Do you have the courage of your convictions?
As you probably know by now, I’m constantly preoccupied with the state of the world and the legacy we are leaving our children. I often rack my brain to think of HOW I can make a difference. I do take small actions each day like recycling and composting, I volunteer at my son’s school and I work hard at becoming more compassionate among other things.
Some days, I feel good about my contributions. Other days, I feel that my actions are just a drop in the bucket and that I really should be doing more.
This was a common theme for me during the holidays as I visited my friends and relatives. One discussion that particularly stood out in my mind was the one I had with my best friend Sophia. She was telling me how she felt like she needed meaning in her life and how she had been recently inspired by a documentary she had seen on TV. It was about how ordinary people had decided to put their lives on hold to protect animals. She told me that since then, she was seriously thinking about becoming an animal activist.
I was really inspired by the passion in her voice and the spark in her eye. In my own heart, I know that if I ever became a really engaged activist, I would be a voice for children. But the big question that always haunts me is HOW? I think that we get into trouble when we start asking that question because it stalls us and it overwhelmes us and it ultimately stops us in our tracks.
What inspires me these days are people who DO, without asking HOW.
Take for example the story of the Tim DeChristopher of Utah who decided one day that he would attend an auction for the rights to oil drilling lands and decided to drive up the bids and ultimately purchase land with money he didn’t have. How awesome is that!!? As he says in this interview, his actions weren’t premeditated, he saw an opportunity and just went for it. (skip ahead to 3min 30 to hear Tim speak)
As he says on his blog, he had been doing his part as an environmental advocate for years but he felt that he had come to a point where he had to do more. His actions were extremely effective and he managed to save 22,500 acres of land from being sold for fossil fuel development. He is now facing time in a federal prison and an uncertain future but his desire to BE the change was greater than any consequence he might face. That is real courage. Thankfully, thousands of people are rallying behind him to help him face what comes next. (If this story resonates, you can donate a few dollars to his legal defense fund. )
As I read more about his story, I came accross a passage that he wrote that sums it up very well:
Many of us have sat around countless times saying how much we needed someone to do something. If I am not willing to take a stand for my generation, then who will? This year I have come to terms with the idea that I might be my own best hope to defend my future. Hopefully all of us will realize that we are the ones we have been waiting for.
I hear you Tim! Thanks for being an inspiration! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers as I move forward with my own initiative.
