LEAD MAGAZINE | 2019
MATTHIAS GELBER
YOUR LIFE:
START LIVING GREEN TODAY
“The creation of a thousand forests
is in one acorn.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
THE GIFT OF LIFE
Your life is very much a part of the planet’s
ecosystem. The fresh air you breathe, the
water you drink, and the food you consume
all come from the beautiful earth you live
in. Take time to enjoy the beautiful nature
around you. Smell the flowers and feast
your eyes on the luscious green trees. We
are privileged to live in a time of global
challenges and opportunities, a time for us
to join forces to shape the future.
We are free to choose our way of life within
the boundaries of national and international
law. Therein lies the key to our ability to
make a difference. But it all starts with our
values. Our lifestyles, ethics, and actions are
a result of the values and education we are
brought up with. In short, our lives tend to
be shaped by the values and beliefs of our
parents and grandparents.
Your values and beliefs make you who you
are Ask yourself these questions:
• W
hat are your priorities in life and why?
• What determines your purchasing
decisions? Needs, emotions,
external influences?
• W
hat are your long-term goals for your
career, family, and life?
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• What are your beliefs about religion,
truth, etc?
• What kind of legacy do you wish to leave?
Being honest with yourself in your answers to the
above questions will give you a good indication
of the values and beliefs that have shaped your
life. It’s easy to forget to question why we make
the decisions we make and live the lifestyles we
live when there’s often so much pressure from
family and society to live a certain way to fit in.
But it is your life, and it is your choice how you
choose to live it.
I grew up in a small German village with a very
strong ethical framework of right and wrong
that combined with my personal passion of
spending a lot of time in the forest and enjoying
Mother Nature. I am glad to say that in those
days we were not restricted much as kids as
to where we could go. We used to walk by
ourselves all the time. I even walked alone deep
into the forest. There wasn’t much crime during
those days, though times are different now,
even in my village.
Apart from spending time in the forest and
nature, I also used to work on the land with my
family. Each year we would plant and harvest a
potato field. I can still see my younger brother,
Thomas, and I pulling the plough on the field
during planting season in spring to prepare the
soil for sowing of potato seeds. It was hard work,
and even harder work to manually inspect the
plants and remove the bugs feasting on them.
The good thing about it was that no chemicals
were used, only human labour. We also used
to mow huge plots of grass with my cousins’s
family for their cows, which they used to keep
in their house compound. As kids we played in
the local river; the water was, and still is, always
very clean. Those days of my youth taught me
the precious value of land, how much effort is
required to take care of it and how productive it
can be when looked after well.
One of my favourite memories from my
childhood is of harvesting the potatoes. The
best part about it was making a small fire next
to the field and baking the potatoes right there
and then. We would place the potatoes right in
the middle of the embers, wait in anticipation for
them to bake, and then pull them out with sticks.
After they cooled down, we would remove the
char-coaled skin to enjoy the delicious goodness
of the freshly baked potatoes. From the earth to
the fire to our stomachs. My family did not have
a farm, but our garden and fields were used to
grow food for our daily consumption and set
aside for the winter months when the land was
covered in ice and snow. Throughout my youth
I always had the luxury of enjoying fresh salads
and vegetables from our garden.
Most of the forestland surrounding my village
belonged to the community in the form of a
cooperative. Every spring, each family in the
community would be allocated a certain number
of small plots of forestland to harvest. Those
who chose not to harvest their land could sell it
for a nominal fixed price to relatives or friends.
The wood was important for many families, as
winters in Germany can be brutally cold. Most
houses use wood stoves for heating or a central
oil-fired and water-based heating system. My
grandmother didn’t have central heating, but