Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, "Am I really making a difference?" As artists and yogis it can be hard to see the impact we are creating when we don't always see tangible results from our efforts.
I began to question my efforts just last week when I was visiting my family in snowy Minnesota. I was visiting the town where my dad grew up, a place I have been going to every summer and Christmas since I was a young girl, near the Boundary Waters Canoe area in Ely, MN.
One day I went to visit my aunt at her cabin, and learned about the project she has spent the last year devoting herself to, Save the Boundary Waters.
She formed the organization after learning about the planned mining in the watershed near the protected lands of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Because of the flow of the waters, sulfide exposed from the mining has the potential to pollute the beautiful lakes, wilderness and protected lands of the Boundary Waters.
My grandfather started the largest canoe country outfitting business in the 1950's that would bring people into these beautiful, silent lands of the BWCA where motor boats were not allowed. He played a big role in helping the Boundary Waters become protected land in the Wilderness Act of 1964.
Becky's desire to protect the lands inspired me. From a passionate desire to save the land that is so close to her, she created an organization from nothing that now has access to a million dollars worth of grants, over 50,000 signatures on a petition to save the waters, several employees in the organization, and she has even started conversations with Barrack Obama's team at the White House to take action to protect the watershed from mining. (If you'd like to sign the petition, you can do so here. )
Her story touched me because it showed me:
When there is something you are passionate about that is for the greater good of humanity, the universe will conspire with you to create a movement.
I left that day thinking about my business, and my mission, and really wanting to ask myself, "Why? Why do I do what I do? How am I making a difference?"
I sat down to think about my purpose, my mission and what I hope to accomplish in this life. Through my inquiry, I wrote this piece:
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My deepest desire is to awaken human consciousness from their sleeping state.
I believe how people treat their surroundings is a reflection of how they treat themselves.
When we raise the collective consciousness, there is no need for war, for greed, for violence, or for destroying the earth we walk on. When every being is at peace with themselves, they are at peace with the world.
We all need to live as our highest selves to make this earth a beautiful place to live.
Through my writing, I saw how important the work I am doing really is. And even though it is not directly saving the land from pollution, it is making the world a better place to live.
So if you are out there, and have ever questioned your gifts and asked, "Am I really making a difference?" Know that you are. Through your presence, through how you treat yourself, through your actions, you are making a difference. You are touching every person around you and in doing so, creating a ripple effect that will change the world.
It is time for women to step up into their role as leaders, to live by example, face their fears and fully love and believe in themselves.
It is time for the divine feminine to rise.
Will you join me in the movement?
Love, Meredith
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About the author:
Meredith Rom is a spiritual activist who’s work has been empowering women since 2010. She helps women tap into self love and a life full of magic through her writing, coaching, and yoga retreats.
