Earth Week Compassion Games 2017: Mission 5 and 6

Reflect On Yesterday's Mission Before moving on to Mission #6, reflect on yesterday's mission, Love Wisdom. Was it difficult to view yourself as an already whole, valuable human being, despite what you might or might not own? Yes and No.  Easy to see it hard to practice it.  Do you think this shift in thinking makes a difference for the planet? YES How might you continue to connect more with those around you to get what you need, and also help others? Listen to the opportunities around me.  Share your wonderful reflections and stories on the Compassion Report Map! Agents, our sixth mission is to RSVP for a local event or activity that supports the protection and regeneration of our Mother Earth! "UNLESS Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”  ― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax In Dr. Seuss's story The Lorax, a single seed in the hands of someone who truly cared was all it took to regrow an entire forest. This, amazingly, is not far from the truth! Human beings are a lot like seeds.Even if we’ve been hurt or neglected - like a seed that has not been planted in a long time, or a plant that has begun to wither - given the right conditions, we can still recover and grow and find new life. As we act with compassion on behalf of the Earth and all her creatures, we can begin to feel new life stir within us, and then SPRING into being as we join our place as good caretakers in the web of life. It begins with each of us! Our mission today, Agents, is to discover an activity or event taking place near your home that is celebrating Earth Month by giving back to the Earth in some way. It may be an ecosystem recovery project, a tree planting event, a beach or park clean up, or even a gardening event. Identify an event in your community that is helping to regenerate the Earth, RSVP to it, and then go to that event tomorrow for Earth Day or over the weekend in honor of Earth Day! (See resources for finding an event below!) Invite your friends to go with you! There’s enough life-affirming, regenerative fun to go around for everyone! Find an Earth Month Event! Use the Earth Day Network global event map to find an event in your area! Literally thousands of events are taking place around the world, so there is bound to be one near you. Are you organizing an event? You can add it to the map, too. Find an Event Here! Each day during Earth Week, the Compassion Torch will be passed to a different Champion of Compassion. For Day 6 of the Earth Week, we are thrilled to pass the Compassion Torch from Unify to Earth Gratitude!   Read Our Featured Story About Earth Gratitude Here! View Past Missions! Previously released Serve the Earth Week missions are available to be viewed here. It's never too late to revisit past or missed missions to find inspiration for igniting compassion for Mother Earth! Reflect On Yesterday's Mission Before moving on to Mission #5, take a moment to reflect on yesterday's mission. What was it like to be mindful of how we use energy every day in ways that often go unnoticed?  I was ashamed of how much energy I waste, especially photon energy.  Were you surprised? Yes  Do you feel inspired to reduce your carbon footprint and implement green energies in your home? Yes How might you help your community transition to clean, renewable energy that goes beyond coal and oil? I need to become more inform before I try to have a plan of action.   Report and share your experiences on the Compassion Report Map!

Our fifth mission, Agents, is to live wisely by reducing our consumption and dramatically lightening our impact on planet Earth. “Each of us in the U.S. is targeted with over 3,000 advertisements a day. We see more advertisements in one year than people 50 years ago saw in a lifetime. And if you think about it, what’s the point of an ad except to make us unhappy with what we have? So 3,000 times a day we are told our hair is wrong, our skin is wrong, our clothes are wrong, our furniture is wrong, our cars are wrong - we are wrong - but it can all be made right if we just go shopping.” -Annie Leonard, The Story of Stuff In the Story of Stuff, Annie Leonard explains how our material economy has come to be what it is today, and the disastrous consequences it has had on our environment and lives. Since about the 1950s, the national happiness of the United States has steadily been going down as rates of consumption and house size have been increasing. Could there be a connection here? Today’s mission is really about going from being considered a consumer back to our natural birthrights as brilliant and whole human beings! When we recognize that we are already whole, just the way we are, we don’t need the latest products to give us an external sense of worth. As a result, we buy less, have a lighter footprint on the planet, and focus on the things that truly make us happy... Things like friends and family, learning new skills, giving back to the world, and appreciating meaningful experiences. Here are some ways to reduce our waste while increasing our connection with others: Join a gifting community for free like “Buy Nothing”, NextDoor, or Freecycle to begin sharing things you no longer need with others instead of throwing them away! Instead of buying something new, see if you can buy it used! Gifting communities are often great places to ask for something, and often times, you will be given what you need for free. Start a community “tool library” where members contribute the tools they have so that together everyone has what they need. (It makes little sense for every house to have a shovel when you only need it once every 3 years!) Recycle and compost whenever you can! Encourage your family and friends to do the same! Relabel your garbage can with a sign that says “landfill” as a reminder that nothing can really be thrown “away”. If you don’t have a compost bin, start one! Or, if your community picks up yard waste make certain you use it for food and yard waste. When you go to the grocery store, bring reusable bags to avoid one more plastic or paper bag from going home with you. (If everybody did this, think of how many bags would be saved!) Use a reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic water bottles that leach toxins into the water. Recycle old electronics (“e-waste”) responsibly by giving them to e-waste facilities. Transition from paper billing to online billing! Invite your friends and family to join with you. And Agents, remember... As you fulfill your mission, share your experiences on the Compassion Report Map! Your report inspires others, amplifying the power of your compassion and generosity! Going Deeper: Mission #5 was inspired by "The Story of Stuff" with Annie Leonard, an amazingly insightful, fascinating, and accessible short-story for people of all ages. Story Description: "From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever." Watch the Story of Stuff Here! Each day during Earth Week, the Compassion Torch will be passed to a different Champion of Compassion. For Day 5 of the Earth Week, we are honored to pass the Compassion Torch from the Pachamama Alliance to the global mobilizer, Unify! Read Our Featured Story About Unify Here!