BECOMING A STEWARD OF THE PHYSICAL
PLANE
It requires a shift in consciousness
to become a steward of the physical plane. A steward is a caretaker,
a caregiver, a guardian, and a protector. The word comes from
the Old English word stigweard, from stig that meant "House
or hall" plus weard or ward which meant "keeper."
It is one who actively directs affairs-a manager.
The question becomes, how good
a steward of my physical plane am I? Am I guarding and protecting
my body, my finances, my environment?
Oprah recently had a series
on how people overspend. Families shopped and shopped and then
gave away clothes with the price tags still on them. Others
had TV's in every room, or ate out most nights. And they were
all in debt. Major debt. The financial counselors came in and
coached them. Many of them had no idea of the interest rates
they were paying, or how much it costs to use an ATM other than
at your own bank.
It became a matter of awareness.
Awareness + Choice = Change. If we are not aware of what we
are or are not doing to care for our physical environment, we
are not in a position to make a choice that will create change.
I have begun carrying my cloth
bags to the grocery store again. That consciousness used to
be big which is why I own so many bags. A financial planner
at a network meeting suggesting having two savings accounts,
one that is meant to save and the other that is meant to spend.
The latter contains money you put in every month to build toward
those periodic expenses like DMV or quarterly insurance or yes,
even taxes. It's a responsible way to manager money.
A new housemate has doubled
our recycling by making choices to eat packaged foods rather
than cook from fresh ingredients. I have made efforts to get
off of mailing lists that send me unwanted pieces of paper.
And then there is my body. Am I truly listening to its need
to get up from my desk and stretch? I now have "honor my
body" as a daily reminder that comes up in Outlook. Can
I talk myself into that extra block on my walk when I know my
body would like to develop more stamina? Am I feeding it with
conscious awareness?
Metaphysically we see what we
look for. The very act of looking creates manifestation. What
am I looking for? Am I looking for responsible financial balance?
Am I choosing organic foods to encourage those who honor the
land? Am I writing on the back of paper in my office so that
both sides are used before it is recycled? Do I make fewer trips
per week in order to conserve gasoline? Am I taking time to
cook for myself?
The Indians had it right. When
they took from the land, they gave thanks. I need to give thanks
not only to the natural resource that provides me but also to
the people along its journey that brought it to me.
I choose to expand my awareness
of the bounty that surrounds me, to live in gratitude for what
comes to me though my own consciousness, and become a protector,
a guardian, a steward of the physical plane.
