 Hello Earth citizens, my name is Courtney and I'm a brain education instructor from Boston, Massachusetts. As you know, BETV creates content about how we can develop our emotional intelligence and improve our mental health. And we all know how important that is, especially these days. But today I want to talk about how really important your mental health is, because your health is actually tied to the health of the Earth. Daily we see on the news how much pollution, deforestation, and global warming are affecting the sustainability of our planet. And most people would agree that we need to take action quickly to help improve the health of the Earth. Some things we can do at home, like reusing, recycling, reducing waste, but some things like mass production of chemicals may feel like they're out of our hands. But my question to you is, have you ever thought that taking care of yourself is also contributing to the health of the planet? Just like we say we are citizens of the Earth, we are also a part of the Earth. All living creatures are a part of nature. Think about the Earth as one giant wheel. If one spoke of the wheel as broken, eventually the whole wheel will be affected. Just like in all mechanisms, any broken part can eventually affect the whole. We can see how our energy affects the Earth in obvious, visible ways, and also in invisible, less obvious ways. For example, have you ever walked down the street seeing someone smile and it made you smile? Our energy affects others. And little things can create a ripple effect, showing someone an act of kindness can make their day or in some cases change their life. But how can you do good if you don't feel good? When you're in a bad mood or under a great deal of stress, it certainly becomes harder to consider others or treat them with kindness. When we see trash on the street and we're in a bad mood, we may feel like we don't have time or it's not our problem. When we feel good, we tend to take more actions that are good for others and good for the Earth. When we're healthy, we have the bandwidth to care for others in the Earth, which will naturally be reflected through our actions. When we feel good, our energy is good. It's lighter, it's more positive. This is the less visible side. We've probably heard of chakras. Our heart chakra governs our ability to care for ourselves and others. And very naturally, we will want to gravitate towards and spend time around people with an open heart, because people with an open heart are naturally kind, not gench-bental and loving. Of course, you can see it through a smile or through an act of kindness, but you can also feel it. That is energy. You can also feel when someone's heart chakra is blocked. You feel heaviness, a sense of anger or stonewall and closeness. This affects the people around us, but also affects the health of the Earth, because everything is energy. The Earth also has energy and the Earth is affected by the energy that exists on the Earth, including the energies or vibrations of human consciousness. When we recognize the interconnectedness of all beings, it can inspire us to want to improve ourselves. We don't live in a vacuum, despite how separate or isolated we may feel when we're depressed. This is one very powerful thing that helped motivate me to put more effort into managing my mental health. The awareness that my health didn't just affect me, it affected my family, my community, and therefore also affected the health of the Earth. My sense of responsibility awakened. Taking care of myself was not just good for me, it was good for all. So if you're looking for motivation to take care of yourself, remember that you are not alone. Get the support you need, because you are important, and your mental health could play a crucial role in the future sustainability of our planet. Thank you so much for watching. To experience a full one-hour brain education, find a Body and Brain Center near you. See you next time.