“Whatever affects one directly, affects all directly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.” - Martin Luther King Jr
Being in nature and uncovering over a lifetime our own unique nature, this is MLK’s wisdom from nearly 70 years ago and he is an example of how the power of one person can create ripples that change the world forever. It’s the ripple effect of our actions that are on the minds of so many right now - the weightiness of the world, how much that feels out of our control, how connected we are, the fear and anger and sadness of being connected to other humans who may not feel urgency around the same things as I do or you do. I cannot pick up the problem of smoke filling our valley without also picking up the role of climate change without also picking up the concern about overpopulation and capitalism without also being worried about the global impact of Covid-19…phew! Before long the picking up of one thing feels like too heavy of a burden to bear. Hell, even reading this fun-loving newsletter that was featuring clips from Dumb and Dumber last week seems like it’s coming in a little too hot and heavy for a Monday AM. (If so, maybe THIS jort-related video will help cool down your tremblin’ knees a minute - pun intended)
In my own quest to refuel my hope bucket, I played my own little game of ‘what is going WELL in the world’ starting with just what I can see out my window, which happens to be a moderately thriving garden. The backyard critters and bugs have been happy, feasting on some leaves and a few early veggies. The literal birds and bees are buzzing around the pollinating flowers and we’ve seen more of our flying friends this summer than any other year. Our compost pile is growing, more food to feed the food that feeds us. That yield means less travel to the grocery store for us and a lower carbon impact. Planting this little garden - when I pick up just that one choice, as Dr. King says, I see it affects us all.
James Clear, the author of our favorite books on habit, said "People generally have more control over their actions than their feelings. But we can influence our feelings by taking action. Take one small step. Move the body first and the mind will follow." Inaction is action. We must make a move. To help you to do so, the following are links to resources of ways you can help. We encourage you to do just one thing this week, one action that can make the world a little better.
Ways to support nurses & frontline healthcare workers
Ways to support frontline essential workers
Continuing efforts to help Alemeda fire victims
Ways to support the inclusion of LGBTQI++ people in sports
Simple ways to protect the planet starting at home
Speaking of making a move, we really really really really hope that the air quality will allow us to move our bodies together this week. Finding your own adventures? Inspire us by adding a tag to your pictures on social media - this includes any actions you take from the list above or your own world bettering choices. Thank you for all you do and for all you are.
