Every Day is Earth Day
A number of years ago, there was a popular book that made the rounds throughout a lot of classrooms here in the states, called 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth. Teachers frequently used the book to get their students involved in different projects and it was really empowering for these young people to feel as if the things they did truly made a difference. I loved the idea that these kids were going to bring this stuff home and educate their parents and that the habits and actions the book proposed were going to become a part of our lives and change how we interacted with the planet.
This was clearly a more optimistic phase of my life.
Now it seems that what needs to be done goes far beyond the changes a few people make in their daily lives. That does not mean, however, that our individual actions don’t matter. They do. How are the larger goals accomplished other than through the step-by-step actions and dedication of a few people?
The beauty of 50 Simple Things was that the goals for change were specific, they had an action associated with them and they were manageable. Change happens in our lives slowly and gradually and with intention. You pick one thing that you can do and you do it until it is just a part of your life, then you add another thing and another and before you know it, you are living with a continual awareness of your impact on this world. Not only does this have a positive effect on those around you, it also helps create a sense of contentment and well being and a feeling of confidence as you move about through your daily routine.
We are all at very different stages as far as our knowledge and understanding goes. There is so much to know and so many voices out there competing for our attention, many of them seeming to conflict with one another. We differ in the mental, physical and financial resources we have to devote to change. Sometimes we are exhausted before we even get through the day, let alone have any energy leftover to save the world. So, don’t worry about saving the whole world just yet. Start small. One thing. And after awhile, another thing. Before you know it, one and one and one and one becomes fifty and pretty soon you’re whole life is different one small step at a time.
April 23rd, 2006 at 8:13 am
Great post! I am a big fan of the incremental approach to accomplishing things. From a practical standpoint, it’s the only way I can get anything done with 3 little kids! But philosophically, change can be so difficult to incorporate or projects can seem so insurmountable, that it’s a great way to transition painlessly. I’d love to see a public relations campaign updated for the millenium that teaches people small things they can do on a daily basis to get the ball rolling… Iron Eyes Cody ain’t gonna cut it in these cynical times.