.png)
It’s easy to look at the enormity of issues such as climate change and feel overwhelmed.  It’s tempting to throw one’s hands in the air and give up.  Zeal, however, does not give up, but rather rallies individuals and groups to “go forward!”  Go forward in big ways and small ways; after all, something is always 100% more than nothing. Zeal encourages us to ask the question, “What can I do?” and then go forward and do that.  This lesson invites you to consider three areas in which your faculty of zeal will make important contributions to your life and the life we all share in common.
The first area, in answer to the question “What can I do?” addresses what I can do in a “hands-on” fashion.  Other lessons in this series on the Powers and EarthCare may mention these, but it is worth mentioning in the context of zeal because engaging in physical labor can be tiring, and a dose of zeal (along with water, sun protection, and rest) will be required to continue to “go forward!”
Here are some examples:
Grow your own Food and Herbs
​
Organic container gardening on a small scale is a great way to begin.  You can always expand your gardening next season. An added benefit is the educational opportunities it can offer the children in your life.
Recycle
​
Be sure to check the parameters of recycling in your local community.  If recycling pick up is not offered in your neighborhood, find out where the local drop off points are and commit to taking your recyclables there.  Share this information with your neighbors.  You might even offer to take theirs when you go.
Use Social Media
​
This can help determine where and when community clean up events are happening.  Show up and participate!  This is a great way to make new friends and share some of your own community events.
"Adopt a Highway"
​
A program in which a civic organization commits to a periodic clean up for a stretch of road.  Contact those organizations and ask them to join. You can even have your Unity congregation adopt a section of the highway. 
Buy Smart
​
Next time you make any purchase, especially a large one, research the environmental and financial impacts of the item.  There are now many financial incentives available for purchasing items with reduced environmental impact, but always read the fine print! 
Shop at Thrift Stores
​
Great values on gently used items can be found at non-profit retailers that promote for-cause organizations.
There are endless possibilities for ways individuals can contribute to creating a cleaner and more sustainable world.  Your impact is augmented when you engage with others. “Many hands make light work,” can be experienced on two levels - the physical level of lifting, pushing, and pulling; and the metaphysical level of being “light workers” whose calling is to help others and the world - not only humans but plants and animals, too!