Change the World
“Seek a Life Useful”: simple and direct and with unlimited possibilities. Also with unlimited frustrations in any role that moves change, introduces new perspectives, and challenges people to assess their current processes.
It is hard to seek opportunities of usefulness and be sidelined, or told that other priorities take precedence, and that we can’t add on sustainability goals at this time (huh?). It is especially hard to lead change when it is clear no one understands how to co-lead, or sees the benefit or the need to follow. Where does this leave those of us working toward greater sustainability in buildings, in operations, in business processes, in innovation, in living?
For a long time I have struggled with this angst. My mission, and the mission of many, many others, is to “change the world” (you need to imagine the tone and delivery of Bill Nye the Science Guy to get the full effect). I must lead in capital letters in order to change the world. How can I prove my worth and have a purpose for my existence if this depends on influencing vast quantities of people? I want to help them to see and work for the value of TBL and long-term planning, the brilliance of B-Corporations, the beauty in ugly food, the smart sense in full-cycle materials management or the strength in emulating nature’s diversity in local economy and services, but I affect so few. I often let these perceived failures of scale beat me up.
Don’t worry, here’s the happy bit. I saw this short TEDx talk the other day and I am benefitting incredibly from the change in perspective it has given, no, gifted to me. And in the spirit of celebration and of sharing what is good and the things that help, I want to gift it to you. I thank Dan Holohan’s excellent blog for sharing it.
We are each a leader. The word “leader” does not need to mean someone so far out ahead or so different from us, though we seem to have given it that connotation over time. To be a leader a person does not, in fact should not, be up on a pedestal, but must instead engage in the process and with other people. We each lead by example and create moments of inspiration and example for others in every choice we make. That colleague that sees you double side print may change his processes. That child who asks you what a green building is may become their community lead on a district PV system in the future. A small moment of kindness or humor or intellectual challenge will change everything.
Because (paraphrased) there is no world, really. There are 6 billion or so perspectives on what the world is. If we affect one of those perspectives with an action, a thought, an inspiration, we have indeed changed the world.
This helps me, quite a lot. I feel that I can stay my course and do what I know is right for me and the projects I undertake and I am still constantly and repeatedly changing the world for the better. I have value in my being, even if I don’t write a bestseller or become a keynote presenter for national conferences or win awards as a leader in green building practices.
“Seek a Life Useful” is still my favorite quote, but it is now tempered by knowing that usefulness is best found by my own compass. Also, if I work only to change the world, writ large, I will neglect to value the moments that are the tiny pebbles that create the big ripples. I will neglect to cherish the small questions and the little sparks of interest. I will let my value and my leadership seem small, when in fact, I am changing the world.
You are the change you seek.
Be greener,
Jodi
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