The Power of Good People in Tough Times

Kindness Trumps Cruelty. This Earth Day & Every Day.

Some years ago, I met a teacher who made it his mission to expose his students to nature every chance he could.

He said that because they spent most of their time indoors and online, they were frightened of the very things he loved.

So into the woods they would go—to breathe in the fresh smell of trees, listen for the sound of birds, step on fallen leaves, and watch for the scampering of voles.

Gradually, their fears would dissipate, their curiosity would increase, and delight would arise. Most young children, after all, love being in nature unless they are conditioned out of it.

A Gift that Keeps Giving

But that is the thing about the natural world: It is always there in its wondrous glory, waiting for our exploration or rediscovery. And if we are open to it, being in nature reminds us that we are guests, if you will, on a miraculous blue dot in space.

That was the teacher’s gift to his students. It is also the spirit of Earth Day. And it is the animating spirit of the countless people who love and work every day on behalf of this extraordinary natural world on which we depend.

Ah, if only everyone were like that.

Responding to Today’s Expected News

There has been a rumor that painful news will come today. One or more new executive orders are expected to be signed that call for stripping tax-exempt status from nonprofits working to combat climate change and other environmental threats, and possibly from the foundations that support them.

That such news is timed for this day—well, it is hard not to think of it as sinister, intended to not only assault the cause but to land a maximum emotional blow.

So, what do we do? Of course, there are practical matters to address. But there's also the question of mindset—what spirit do we bring to our values and our work in times like these?

NASA

Psychological Jujitsu

When I was just beginning my career as a writer and dealing with the challenging realities of rejection, I stumbled on advice from a more seasoned writer.

Whenever she received a rejection, she wrote a note to the editor to thank them for their reply. It wasn’t calculated to keep the relationship going or anything like that. It was, she said, not to let the rejection stay with her but to take some simple action in response—because action is more empowering than passivity.

In that spirit, here is my offering: thoughts on three forms of power that those of us who support a healthy planet, equality, and respect for the dignity of all life have, even in tough times.

The Power of People Who Support a Healthy Planet and Society

1. The power of being on the right side of history. Some may feel those are empty words if we can’t successfully influence history at this critical juncture. But I don’t believe that. I believe how we live every day matters greatly, no matter what the power alignments of the moment are. 

   
   Moreover, when we know we are on the right side of history (by which I mean the side that wants to contribute to, not just take from life), we are healthier human beings, hopefully set a good example for young people, and keep vital ideals alive.

   
   We may not have the same privileges as those with formal power, but we are also much less likely to be blinded by hubris, which, as the Greek dramatists taught us, always leads to a fall.   
   

2. The power of not missing out on the true source of happiness. As the Dalai Lama has said, “The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being.”

   
   He nor any other wise teacher ever said: If you want to be happy, screw others and focus on your survival.
   
   By making the well-being of others the center of their professional or volunteer work, mission-driven people do this. By caring for the well-being of their children, parents do this. By trying to be kind to others in everyday interactions, far more people do this every day than don’t. We mustn’t let the news blind us to that. 
   

3. Finally, there is what Vaclav Havel called the “power of the powerless.” Havel was a playwright and political dissident in Czechoslovakia when he wrote “The Power of the Powerless.” A year later, he was arrested. Ten years later, he became president.

   
   In his essay, Havel argues that those who lack power—as in status, wealth, or official influence—hold moral or existential power the moment they choose to live truthfully rather than comply with the lies of an oppressive regime. Their refusal to participate in the lies on which the system is based destabilizes the whole thing. 

Claiming Our Power Today

What does this mean for us in our day? 

To my mind, it means refusing to participate in the lie that attacks on causes that support a healthy planet and a just society are justified for the sake of so-called efficiency, freedom from regulations, or unfettered capitalism.

It means celebrating, now more than ever, our majestic, life-giving 4.5 billion-year-old Earth and refusing to ever give up on her.

As Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor wrote recently in The Guardian, it means building “an unruly open-hearted movement of Earth-loving faithful: faithful to this planet, its people, its creatures and the possibility of a liveable future for us all.”

And it means embracing the value of doing good work, no matter the headwinds against us. 

Some Simple Actions We Can Take Today

• Support an environmental nonprofit under threat

• Call your representative and speak up for climate justice

• Share this message with someone who feels alone in their concern

• Spend time outside, perhaps looking for voles

• Invite a child to join you.

Because in the end, kindness trumps cruelty.

On we go.
Lisa Bennett

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Growing our courage is part of developing the capacity to navigate today’s uncertain world. And I recently had a delightful conversation about it with

Caroline Pankhurst

. You can watch it here.

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