Within the Self

As Gandhi so famously said, “we need to be the change we wish to see in the world”. This is mirrored by many cultures and traditions worldwide, such as Buddhism and the idigenous teachings that inform the Children’s Fire.

This philosophy also holds true for re-establishing an ethic, such as Life First, that prioritizes future generations in our societies. It can’t really happen in a sustainable way until we ourselves choose to incorporate it into our daily lives.

People sometimes scoff at the notion of being able to change the world by first creating change within the self. It is important to remind ourselves that what we resist persists – we can’t bomb, or incarcerate a world into becoming a place of peace. We’ve already tried that one – for hundreds of years we have demonstrated that violence simply breads more violence (whether that is physical or mental).

True, lasting, life-affirming change cannot be imposed or dictated – it needs to be evoked and lead through inspiration, through action. It needs to grow from the ground up from a place of non-judgement – otherwise, we run the risk of mirroring the same out of balance institutions that are currently destroying Life on Earth and threatening the future for generations to come.

It can sometimes sound very simple but it’s not necessarily easy. Which is why practicing this together with like-minded people is so important – whether online with fresh new faces, or in our homes, communities and places of work.

With this in mind, we recommend that your next steps are to make the Pledge and sign up as a CFM Community Member.