This might be stating the obvious, but when I look around me I see things that are alive - trees, flowers, animals, and of course other humans. The soil is full of invisible yet industrious little creatures. Leaves flutter to make a glimmering Morse code of light.

I don’t need the Gaia Hypothesis to tell me that our planet is a dynamic, living entity. Watch a plant grow from seed to fruit - our Earth is alive, just as alive as we are.

The mineral kingdom is not excluded here. Those of us who have lived on a fault line will assure you that the rocky underworlds have a rhythm all their own. The stones are a part of it. As a matter of fact, there is no part of the natural Earth that is not imbued with "aliveness".

Ultimately, living sustainably comes down to the choice between making the world more vibrantly alive, or taking away some of that life force. Thankfully, we each get to choose and we get multiple chances everyday. That's my belief, anyway. What's yours?

Image: wili_hybrid