It’s not every day you get to hear one of your all-time heroines speak on a subject you’re enormously passionate about. In her eighties, Jane Goodall is as vital and energetic as ever as she crusades for conservation.
A gentle leader, with a powerful presence. Today, at the opening of the Osa Field Institute in Costa Rica, she stood before a crowd of enthusiasts of all ages and delivered an elegant, heartfelt, message, full of hope for a brighter future.
Jane was lucky to have a mother who encouraged her to follow her heart. A mother who even accompanied her to the African rainforest so she could fulfil a long-held dream.
I’m lucky enough to have a mother like that too. She’s always supported me to pursue my passions. My only barrier to their pursuit was my inner demon convincing me what was and wasn’t possible.
Our true dreams
Whether or not you had the gift of such a mother or anyone else who cared for you enough to spur you on, we all have dreams. Perhaps you’re pursuing them, perhaps you know what they are but are not living them or perhaps you’ve locked them away.
But they’re still there in our hearts.
For many people in the Western World, our hearts get overshadowed by our heads. Society dictates who we should be – what it’s safe for us to express and what we must shut away to ‘be successful and accepted’.
External measures of success – money, security and status – become our priorities. We disconnect within. We deny our true nature and purpose. We stop feeling alive and free and become fatigued, empty and ill. Addictions help numb the pain of ‘never enough’.
And we’ve forgotten what ancient tribes knew – EVERYTHING is connected. We are a part of nature, not separate from it. We have a symbiotic relationship where for everything to thrive, we must nurture and respect each component – people, animals and Mother Earth.
The solution?
To follow our hearts and live our dreams.
Our heart’s wisdom
Our heart’s intelligence will guide us to live our full potential. Grounded in love, it will guide us to take sustainable action for ourselves and towards other humans, animals and the planet. We will restore our connection within and with all of life on the planet.
Aligned with our hearts, we are naturally more compassionate, gentle kind and more honouring of life. We choose collaboration rather than competition.
With head and heart in harmony, we live true to ourselves and inspire the same in others. Everyone and everything begins to harmonise.
Despite a largely disconnected, out-of-balance Western World, Dr Jane has high hopes for a brighter future.
Our saving grace? The indomitable human spirit. Let’s ignite it, unite it and channel it towards making a difference and creating a heart-centred World.
How do we begin to re-connect?
Go within and get into nature.
My invitation: working with people to empower them to reconnect with their hearts and live their dreams – aligned with their true nature and purpose, is my passion.
I know all too well the consequences of not doing it and now I live and breath the joy of following my heart.
If you’d like to find out more about Jane Goodall’s work, check out: http://www.janegoodall.org
If you have children or work with children, you may be particularly interested in her Roots & Shoots programme, which is already active in 133 countries.
