You Are an Earth Rider!

What does it mean to integrate the complexity of the planet?

Welcome to Tuesdays with Doctor G. where I am continuing a series entitled The Soulcial Revolution—an expansive spirituality built for the modern era.

The underlying principle of the revolution is learning to integrate the complexity of our existence in five areas: self, spirituality, people, the planet, and the cosmos.

In this post, I answer the question: What does it mean to integrate the complexity of the planet?

Introduction

I’ll start with the ending in mind.

You are an earth rider.

And so is everyone else.

And so are the plants, animals, and ecosystems on this magnificent planet.

You and I—along with every species—are riding atop an organic ball as it skips across an endless universe. And we have a responsibility to take care of one another.

Everyone and everything.

This identity reframes all aspects of life.

New Lenses

The concept of an earth rider originated with a remarkable wedding experience.

What began as an outpouring of emotion for one couple, eventually carried me into the stratosphere on a cosmic river of love. Up there, riding the earth, with the vastness of the universe before me, I was filled with a deep sense of wonder, love and connection to all life, people, planet, even the cosmos.

When I “returned” from that strange encounter, I immediately internalized several things in my body and soul.

Our Beautiful Planet

I fell in awe of our beautiful planet, not unlike the astronauts of Apollo 8 who snapped the iconic image of the earth from space—fragile but whole. Instead of feeling insignificant against the backdrop of an infinite void, the opposite occurred. This earth and its precious cargo—together in motion—became the most important things to me.

Perhaps you have felt this too, watching a documentary on this amazing world, or as you sat before a mountain stream. That nudge that says maybe you are not separate from this spinning globe but rather sense your deep belonging to it.

Beautiful People

I fell in love with people, maybe for the first time, if I’m honest. You and I and every person on this organic rock share an unbreakable bond as human beings.

That is our starting point.

Our cultural narrative teaches us that conflict and division are normal parts of the human condition: liberal vs. conservative, men vs. women, one race against another. Yes, identity, ethnicity, and nationalities are important, and make us unique individuals. But from that higher perspective, polarity now seems impossible to me.

We are one global human race.

Beautiful Nature

This was the most surprising reframe of all. I fell in love with nature, again, for the first time.

I once taught that we had dominion over the planet, over the birds of the air, and the beasts of the field. And I’m not gonna lie, this idea shaped my relationship to the natural order. We were the kings and queens of the hill, so to speak.

But after that event—where I was running beside the foxes—I saw every plant, tree, and animal in a different light. I felt compassion. I wanted to care for them in every possible way.

I also knew in my bones that I was not separate from nature. I was but one extension of it. Not above, not below, but a unique expression forged from the same elements as the leaves on a tree and the stars of a distant galaxy.

The “Mother Earth” Cup

While in Quebec City, I ran across this beautiful cup by indigenous artist Maxine Noel. I immediately bought it because I wanted more art and inspiration in my life.

But on many occasions, as I’ve enjoyed my morning coffee, I have found myself staring intently at the image. And then, I have been filled with an uncontrollable emotion, for the artist, for her people, and for the struggle that history has laid upon them. And then more love and concern pours out from me, for this wonderful world, and its natural ecosystems.

All from a little cup? No. All because that experience reframed my relationships to people and planet.

A Closing Invitation

So, wherever you are now, I want to invite you to stop for a moment. Get near a window or go outside, and see if you can spot another person, and some part of the natural world.

Just watch them for a bit. Relax. Breathe a little.

Then close your eyes, keep those images in your mind, and feel the ground beneath your feet.

You, and the person, and the plant, everyone and everything, are moving at cosmic speed—interconnected and together—whether you notice it or not.

Love you earth riders.

Til next time, where I will talk about the uni-verse, and integrating the complexity of the cosmos.

Gustavo