How to Heal the World Starting Now

So, you want to heal the world. Maybe you are wondering where to start, or whether your efforts can make enough of a difference. You may be asking yourself how you can do more good work in the world.This post will give you a lens through which you can see  how you are doing at healing the world, and learn what can be done better. You will get immediate feedback from your body as you follow along.

In the article “What your parking strategy says about you”, I wrote about patterns: the way you do anything is the way you do everything. So, it may be difficult to evaluate how well you are healing the world, but if you look at something more specific that you do, and apply the pattern to the bigger picture of healing the world, all of a sudden, you get clarity.

So, here it comes: the world at large is healed and managed in the same way as your body is healed and managed by you. Learn to rule your body wisely, and you can heal the world using the same principles.

In the following metaphor, I’ll use “body” and “a complete world” interchangeably, as well as “YOU” and “the world’s sole shepherd”. Yes, I’m inviting you to play G-d for a few minutes.

– YOU are a Part of your body, and at the same time, YOU are the Ruler of your body. For example, YOU are a part of your foot, and you are also a ruler and a keeper of your foot.

– Your world is aware that YOU are its shepherd, but it doesn’t fully grasp what YOU are.

– Perhaps, even you don’t fully grasp what YOU are. (For example, would you still be YOU if you lose your memory? Are you still the same person if you change your values? Do YOU have the same identity if your personality changes as a result of brain trauma? )

– It is generally assumed that YOU make things happen in your world, which is not always the case.

– YOU can consciously do things that YOU believe are best for your body, but sometimes, YOU are wrong about what’s best. Your world may suffer as a result. Luckily, most of the time, the world recovers.

– Sometimes YOU work your world too hard, YOU don’t let it heal, oversaturate it, YOU create floods and famines.

– Your world may rebel and give out when YOU make a toxic call. It can also heal itself, almost miraculously, often while YOU are sleeping or not actively paying attention.

– YOU may feel betrayed by your world when it is not strong enough to do what YOU set out to do, but deep inside YOU understand that the world has its own wisdom.

– Your world has capacity to create new worlds. It also has capacity to destroy other worlds. Both actions can take place without YOU intending it, and sometimes even without YOU being aware of it.

– Your world can still exist even if YOU are gone, although over time it will deteriorate. YOU may still exist even if your body has deteriorated.

— YOU depend on your world to sustain you, and your world depends on YOU to sustain it.

Your body is your world, and you are its shepherd. So, if you want to heal the world, play G-d with it for a while. Here are some of the things you can try:

1. Treat your body kindly, like a well-meaning ruler, much like you would like the Universe to treat Earth, your community, your fortune. For example, create opportunities for your world to rest and play.

2. Listen to what your world needs and asks of you, and at the same time look at the bigger picture. For example, if your body craves ice-cream or a drink, take the kindest long-term approach as you consider timing and quantity.

3. Do no harm. And when your world encounters accidental harm, give it time and resources to heal.

4. Do what you think is best for your world, with an understanding that sometimes things may still come out badly for your world. You may be judged: “If you are the sole ruler, how could you let this happen?!” Please know that it may be difficult for others to understand that you don’t always have as much control of your world as it may seem.

5. Drop the judgment of your world. Judging may put YOU at war with your world and create resentment, as the world is not perfect.

I’m not speaking to you from a high horse. Just like you, I’m still an apprentice in this game. So let us both remember that Everything that we do shapes our worlds, and we Are making a difference All the time.

How will YOU heal the world today?