What Can We Do?
Do you ever receive a message that makes you think? This one did.
Good week to you.
I want to discuss a WhatsApp message an intellectual Revolutionary sent to me this past week.
“Why can’t we all love our planet? #1
Do we want humanity to survive on our planet? #2
Who can we trust to save our planet? #3
How can we trust her to save our planet? #4
How can we help her to save our planet? #5
How much can we give to save our planet? #6
How much time can we give to save our planet? #7
How much money can we give to save our planet? #8
When can we know we have saved our planet? #9
How will we celebrate saving our planet? #10
Can we maintain our planet? #11
How do we teach our babies to continue? #12”
-Andrew Wildish
Take a minute, as I did, to “overstand” these questions.
After a few read-throughs, I smiled. Much of the controversy that surrounds the ideas espoused in this quote deals with semantics and an unnecessary politicization of a concept so clearly apolitical. Let me try to expound on these ideas.
#1. A fundamental question of universality. Why love anything but yourself? Or those directly around you. Likely, not everyone can love so unconditionally.
#2. Yes, I suppose, would be the resounding reply to this question, irrespective of your love.
#3. Not the government, and not the major corporations. This can be a larger post, but the demoralizing impact of Covid on this world, in my opinion, is not just the obvious results such as death and an overturning of much of society. Rather, it is the shift in faith. No longer do the masses put their faith in themselves or in a Higher Power. Instead, the masses subjugate themselves, irrationally and without thought, to bureaucrats, oligarchs, media personalities, and scientific institutions, who very clearly and openly lie, cheat, steal, and mislead, always without the interests of the masses in their minds. Without an ounce of inquiry, the masses have embodied the idea that you can be a slave though lacking chains. So, who can we trust? Not the people we would jump to today. We need powerful, compassionate, and selfless leaders driving these initiatives.
#4. To quote the age-old phrase: “Actions speak louder than words.” Trust will come not from charismatic rhetoric, but from concrete action.
#5. A common misconception in any action is the fallacy that your engagement means your entire life. You can be passive in your assistance in something without giving it a thought. An example: When you are finished cooking, you turn off the stove. It is second nature, but if you think about it the reason is so you do not burn down your house. Simple things like not littering, putting your water bottle in the recycle bin, conserving energy; all are building blocks that can become second nature quickly.
#6. The beauty of the global financial shift that we will see over the next decade is in the impact it will have on public infrastructure. It is not a controversial idea that governments are grossly inefficient in both the allocation of funds and the manner in which they complete projects. Faster, safer, and more transparent financial systems will enable a global revolution in the environment around us.
#7. Someone once told me that if you have a business idea, sit down for 5 minutes every day and just think about it. Maybe write about it. Very quickly 5 minutes will turn into 10 minutes, and then an hour or more. Our time is precious, so we should be best served to utilize it in ways productive to both ourselves and our future.
#8. See point #6. Our very concept of money should change, so rather than physical dollars, it will be resources.
#9. This requires greater thought. Will it be when the Long Island Sound is safe to swim in? I pray. Will it be when the peaks of Everest are clear from Kathmandu? So may it be so. It should be when the air is so crisp, staying inside will never make sense.
#10. With Songs of Praise. With love and laughter. With singing and dancing. With the constant feeling of Oneness with everyone and everything around us, reveling in the harmony of the Earth.
#11. No great achievement, business, or advancement can be sustained if not for guiding principles and a sound framework from the get-go. Our leaders in this great initiative should formulate these ideas in a way that ensures maintenance in a manner that segregates none.
#12. This can also be a more in-depth post. Our society has become so broken with respect to the value of family and collective values. This eroding concept has resulted in the disengaged and demoralized world we live in today. “The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” (Yechezkel 18.20). We should heed these words and live in peace, not fury.
It is not every day that a message speaks to me so profoundly as this message did. As with any major movement, it all starts with a conversation. I hope to continue having these conversations with you and anyone that you would feel enjoy the dialogue. With that share, comment with your thoughts, and keep living.
Interesting articles:
The Long and Tortured History of Cancel Culture (NYTimes)
Books I’m currently reading:
Guerrilla Warfare by Che Guevara, and The Tree of Life and Prosperity by Michael Eisenberg.
Quotes/Ideas:
“The world has gone mad.” - Bari Weiss
“Treat everyone like they are the most important person on Earth. You never know if they are an angel.”
Until next time…
O