Yee lovers of the Earth,

Each time you take an environmental action, take an [invisible] blue butterfly or a little green tiger out of your pocket, and set it free.

If it is a blue butterfly, envision it flying off to a specific ocean, lake or river somewhere in the world. Envision that butterfly showing you through its eyes and senses, a part of that ocean, lake or river that is more healthy and beautiful because of the environmental action you have taken.

If it is a green tiger, envision it running off to show you a specific forest, wetland or other ecosystem somewhere on our planet. Envision that tiger showing you some place in that forest, wetland or ecosystem being more alive and vibrant because of the ecological action you have taken.

Every time we take an eco action it extends the life of our biosphere somewhere in the world for a little longer. Just because we can’t measure or don’t get to see the impact of an eco logical action we take, does not mean it’s not worth doing. Envisioning the possible benefit an eco action has somewhere on our planet can be thrilling, empowering and beautiful.

When I set one of those butterflies or tigers free, I do it dramatically. Sometimes I’ll bend down on one knee and throw my arm and hand towards the sky while calling out, “For The Life!”. I love “seeing” those butterflies fly or tigers run away. I imagine their speedy journey to some place on our Earth – far or near – to show me where I am making an ecosystem a better place. I sometimes envision a specific biome, a lifeform(s) or human(s) that lives there and maybe something good that gets to happen there because my eco action helps protect or heal that place.

I envision the real world possible affects that my blue butterflies and green tigers (eco actions) might trigger. I’ll admit it, my ego sometimes needs a little stroking to keep taking eco actions in spite of the bad eco news, that’s why I started setting the butterflies, tigers and other animals free.

This celebration of possible cause and effect can help empower lovers of the Earth to keep taking environmental actions in their lives.

For the millions of you that have other tools to envision the possible cause and effect of your eco logical actions, please share your methodology with everyone so we use it to energize our peaceful warrior selves too. Let’s give our friends’ and others with eco logical hearts the power to take the actions that will make a sweet difference in the lives of people and creatures in the future.

Advertisers’ ask us to envision ridiculous cause and effect scenarios that will benefit us if we buy their stupid stuff. A lot of people buy junk based on the advertisers’ impossible cause and effect scenarios. But I say, “don’t buy their deadly product or their absurd fantasy!”

For the brave – or for a more balanced approach – reach in your pocket and take out an invisible bone, skull or other dead thing, and throw it into the wind every time you take a negative environmental action – such as buying something you really don’t need or using more fossil fuels than necessary. Envision where it goes in the world to take away or kill a little bit of habitat somewhere because of that not so nice environmental action.

Set free your invisible butterflies, tigers, pelicans, zebras, squirrels, elephants and other lifeforms – when you take actions to save our endangered home called Earth.

For all the life, XOEarth Stele

PS: To estimate how much habitat you are helping save with an eco action, check out XOEarth.org/ecofx. Feel free to weave that info to your butterfly and tiger journeys.

The Green Minute Rule can be used to envision the global impact of a full year of your ecological actions. It’s fun too!!

photo by Maja & Marko/ flickr