A New Leaf Named 2008 - Ripples Thoughts
December 28, 2007 | In Making A Diff. Lifestyle |
Table of contents for Resolutions
- A New Leaf Named 2008 - Ripples Thoughts
- A New Leaf Named 2008 - Personal Thoughts
It’s that time of year again. We look back over what we’ve accomplished in the past 12 months and set goals for the next 12 months. Have you thought about your New Year’s Resolutions for 2008?
Photo by tsukasa.tanemura
I’ve been thinking about mine, with respects to Ripples of Improvement, and with respects to my personal life. I’ve already spoken a little bit about my visions for the future of this blog, but not about specifics for the next year or so.
How This Blog Is Different
Grand Visions aside, I wonder why it even matters? I mean, I care, but does anyone else? Then, I figure they must because there are lots of blogs out there talking about how we can change the Earth. So, who’s going to read my blog specifically? Why will anyone care about one more voice joining the others? Am I really saying anything new?
The short answer is: No. The long answer is: No, but I’m saying it differently. I am saying what folks could read anywhere. But, there is a difference between me and them. For starters, I’m not already a full time activist. I don’t live and breathe this stuff. I don’t come from a place of knowing how to do this and thinking it’s easy for everyone else to do it too.
First Goal - Short Lists
I’m just starting out, and while long lists of things to do are great, I tend to get overwhelmed when they go on and on. I recently published 20 Free & Easy Ways To Give, and even that was a bit long. I don’t want hundreds of things to do, I want between 5 and 10. I want to tell others that if you do nothing else, then make sure you do these things because that’s what makes the most difference. I believe this is possible, and that’s what keeps me going.
If you want hundreds of ways to help, there are hundreds of websites to give you the lists. I want to be different. I realize that folks are overwhelmed by these lists and I want to boil it down to the very necessary - the ones we can’t ignore. The most important, cream of the crop - however you want to call it.
Second Goal - Make It Easy
That’s the first thing I want to do. Then, because just knowing isn’t enough, I want to make it super easy to do them as well. I want to provide links, coupons, etc. to help. I want to provide testimonials on what it’s actually like to try these things. Hey if “Cleaner A” is awful - doesn’t smell good and doesn’t do the job - I’m going to tell you.
However, that’s not to say that I’m going to reinvent the wheel. I’ll read those lists for you. I’ll see what’s common to them all and aggregate that here. I’ll add my opinion to the lists. I want this blog to be a place where folks can see that I’m serious about doing my part, while at the same time getting entertainment from my way of looking at the world.
Third Goal - Psychology Of Activism
At the same time, I’m not here just to write about the practical tips stuff. Because, as I’ve discovered, there is a whole other aspect to actually becoming an activist. And to living your dreams in particular - the psychological aspect. Hey, I’m almost 32 years old and I haven’t done it yet. Therefore, there must be something holding me back from going for it. I know it’s partly a fear of rejection as well as a sense of despair that I can actually do anything worthwhile.
These are not small obstacles; however, overcoming them takes small steps. I will write about those too. Of course, always in the context of what holds me back from realizing my dream of being an activist. So, my hatred of certain vegetables may be related to emotional baggage, but it doesn’t stand in the way of saving the world. Therefore, I won’t be writing about that. 
In the end, I realize I have a long road ahead of me and there are many obstacles to getting to the end. I have to overcome fear and sadness, as well as logistical issues with getting my message out to others. However, I believe there is value in working toward the goal of being an activist. I believe that I must do my part to heal the planet. And, I believe that I’m not alone in feeling overwhelmed, sad, and afraid about our chances of making a difference.
Please, I invite you to join my fight, to go for your own dreams, and to leave me a comment below. We can’t do it alone, but we can get somewhere together.
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Great to see you are learning about the internal/psychological side of activism. There have been far too many wonderful activists burned out.
My aphorism that every activist should remember: the vision is endless, you are not. We need joyous means to a joy filled destination.
I look forward to following this aspect of your journey in particular.
The psychological side of activism, for me, started with a general psychological desire to be happier. I knew that something was wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. As I delved deeper into my feelings, I realized one of the reasons I wasn’t happy is because I wasn’t doing what I really wanted to do - what I felt I must to - be an activist.
Now that I got over the first hurdle of starting, the hurdles are to keep going. I certainly hope that I don’t get burned out. I’ve been overwhelmed several times already, but I’ve pushed through. I’ve got a long way to go before burn out, but if I get close, I’m sure I’ll talk about that too!