Guest Opinion
By Teresa Balanesi of Kootenai County
There is something about the connection that we share with nature and the animals that brings us squarely to what is honest, true, beautiful, and pure. Nature and the animals do not lie. It is man that lies, perverts, manipulates and distorts out of sheer motive, intention.
In Sun Tzu’s Art of War we are told that we must understand ourselves first, and our enemy second, if we are to have any chance at success. Likewise, before we can do anything more than simply observe nature and the animals for their truth and beauty, and be able to integrate ourselves successfully, we must first understand ourselves and then understand nature and the animals.
The world is hurting, but why? Is it because we choose to believe a lie? Is it because we believe that everything should and does revolve around us? Is it because we neglect the very things that matter most? Or that there are consequences to our misguided intentions that are magnified not just by an individual’s actions, but by the billions of people living on earth today?
If the collective conscience of society is self-driven, void of regard, respect, and the ability for independent and creative thought, then it feeds upon its self and creates a destructive force among the collective. Is this not what we are seeing across the globe in the undoing of all that is true, good, and beautiful?
Whether we are talking about family, community, towns and cities, states, nations or the world, we see things are going ‘wrong’ everywhere. It is truly our first and most basic responsibility to understand ourselves first (prejudices, limitations, motives, opinions, imbalances, etc.), and what the implications of those are to everyone and everything around us, before we can ever have any chance at a true and lasting success in our endeavors. Mostly, what we are talking about here is who we are and what are our motives. Nature and the animals do not lie, we absolutely cannot cheat life (and get away with it).
There is an intersecting point with God in this matter. We are promptly asked to look at our intentions and the results of our actions.
Daily, I am required to address this and to identify with God through nature, to find balance and to understand my impact upon everything around me: nature, the animals, and my fellow man. I train dogs (and people!) for my living. I assure you, they are all counting on me for this.
My goal is to bring balance and harmony to this life. Only by looking rightly and honestly, both inside and out, can any of us make the proper adjustments and have any chance at success.
Teresa realized at a young age that the truth and beauty expressed nature held the lessons we so often overlook. She believes applying a grounded understanding of God’s law (Natural Law) leads us to a place of peace.
