How many of you are doing the right thing environmentally? After the last few weeks, have you changed any of your own behaviors to cut down on your environmental impact?
How many of you wish the rest of the world would change, too?
It can be frustrating to see that big changes are needed and feel like not everyone is pulling their weight when it comes to effecting these changes. Sometimes you want to scream!
Our cultural teachings demonstrate various means to bring change and to influence others. Unfortunately, many of these examples are based on win/lose rather than win/win strategies.
Several years ago, I purchased an SUV. At the time, I was living at the base of a mountain high in the foothills of Colorado. I needed four-wheel-drive. I also had a large dog (German Shepherd) and a child on the way, and I enjoyed hiking, camping, skiing, and other outdoor activities requiring the ability to transport several people plus equipment on unmaintained roads. An SUV simply made sense for my intended use.
Oh, how I was criticized for my choice by people who didn’t know me! When I was in the city, people would write rude and obnoxious slogans and statements in the dirt on my vehicle, insulting me for my transportation choice. Without knowing why I chose the vehicle I did, some people would assume I was just another follower of the trend at the time.
Am I hurt? Not at all. But I am discouraged that these people would assume things about me without knowing me or my reasoning. Their actions, rather than bringing positive change, instead deepened the rift between their cause and my willingness to hear them. Were their efforts successful? Not in the slightest. In fact, they were damaging to the very change they wanted to bring about.
A couple years ago, I was using the same SUV to move furniture from a downtown apartment to a house. Due to the size of the furniture, using a car was not an option. I commuted to and from work by bus. I drove as little as possible in the truck. However, this particular day I was helping a friend and the SUV was the obvious choice.
As we were loading an obviously large bookcase into the back, I noticed people five floors up trying to spit on us. The few comments I could make out over background street noises were in reference to our gas-guzzling vehicle. I wanted to ask if I should instead have rented an even bigger truck in order to move the furniture, but of course no constructive communication would have been possible under the circumstances. Once again, people were jumping to conclusions about me without even trying to understand why I was doing what I was doing.
My point is this: how you go about promoting your cause matters. To bring change requires energy, but it requires more than that: it requires an approach that brings a win to each party, not just yourself. It requires that you invest enough to relate to and respect the people you want to influence. It requires an open mind and the willingness to lead by example towards the future you want, not away from the past you are trying to escape.
Mother Theresa once said, “I was once asked why I don’t participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I’ll be there.” Gandhi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” If you want a world wherein your fellow brothers and sisters coexist peacefully, focus on opening doors with respect and finding mutually-beneficial solutions to the problems you see.
Learn from others. Learn to understand their situation, their reasoning. Learn to accept and respect their choices even if you don’t agree with them.
Communicate with others. Hear them with an open mind and an open heart, and they will hear you back.
Teach others. Teach by example. Teach by sharing your passion. Teach by demonstrating how it can be done.
Learn to see the world through the eyes of another and you open the door to infinite possibility.
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Healthy thoughts,
Jeff
