Category Archives: Life

Leadership, Life, Nature

Historic time

Anne Frank 1940

There is no doubt, we are living through a historic moment in time and our whole way of being in the world is being challenged because of COVID-19.  Some people have already lost their lives and we are all struggling to find order in the midst of the anxiety-producing situation at hand.  May we remember that kindness is a gift we can all afford to give and that nature is and can be a balm to our souls.

Ann Frank, a young Jewish girl who was forced into hiding for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, said it well, “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God.  Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.”

Animals, Cats, Leadership, Life

In Honor of

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In honor of a beloved soul.

One precious, ever-loving life.

She was my sweetheart.

She brightened my days.

She was always there for me.

She comforted me.

She made me smile.

She was wise.

She was honorable.

She made me a better human being.

She, quite simply, was an amazing animal.

Cherish these precious beings, for they make the world a better place. 

Animals, Leadership, Life, Nature

Tofu versus Wildlife?

New work, led by Professor Ron Milo, and published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” stated that the world’s population of 7.6 billion people represents just .01% of all living things.  Plants, on the other hand, make up 82% of all living matter and bacteria makes up 13% of all living matter.

Part of the problem lies with the way we eat.  Of all the mammals on Earth, 96% are livestock and humans, only 4% are wild mammals.  That means that tropical forests and wild spaces are disappearing, at great cost to everyone.

Despite these numbers, we have had a huge impact on the natural world and have been expert at exploiting the natural resources of the planet.  Since the rise of human civilization, 83% of wild mammals have been lost, 80% of marine mammals have been lost, 50% of plants have been lost and 15% of fish have been lost.  One way you can make a difference is by eating differently.  Your dietary choices have a tremendous effect on the habitats of plants and animals.  So, choose a tofu burger instead of that hamburger.  Or try a vegan hotdog instead of a regular one.  They are better for the planet, and your health.

Animals, Children, Life, Nature

This New Year

As we enter this new year may we enter it with grace and courage.  And may we enter it in good health and with hearts full of compassion.  So much has changed and happened in these last months and years.  I see it in myself, I see it in others, I see it in the world, and I see it in nature.  This much is obvious, change spares no one or no thing.

My vision is that we come together to mend our differences and see things through another person’s eyes.  My vision is that we treat each other with kindness and without cruelty.  My vision is that we all live in peace and without violence.  Greater it is to uplift one another rather than tear one another apart.  Climate change and the destruction of nature and its precious habitat is one of our supreme challenges.  We can mitigate climate change, preserve nature and protect the amazing animal kingdom.  Yet we must come to terms with our own selfishness and greed.

Let us be better than we were.  Let us be lights for all of the children and animals of the world.  Let us go forth together, and in goodness.

Animals, Kindness, Leadership, Life, Nature

In Honor of Earth Day

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Tomorrow is Earth Day and I wish to share the wonderful piece of advice below.

“Treat the Earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” –American Indian Proverb