they come from the creative joy that harmonizes all of life. You want to know how to find balance? You want to find out how to work together? It's time to learn from the Earth. It's time to honor and respect this planet and do our best to do what's best for all things. Because the beauty about it is that when you are doing what's best for the Earth, you are doing what's best for yourself and everyone else.
So there you have it, this is not just a business, this a container for solutions, creativity, and growth. If these ideas bring the butterflies to your stomach like they do me, reach out to me and let's see how we can work together. If you would like to donate to this cause to help me get this business started, I would be so grateful. I hope you would feel good giving your money to a cause that's #1 priority is to do what's best for the Earth and others. I definitely can not do this alone, nor do I want to. These are not my ideas, these are the angel's ideas. These are the ideas that humanity has been evolving towards for thousands of years. Welcome to the New Age my friends. Welcome to Heaven on Earth. I want to work together to help make this world a better place. I am ready. I believe we all are ready. Let's slow down, plant the seeds, and tend this beautiful Garden of God we are all living in. Let's get down to business.
Comments