Exemplary writer and social analyst James Baldwin urges you to learn as much as you can! Fundamental to this is reading and discovering more about the past. As a proponent of equality and justice, much of what he wrote about had to do with questioning social discriminations and prejudices. Baldwin deeply questioned the status quo and subsequently shared his observations.
Some profound insight from Rumi, a 13th Century Persian poet, who offers up another perspective when appreciating our smallness. As he describes it, “you are not just a drop in the ocean, you are the entire ocean in a drop.” I thought this was a pretty cool revelation in the grand scheme of things. Especially for those of us concerned with sustainability, climate change, and the dangers of an eroding environment.
These are all big issues, and it’s easy to consider that our individual contribution may not amount to all that much. For instance, when contemplating whether to donate to a cause, volunteer, vote, or maybe just use disposables. We might justify to ourselves that it won’t make that much of a difference in the big picture. Rather, Rumi reminds us that we are each of us a small reflection of the big picture.
This week Ms. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won the Democratic Congressional Primary in New York’s 14th District. It was a pretty big win for the believers in democracy who continue to hold out hope that the system can genuinely represent the people. Ocasio-Cortez was a relatively obscure candidate running for the first time against a highly placed and well-funded Democratic Party incumbent, who had held on to his position for the past 10 terms. June 26th offered up a dramatic change.
Henry David Thoreau, the 19th Century American writer, poet, and philosopher, is also considered one of the founding members of the US environmental movement. He wrote much about the need to connect with nature and adhere to higher principals of justice and equality. In so doing, he also advocated civil disobedience and activism. As he described, “Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.” This implies that to be good is to demonstrate it through action.
Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking died today. Acknowledged as one of humanity’s greatest minds, he gained international fame for his work on black holes and his continued commitment towards asking the “big questions” of the universe. He has certainly been an inspiration to Sustainably Motivated, and his insights remain timely and relevant.