1.
Open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts to the reality of change.
“People don’t seem to realize it that it is not like we’re on the
Titanic
andwe have to avoid the iceberg,” says Rob Watson, CEO and Chief Scientist of The EcoTech International Group, who Pulitizer-Prize winning author TomFriedman calls one of the best environmental minds in America. “We’ve
already hit the iceberg
. The water is rushing in down below. But some people just don’t want to leave the dance floor; others don’t want to give upon the buffet. But if we don’t make the hard choices, nature will make themfor us.”
2. Understand that there is life beyond Civilization.
If it seems like Civilization is sinking, you may be right. But don’t letthat fact terrify you. Pulitizer Prize-winning author Jared Diamondsays,“Civilization is the worst mistake in the history of the human race.”Visionary author Daniel Quinnsays, “Because it's intrinsically hierarchical,civilization benefits members at the top very richly but benefits the massesat the bottom very poorly--and this has been so from the beginning.” ButCivilization is not the end of the road as many fear, but just the beginning, asQuinn reminds us in his book
3. Don’t panic. Breathe easy.
The wheels of “Civilization” are coming off and things are beginning toget dicey. In order to be around for the next chapter we are going to have toadapt and become comfortable with the unknown. The serenity prayer,originally written by philosopher Reinhold Niebuhr, and adopted byAlcoholic’s Anonymous can be a powerful reminder.
God grant me the serenityTo accept the things I cannot change;Courage to change the things I can;And wisdom to know the difference.
4. Understand our adversaries are not our enemies.
When the world becomes more complex and stressful, we have atendency to polarize into “us” and “them” and to make “them” the bad guys.