Have you heard the saying ‘if you don’t know 
where you’re going, any road will take you there‘? It’s about being clear where you want to go.
Clarity is absolutely vital for success. That’s because, if you are very clear about your goals, you will do whatever it takes to get there…and you are much less likely to get distracted by things that are relevant to you reaching your goals.
And clarity is what is absolutely critical for all of us at this point in time. We are at a crossroads, and if we choose the wrong road, life as we know it will disappear.
The goal for us as humans, as it is for any species, is to ensure future generations.
Humans have been changing planet Earth for a very long time. And these changes have been accelerating in recent times.
We have now created a situation that that planet Earth has never faced before – not even before humans first appeared on the planet. Humans have only survived since the climate was relatively stable – and now it’s not. And we have caused it.
That’s why we need to work together to take corrective action…to ensure we have a planet that will continue to support life as we know it.
But did this feature in Australia’s election coverage?
No.
And why not?
Because the political parties chose not to focus on the ultimate goal : survival of all of us. They chose instead to focus on their survival as politicians and their grab for power.
And they did that by distracting the electorate from the main game.
And then last Monday (after I’d written my post) it appeared…less than a week before the election.
- The then opposition leader made his party’s position clear: keeping expenditure on climate change within the budget his party had allocated to it was more important than reaching their modest target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions – let alone making any effective difference.
- The position of the government that was then in power was a bit better…at least they were not just focussed on cost.
- And, although they had strong policies to make a real difference to our survival, the Greens was too small to get the media coverage to make a difference to who would form the government. (The mainstream media operate under a paradigm that focuses on the two major parties.)
But by then it was too late. The Australian electorate was well and truly distracted.
And Australians vote government out – not in. So they did just that.
They have voted for a government that will make the situation with climate change worse…because it will expand Australia’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and effectively give permission to other countries to take this action on climate change (if they choose)…because the new government is focusing on the small and familiar which, as I explained last week, is easier than focusing on the big and unknown.
And that’s why we – you and me – need to take action ourselves.
We can’t wait for governments to lead us. We need to lead governments.
And the exciting news is that we can do it. 🙂 It’s been done before. Ordinary people taking action has changed political regimes, such as apartheid.
And there is help…help for you to live more sustainably without the leadership of government.
Community organisations and private businesses are helping people to stand up and take control of their future…to help us all live more sustainable and durable lifestyles in more resilient societies and economies.
My contribution is helping you to cut through the mountains of information so you can make the biggest difference with the least amount of effort.
And I can’t wait to tell you more about the things on which I am working that will give you clearer pathways to sustainability. 🙂 To make sure that you don’t miss out on this exciting news, just sign up for my best tips direct to your inbox.
Till next time…be gentle to yourself and our world!
Image credit: joggi2002 / 123RF Stock Photo