“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.<\/p>\n
It is hard to seek opportunities of usefulness and be\u00a0sidelined, or\u00a0told that other priorities take precedence, and that we can’t add on sustainability goals\u00a0at 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\u00a0need to follow. Where does this leave those of us working toward greater\u00a0sustainability in buildings, in operations, in business processes,\u00a0in innovation, in living?<\/p>\n
For a long time\u00a0I have struggled with this angst. My mission, and the mission of many, many others,\u00a0is 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\u00a0lead\u00a0<\/em>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? \u00a0I want to help them to see\u00a0and work for\u00a0the 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\u00a0of scale\u00a0beat me up.<\/p>\n Don’t worry, here’s the happy bit.\u00a0I 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<\/a>\u00a0for sharing it.<\/p>\n