Start Small

The Amazon rainforest is burning.  It's hard to think about anything else.

It makes me feel tiny.  And powerless. I find myself thinking disparate thoughts, simultaneously: first, I would do anything to help, and second, there's nothing I can do.  

It was right in the middle of this futile mindset this week that I stumbled upon a quote by Alice Walker:

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."

The right words came at just the right time.

I've reminded myself before, and I'll remind myself again: we do have power.  Maybe not the power to immediately fix the big problems. We can't put out an enormous fire or take down a corrupt government.  But we are far from powerless.  We can drive our car less often to lower our greenhouse gas emissions. We can try not to over-consume. We can support local businesses to minimize our environmental impact.  And we can influence our friends, neighbors, and children through our example.

When I think about the small ways I can make changes in my own life, it makes me realize how much power I wield to influence the world at large.  If you also don't know where to start, just a friendly reminder: start small. Start in your own life, and work outward from there.  Don't let the magnitude of the problem stop you from starting at all.

I leave you with this picture of the barred owl in my woods.  I'm continuing to take care of the woods so it has a place to live.  It's small, but it's a start.  See you next week. -Em

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