what I learned from an apple

A few years ago, after turning my life around with eating raw, I was about six month into the raw lifestyle. I was going on a walk and eating an apple. The apple I was eating tasted so good, it was the most amazing thing I had ever eaten. With each bite I could feel the life of the apple flowing through my body...giving me life, peace and healing. I felt my mind enter into a whole new realm and I was overcome with gratitude. I started sobbing and sobbing...still walking and eating my apple (probably looked a little crazy :) ). I realized that this apple was what was keeping me alive, I was a living, walking, breathing person because of the gifts the earth had given me. The food that not only kept me alive but allowed me to thrive was from trees and plants, not from packages and wrappers and stores or death...all the food I was eating was a gift from nature. Without trees and plants to keep me alive...I would either have to go back to eating dead foods that caused me to live a life of disease and depression or I would die. During this intense awakening, I also thought back to my old life and felt so very very sorry for all the damage I had already done to this wonderful planet. I used to throw my cigarette butts all over, I would litter all the time, I would pour toxic chemicals all over the ground and many more things...not even thinking about the consequences of my actions. Not only was I destroying the earth, but I was destroying myself. Now that I was loving and healing myself, I knew it was only right to love and heal the earth. What is good for the earth is also good for me and vice versa. I had become one with the planet I lived on and it was an incredible awareness. I was eating living food for my living body...and because of that I was experiencing life to it's fullest.

At this time my purpose in life became very clear. My life was needed to help the life of the planet. My calling was to do everything in my power to heal the earth and make it better not only for myself and my children but for all future generations. Without a healthy planet every single person, plant and animal that lives on it suffers.

I decided to first step I needed to do to heal the planet was to start with my own life. My truck was the first thing I wanted to address. I didn't enjoy it anymore like I used to, I felt it wasn't adding quality to my life and it was a great supporter of foreign oil and the destruction of the earth in many many ways. I parked it in my driveway and rode my bike for a full year only driving my truck a handful of times. When the year was up and I had gone through every possible scenario of what if's over and over again in my head...I felt it was time for it to go. I remember shaking when I handed the keys over...scared to death. Once it was out of my driveway and completely gone I was overcome with joy. I felt so light and free...it was an incredible feeling and I liked it. I liked it so much that I wanted more. I decided my next goal would be to get off grid and no longer support coal or hydro power...which in Idaho we have 50% coal and 50% hydro...both destroy the earth and nature in many ways. I started by getting rid of my dryer and using a clothes line...that seemed to go well..so I got rid of my washing machine. Washing my clothes out each morning from the day before seemed to be no problem. Each time I got rid of something the better and lighter I felt...so out went the TV, freezer, stove, a/c, large appliances..(all were donated to people who needed them). I also turned my cleaning business green....making all my own cleaning supplies with non-toxic ingredients and biking to all my jobs.
Now I have only a small mini fridge, hot water heater (that I keep the breaker turned off until I need it), a hot plate (rarely used), low power space heaters (winter only), low wattage lights (winter only), phone and laptop chargers. Hopefully by next winter I will have solar panels installed and then I should be set :)
Amazingly, my life is so much easier and simple than it used to be. None of these changes have made my life harder. I don't mind wringing and hanging my clothes, I find it very relaxing and meditative. I like making my smoothies with my hand cranked blender, it gives me a great work out and is fun to use. My life has none of the drama and chaos that it used to have. Instead it has abundance. Money is never an issue anymore, I always have more than I need. I always have food and clothing. I pay my bills months ahead of time. I never have to worry about gas prices or alternators or insurance or batteries or brake pads. I am never sick or depressed or suffer from severe mood swings. My business is thriving and I have more work than I need. I love biking everywhere, it makes me feel like a kid again.
I had no idea when I changed my diet that my life would change in such an incredible way. As I said in my previous blog...sometimes I fall back into old patterns, but now that I know what a life of health and abundance is like I am able to pull myself right back up on track...continually moving forward :)
You never know what eating an apple on a walk can do...lol...it could change your life.