Be the change you want to see in the world.

There’s a lot of pessimism at the moment about our long term future. Will we still be here in a 100 years’ time? 1,000? 10,000?

It’s clear that we need some pretty significant changes if we’re going to survive as a species for that amount of time…

What do most people do about it? They go home and watch TV because they’re depressed about the whole predicament. I’m not even going to label the problems. But my point is that most people distract themselves any way they see fit. They fall into the trap of hopelessness. They end up doing jack shit. In short, they don’t change.

If you bring up the subject with your friends about the state of the world, the chances are that they’ll quickly change the subject.  I know because I can remember being one of those people who changed the subject (well in at least one convesation I’ve had anyway). Or they’ll try to easy your concern. Or they’ll reassure you and say “it’s not your fault” and that “there’s nothing we can do”, “there’s nothing you can do”. I say “that’s bullshit”. And I say “fuck that”.

Some people say that the Sun is going to engulf the Earth’s orbit in 5 billion years’ time anyway, so what’s the point of us changing? I think people that think along those lines probably don’t know what to do themselves about our ‘”global situation”.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” — Dalai Lama.

That’s one of my favourite quotes and I believe it’s a life-altering one. What does “you must be the change you want to see in the world” reall mean though? It means you have to start acting the way you’d like everyone else to act. Why? Well, because we can’t all expect other people to change if we ourselves don’t change. Expect away! Right? 

It’s no good a climate scientist telling people they need to stop burning fossil fuels if they drive to work every single day in a petrol or diesel powered car. Is it? Because it’s like they don’t believe in it enough to do anything about it. Would their own kids even believe them? Are they going to encourage their kids to buy a fossil-fuel powered car or an electric one?

I think the trouble with society today is that we are expecting the younger generation to lead us out of the mess we are leaving for them. Like after we are gone it will be “their problem”. And it doesn’t work that way. While I’m sure young people can provide creative input, they should mainly be looking to the older, wiser people for role models. And it doesn’t help when they get out into the real world and the aim is to “sell more stuff”. 

Now you might be asking: “okay Sherlock what can we do about it? We’re in such a right mess. What are we meant to do?”

Well that’s half of what this blog is about. What are we supposed to do? What is the alternative to a life of consumerism?

Maybe the answer is just that — not to do quite so much. Go for a walk. Ride a bike. Plant a tree. Read a book. Breathe. Know that it’s okay to daydream. Sleep. Sleep in. Think. Meditate. Be mindful. Relax. Mend. Draw. Write. Exercise. Enjoy life. Plant a tree. Consume less products. Ask where things come from before you buy them. Buy locally, not from big corportations. Contemplate, without the associated guilt or depression. Don’t work quite so hard. Work a four day week. Work a three day week. Work a two day week. Work a one day week! Question everything.

I think the only way it’s going to work is if people all start to become minimalists and with the money they save from buying stuff, to start giving back to forests. I believe that forest should be left to regenerate all around the world… for at least the next few centuries.

So what are you waiting for? Aren’t we humans supposed to be the most adaptive, creative, problem solving blobs to come along in 5 billion years? And above all, if you think you have a great idea, enact!