Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25125
make change and the importance of getting actively involved in protecting this planet that is home to all of us species. I did my best to direct that energy [money] to the highest good. It helped empower the company to find common ground and do what they said all along that they would never do. which was "give in to me." It is apparent that we as a society govern our lives by a love for money above our love for life. Therefore it is the responsibility of all people to shift [from] this way of living. Our government should be giving incentives and subsidies to those who are socially and environmentally responsible while at the same time taking incentives away from corporations that are destroying aspects of life which are in the public trust. JB: I think our words are extremely important. so I don't use words like "battle" and ··weapons." especially when we say positive change. Battles and weapons are never a part of positive change. They can create a temporary change but they cannot create a lasting change. But we can look at them as tools. A tool is about empowerment and a weapon is about destruction. We live in a structure that places value on money. so it is our choice to decide how that money is going to be used. But if all we do is focus on the money we will still never take care of the JB: No. For people to understand. I compare it to a monastic life. People who decide to follow monastic lives give up everything that is "accepted" in society and they do that for a higher purpose. a higher calling. That's what I did. I gave up all my belongings. everything in my life. I gave up all my friends. I said goodbye to my family. I detached myself from everything in order to follow that sense of a higher purpose. a higher calling. Yes. I pray every single day as I wake up that every breath that goes into body be a prayer and that I will be guided to do and say exactly what I am meant to do and say in that moment. Only the Creator will know and hopefully guide me. if I remain open and cle.ar as to what I need to do each day. consciousness that has brought us to the place where we are in the world today. Money is only one component. So is taking responsibility in our daily lives: What are you spending your money on? If you go to the coffee shop every morning and purchase coffee in a paper cup. drink it and throw the cup away. you are as responsible for the destruction of the environment as the corporations are. Do you purchase things that are wrapped in five layers of packaging just because that's how you've always seen them? Or do you choose to purchase solutions: tree-free paper. or 100 percent recycled paper. organic food. energy-efficient appliances? Why not stop to think about it! Do you choose to not automatically turn on all the light switches in your house and leave them on just because it is convenient. without thinking about what that does to the planet. what beautiful river has been dammed. what nuclear tower is spewing waste on future generations' lives. what indigenous tribe is pushed off its land to extract coal? person anger oppression. and face it with a clear. open. loving. strong heart. committed in action. People are out there feeding and clothing the homeless. helping peollle who are physically challenged. working with at-risk inner-city youth despite the potential for violence. They are walking into tile halLS of government day in and day out and calling upon it to uphold the truth. Every single person. all tfie known and alL the unknown. are my Ileroes. GET IN TOUCH WITH JULIA BUTTERFLY. THROUGH THE CIRCLE OF LIFE FOUNDATION. CALL: 707-923-9522 OR 415-337-4302 EMAIL: INFO@CIRCLEOFLIFEFOUNDATION.ORG WEB: WWW.CIRCLEOFLIFEFOUNDATION.ORG.