There has been some scary news lately--
Darksyde's post about how Greenland's glaciers are melting at a faster than expected rate, humans are no doubt causing it, etc. It can be difficult not to feel hopeless and despairing. A couple of friends have gotten seriously depressed after seen An Inconvenient Truth.
That got me thinking about the classes I took with Joanna Macy a few years ago. I hope that I'm not insulting her with my cherry-picking of her great teachings, but I do want to help people stay positive.
Macy says that we are moving from an "industrial growth society" to a "life-sustaining civilization". She considers this inevitable, but doesn't discount the massive trauma, the possibility of violence, even the massive dying off of homo sapiens. She bases this idea in
systems theory.
She then asks us how we would like to participate in this "great turning" towards a life-sustaining civilization. I remember people speaking about the ways they had already been participating and sharing that as a group. We were encouraged that we had done a lot and that we were committed to doing this work. The three areas in which we can participate are:
Holding Actions: Think Julia Butterfly Hill, or writing letters to government representatives to stop bad things from happening, or buying energy offsets, or walking instead of driving.
Helping Actions: I always picture a nurse in a foreign country, but it could be creating new structures, like community gardening or creating energy alternatives.
New Ideas (This isn't her terminology I'm using): This is what we bloggers are really good at--it's so meta! So, if you think you're just a dreamer, well, we need your dreams! This would include examining our connection with the whole of the universe and giving ourselves the spiritual support we need.
These ideas are fleshed out here.
I know that many of you have practices that keep you positive and upbeat, and I mean no disrespect by posting this. I do know that doing political work without a recharge of spirit, soul, or just connection can burn you out. I hope this helps.