So this week it’s not really three tips but a single tip that’s more like a philosophy. I was talking to a friend yesterday who had been at a program about history and civilization and was feeling a bit hopeless about the future of the world. He’s not alone. Many of the activists I work with, who were energized two or three years ago, are starting to feel the same way. Anger and fear can only serve as fuel for so long. And social change takes a long time, almost always years, sometimes a generation.
Sticking with it often requires a change in perspective. Towards optimism.
Before you roll your eyes, consider this:
Maybe the world is ending. But you aren’t sure. Do you curl up and wait? Or bet on the idea that maybe it’s not and, even if it is, maybe you can change it?
And what if the world is just fine but your fear says it’s going to get worse? Do you wait in fear or desolation to be proven right or wrong? Or do you recognize what’s going right and build on it?
I’m going to do my best to stay out of that corner of fear. If I am right, it’s a much better life and if I’m wrong, at least I’ll make a bit of a difference and avoid some of the misery.
Does this resonate? How do you stay focused on the positive possibilities?
Julie