POSITIVE THINGS TO DO # 100: WELCOME THE POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW

On December 24th, 2007, I posted the first of what would be my 100 POSITIVE THINGS TO DO FOR EARTHDAY. I wanted to show how we can undertake daily actions to preserve the Earth, sometimes without even noticing what we are doing. Even our very way of being, the way we live our lives and conduct ourselves can have a positive impact; at the end of the day our way of being will probably have the most powerful impact. Being positive generates energy. Being positive generates excitement. Being positive generates action. It can also generate rewards.

Although we don't do our environmental work to receive rewards, it's nevertheless very nice to receive them when they come. Being recognized for your good work is inspiring and energy giving; knowing that people support your and endorse your efforts and wish you well. Recently I received a message that I had been chosen to receive their 'Shining World Protection Award' from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, a spiritual organization based in Taiwan, with members throughout the world,

"Dear Paul:
The Supreme Master Ching Hai and the Award Committee for our International Association are privileged to present the "Shining World Protection Award" to you for your benevolent, noble and courageous leadership and tree-planting efforts to improve our world. This Award is to show gratitude and to magnify a shining example of goodness for others to follow, and it is absolutely unconditional.
A letter of admiration from Supreme Master Ching Hai accompanies this letter. In addition, we have prepared a beautiful plaque to commemorate your distinguished honour and significant contribution to the world. We would be pleased to send our representative to present this award plaque to you on a day, time and place of your choice."


The spiritual organization has at the heart of its teachings a message of loving and caring for the earth and all its inhabitants and strongly urges vegetarianism.

So, next month we will again visit Hong Kong, this time to not only extend our visa's but to also collect the award at ceremony now being arranged. Apparently I will receive a very special, but already the wonderful letter from Supreme Master Ching Hai is recognition enough.

Such tributes are empowering. And along with the goodwill of the countless people I have met over the last 19 years of walking this beautiful Earth we enable me to go that extra mile, do that extra deed and plant that extra tree.