I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed by the state of the world and some of the clowns we’ve got running the circus. An unpalatable cocktail of despair and helplessness doesn’t taste good. Worse than that, it doesn’t help anything either.
It was timely, then, that I listened to an excellent podcast episode about how to live a good life in the climate crisis. The title of the show – Outrage + Optimism – is brilliant, and I’d like to steal it as the subtitle / guiding principle of this newsletter!
Their conversation reminded me to cling to a determined form of optimism, and that taking action feels really good. Don’t expect perfection, but don’t tolerate irresponsibility either.
I was pleased they placed ‘purpose’ at the core of living a good and fulfilling life, with an emphasis on being committed to the process rather than the outcome. This is an important distinction to remember, in order to save yourself from the dreaded unpalatable cocktail of despair and helplessness when things don’t get solved as quickly as you’d like!
I need ‘the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.’ Therefore I’ve been reminding myself to focus on the climate and nature issues that overlap with my world – travel, adventure, the outdoors, nature – and think what I can do about them, both as an individual and in places where I have proximity to power.
I can take the jump and make ‘six shifts to protect the earth and live with joy’. But the most useful thing individuals can do is to try to bring about change bigger than themselves.
‘Proximity to power’ is a grand phrase, but all it really means is recognising where we have access to bigger groups or influential people, and therefore might be able to leverage greater results than if we acted alone.
Working out how the Proximity to Power applies to you is the aim of today’s newsletter.
Your first thought might well be, ‘I don’t know anyone! I have no power!’
But that is nonsense. Everyone reading this is in the top tier of the wealthiest, most educated, and best connected humans on earth. So let’s try to think about how each of us can leverage a little bit more impact than just our own actions.
Consider the tiny number of organizations and leaders responsible for the majority of the problems we face. Just 57 companies are linked to 80% of greenhouse emissions, for example. That’s 57 CEOs whose next door neighbours could have a chat with them when they’re putting the bins out in the morning and say, ‘seriously, mate, what sort of nonsense are you making of your life? Sort it out!’
Take a few minutes to think which individuals or groups you are connected to, and work out how to start a dialogue with them about issues you are both likely to care about. What is your ‘proximity to power’?
- Talk to your friends and family. Here are 50 Ways to Start a Climate Conversation. Be positive and don’t nag or preach.
- Your social media channels are a chance to engage with even more people (although please resist nerve-shredding pointless arguments with strangers). Share links to good stuff instead.
- Local government: Suggest your local council makes small, meaningful changes in your community. Write to your Local MP about issues that matter to you. They have to reply to you, which suggests at least a sliver of an opportunity to make them think.
- Talk to your kids’ schools about nudge behavioural changes such as making the meals more climate friendly, ditching plastic, cycling to school, using clean energy etc.
- Do the same with the company you work for. Also read their annual report or website, see what climate claims they are making (or not making) and politely hold your boss to account on them.
- Make your money talk: shift your pension to a sustainable fund.
What else can you do? Who do you know? You’re not alone; you’re not as small and ineffectual as you might feel sometimes. What changes can we bring about together?
Remember: think global, act local.
And, importantly, how can you reframe problems so that, instead of wallowing in despair, we get excited about the prospect of a brighter, wilder world?
A good life isn’t just minimising harm and being responsible. It also has to be about taking leaps and risks towards solutions.
Talk about all the good things that can come from making changes. And then just leave them to it: you can’t force anyone to change, and negative nagging will only breed resentment and make you unhappy too.
Emphasise the positives, and be sure to focus on them whenever you dabble in a spot of proximity to power leveraging! 😃
Let me know how you get on!
