Arne Naess introduced the term 'ecological self' to describe the wider sense of identity that arises when our self interest includes the natural world. When we include the natural world, we are brought into a much larger story of who and what we are. Recognizing ourselves as part of the living body of Earth opens us to a greater source of strength. The expression 'act your age' takes on a different meaning when we see ourselves as part of an amazing flow of life that started on this planet more than 3-1/2 billion years ago. We come from an unbroken lineage that has survived through five mass extinctions. Life has a powerful creative energy and manifests a powerful desire to continue. When we align ourselves with the well-being of our world, we allow that desire and creative energy to act through us...
We live in the web of life in reciprocity with other people, other creatures, and the Earth, recognizing that they are part of us and we are part of them...
What we see here is how personal well-being, community well-being, and planetary well-being re linked to the way we view our self. The extreme individualism of our culture is harmful to all three levels. To promote the recovery of our world and the healing of our communities, while also leading lives that are rich and satisfying, we need to embody a larger story of who and what we are...
This perspective invites a greater sense of possibility...
When we see with new eyes, we discover a different way of perceiving and experiencing power.
— Joanna Macy
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