Winter Solstice

Today is the Winter Solstice. As the shortest day of the year and the day after which the sun starts to shine more brightly and longer every day (until the summer solstice), it is the perfect time to dream big and to cultivate hope.

 Earlier in the week I felt really depressed about the state of the world. Specifically, I read an article pulling together scientific evidence about the catastrophes that will result (and ARE resulting) from climate change. The article made the point that the effects of climate change are happening faster than most scientists predicted and will mean bad things for humans over the next few decades. The humans to suffer first and the most will be people living in the tropics who will, naturally, try to migrate to European and North American countries but will (likely) be denied and subject to much racism. The governments and corporations of the world are generally doing nothing to curb climate change and are, in fact, working to accelerate it. The Canadian government and Canadian corporations are some the absolute worst culprits. Even with big changes on the large-scale it might simply be too late for the human species because we have triggered a natural process we cannot control. And when we go down we will take thousands of other animal and plant species with us. Most people in North America are like ostriches, sticking their heads on the sand and ignoring the reality we face. Or, even worse, couldn't care less as long as their taxes are lowered.

So, yes, I was feeling really down and shared these very sad and angry feelings with my partner and co-workers (who then also felt a bit down). I believe all the things I just laid out to be true. I think the future for humanity is unknown. But I don't want to spend my life feeling angry and sad. I'm not ready to mourn. Instead, I need to cultivate hope in myself and - hopefully - in others. Because there are other things that are true as well. Many humans are kind-hearted and want to connect with other people and with the natural world. There are many brilliant people coming up with innovate ideas and projects to heal the Earth and create socially-just societies. Most of these people are normal folks who are passionate about environmental sustainability and social justice. Natural systems of the Earth want to heal and regenerate - we can destroy the Earth's attempts at self-healing or we can be part of it. Maybe we can even accelerate it. As destructive as humans can be we can also be creators, healers, visionaries, and allies.

We all face limits to what we can do, I face or have faced many. But we can keep a sense of solidarity, a passion for justice both social and environmental, and compassion towards all beings in our hearts. And when life gives us opportunities to act for change, to act in solidarity, to act to heal the Earth, we can take them. When life doesn't allow us to act, we can vocally support those who are able to act.

It would be too easy to just wallow in despair. I would be as useless as those who hide their heads in the sand. The Earth needs us to be hopeful. Hope is what will save us because hope is what will make us create and support alternative visions for humanity.

So on this Winter Solstice I am cultivating hope. I am dreaming big. I hope you are too.