letterfrompublisher From a young age, we’re encouraged to work together. The elementary concept of teamwork may seem trivial, but in this month’s feature story, “Awakening the Global Heart: Compassionate Activists Unite to Write Earth’s New Story”, Linda Sechrist illustrates how collaboration helps fuel movements of positive change around the world. I was moved by author Naomi Klein’s invitation to seize the moment of discontent to advance healing the planet and its broken economies and communities. This global charge seems ambitious, but the approach can be scaled down and applied to day-to-day moments—when we’re unsatisfied with the current situation, take action to make it better. Like most first graders, Mays can get impatient when we’re going to school in the morning. If he’s ready and the rest of us aren’t, I try to teach him that complaining won’t move things along more quickly, but doing something to help someone else get ready will. Whether he ends up entertaining his little brother or packing his own backpack, he becomes a part of the solution. Likewise, I am actively contributing to a smoother morning commute. When we ride our bikes to school, the busiest intersection we cross has a very rough curb to cross and the crosswalk is faded. Frustrated by its condition, I contacted the city and was quickly informed that while the appropriate improvements would be something for the long-term wish list, short-term fixes, such as repainting the crosswalk, would be addressed soon. It was satisfying to have our concerns addressed and to know that our inquiry will help improve the walking and biking experience for others in our neighborhood as well. As the late Wayne Dyer wrote in this month’s Inspiration article, “Try changing your view of the world to one of awe and wonder… By being in a state of awe, you won’t be able to mentally experience boredom or disappointment.” Because tragedy and misfortune often dominate the media, it is easy to feel discouraged. But we can choose to focus on the heartwarming stories taking place all around us, and feel empowered to be proactive—one moment at a time. Next time we feel like complaining—whether it’s about climate change or a pile of dishes in the sink—let’s ask, “How can I help? What do I have to give? How can I solve the problem?” Collectively, we can change the world. With gratitude,
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