The Soul Of Sustainability

The Soul of Sustainability

By Holli Smith

When I was a child I ate junk food, smoked cigarettes, littered, and did pretty much everything we are told not to do if we care about our health or the environment. I thought my body, the air, and our Earth wouldn’t be affected. I thought that no matter what I did, everything would be fine.

And then I became a mom. The whole ‘I didn’t care about anything until I had someone to care about’ phenomenon that so many parents experience, hit me full force. When my very young daughter started experiencing rashes, digestive issues, and other minor health concerns, I sought help but found little. I was told that she had allergies and would most likely outgrow them, that it was nothing serious.

Many parents I know have been told the same thing, no testing, no concern, just wait and see.

We weren’t even sure what the allergies were from, as there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to when they flared up, so I keep looking for answers. We saw a naturopath and discovered that both of us suffered from chemical allergies. Chemicals in food, chemicals in cleaner and body care products. Anywhere that chemicals were lurking, there was a potential danger.

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I hadn’t been aware of the vast chemical industry, of the contaminations and hidden ingredients, but as I delved deeper into this particular rabbit hole, I felt like my world had been flipped upside down. We were literally poisoning ourselves at every turn. Poisoning other beings and poisoning the world itself. I had generally trusted that companies, governments and other world organizations were looking out for our best interest. That they were protecting us by screening what was sold by regulating manufacturing processes.

What I learned shook my belief in a lot of things, but especially in the systems that rule our society. It became increasingly clear that misinformation and abuse of

trust ran rampant through every industry. And some of the traumatic experience from my own childhood began to make sense. What I found wasn’t the hidden, conspiracy theory type of information that would be considered debatable.

In the early 2000s, many people were already awake and aware to what was happening, and everyone had access to this knowledge, if only we had all known to look. Unfortunately, my people were not among those who did. When I first told my family and friends what was being done to our food, our water, and all the other products we used daily, I was treated like I was crazy. I was the one who wasn’t to be trusted. That was the first time I realized the depth of the deceit being played upon us, how we had blindly allowed our lives to be directed by others. All the facts were there for anyone who cared to look, but most people didn’t look.

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The years that followed were ones of intense frustration and fear. I did everything I could to protect my daughter, but it seemed impossible to get away from the toxic materials and chemical filled snacks people would sneak her. And yet, I knew in my heart that if we were careful she would heal. And so would I, because I had been experiencing physical ailments as well, and had been for years. But like a lot of people, I didn’t really take notice with my own health until the problems were too big to ignore.

We have moved into a time of transparency, and as the details of the devastation come into the mainstream, an increasing number of people are joining the eco/organic movement.

And it isn’t limited to foods and cleaning products but encompasses everything from clothing and furniture to buildings and sustainable energy. When I first began to rearrange my life, I ended up making my own organic sheets because they were so hard to find in Canada. Now you can order them from dozens of places. Everywhere we look, people are committing to going green. And while it’s a huge undertaking, it is far worse to stay in this pattern of separation and disregard. To see the heartbreaking destruction and extinctions, to know that babies are being poisoned by water flowing with dyes from the textile industries, and that their siblings and parents are working in deplorable conditions.

The pollution in our world causes problems that are not limited to the pollution itself, as awful as that alone is. Everything is connected. And the destruction of the planet impacts every single being living on the planet one way or another. It is an environmental issue, a social issue, a health issue, an economic issue and perhaps most importantly, a spiritual issue.

It is my belief that it is our soul truth to nurture and cherish this amazing home we reside on, and that when people live from a place of peace, from our souls, we do not destroy. We do not pillage and plunder and abuse. We became disconnected somehow and lost our way, but as more and more of us wake up, we are all about change. We are called to correct the mistakes we have made and find ways to avoid repeating them.

When I am questioned about why this is so important to me, why I am so passionate about environmental sustainability and clean, green living, my answer is love. I love this beautiful Earth we are living on and I love the beings that inhabit her. To me there is no greater purpose than that of alignment and harmony, elevating a world culture where everyone can live a life of love, joy and spiritual freedom. The more deeply I connect with my own spirituality, the more deeply I feel this truth.

By Holli Smith

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