Earth Hour - Spectacular Showcase Of Humanity Splendour

Copyright by chestlim

Conceived by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2007, Earth Hour has since gained worldwide awareness and run on a global proportions. An idea so cleverly contrived and initiated that it has succeeded in spreading the concerns over environmental issues to every corners across the globe. Such is the eloquent testimony that great ideas - when coupled with skillful execution, sincere effort and sound management, are bound to go with a bang with a force so incredible that it can bring positive benefits to literally everyone and everything!

This year saw an impressive 88 countries with more than 4000 cities participated in this event, a number that increases tenfold as Earth Hour 2008 only saw a participation of 400 cities. At precisely 8.30 pm local time, cities in the participating countries turned off all non-essential lights and stayed dark for a duration of one hour. People from all walks of life seemed to rejoice to be a part of such an important event. Employees turned off some lights in the companies whilst continuing their work; while many families and romantic couples awaited such hour to have a candlelight dinner.

Children will naturally feel curious and this is an opportune time to educate them about such issues, to effectively bring "ah-ha" to their curiosity. While of course we may not be in the tunnel and thus not looking forward for light at the end of the tunnel; it pays to be in the dark tunnel sometimes, for at this moment we tend to be introspective and ask questions about how to make a change to our current situation, as opposed to taking things for granted.

Many people embraced this idea delightfully and submitted themselves with respect to Mother Earth. Such collective effort will surely herald more of these movements in the future. Coupled with the fact that an astronomical number of citizens partaked in this event, it is little wonder that a change, however small it may be, could be exerted in an effort to tackle environmental issues. This got me into thinking about the power of swarm intelligence.

I first came across this term in a magazine. The article tells of how organisms like ants, bees and the likes are so good in doing works together. Through mechanisms such as smell, they can detect food, build nest and do many other things. While they may be individually small, but their collective effort is not to be underestimated! Look at how a bunch of bees attack a poor fellow...Likewise, Earth Hour served as an avenue in invoking this sort of intelligence in us. We turned all non-essential lights together and worked on making the environment a better place. Actions breed more actions. The effect is obtained by multiplying the action with the number of people involved. And when such equation is made good use of, magic ensues!

The Power Of One

Copyright by jjjohn

One - the number that signifies new beginning - new love, new friendship, new wealth, new attitude, new venture, new life, etc - may appear to be deceptively simple in its perceived power at face value. Yet when its meaning or symbolism are clearly understood, it can bring about a sort of mental "spring cleaning" - so tremendously powerful that whoever experience it will give credit to its potency.

So what is this thing about one? Put it simply, it is about FOCUS. I recall vividly of an encounter with one friend three years ago where during one conversation, we spoke at length about computer hacking. He shared his experience working part-time with the Interpol to detect criminal's location. Amidst his enthusiasm in sharing his remarkable experience, he managed to sandwich a piece of advice - that everythings lies in the power of focus. I nodded but did not think deep about that. Over the years when I came across the subject of mind training, it hit me that there seems to be a connection between both of them. (Leonardo da Vinci said everything is connected to everything!)

So to elaborate on focus - the power of one, inadvertently lead me into discussing about the subject of mind training. To focus when working on something means just to work on the stuff one is working on and that the mind does not wander. That is - no other thoughts other than that related to the work at present. If only we can train our mind to achieve this level of deep concentration, we can indeed be really productive in many aspects of our lives.

Notwithstanding with the fact that focus can bring profuse benefits, the amount of commitments that one shoulders may sometimes deter one from tuning into this power of one. As people grow, they almost always carry with them many responsibilities. Many things need to be accomplished within a short span of time, thus taxing their mental capacity to be able to focus on one thing at a time. More so with the fact that "the world is flat" and that information is accessible anywhere and anytime, it is thus easy to succumb to information overload. It is precisely these circumstances that call for greater mental clarity - and to effectively make the most of the power of focus!