Since I was a child, I’ve cared very much for the natural world. I sprung from the womb loving plants and animals, appreciating rocks and weather, and valuing humanity as a special part of this magnificent whole. My parents called me their flower child. It never dawned on me that other people wouldn’t care about the world as much as I do — or at all. I assumed everyone considered the environment valuable and deserving of our love and respect.
Growing older, I found not caring to be common. And whenever I’d offer unsolicited insight on the value of our natural world, I found myself at the brunt of a joke that’s been running for ages.
Now, I approach humanity with acceptance. I understand not everyone is going to care about the same things, and not everyone has to. It’s okay for us to be different and value different things. But I still have these nagging thoughts that I can’t seem to shake:
Why do some people innately care for our world? Why do some never seem to value it? Don’t you think it would behoove all life to instill a sense of responsibility and accountability in our genetic code?
Alas, such answers can never be answered. (Well they can, but probably not accurately, and a bunch of people would just start fighting about who’s right and who’s wrong.)
However, there’s one perpetual question that can be answered by anyone at any time:
What can I do?
We all have to live on this planet and figure out how to get along with each other. And we all need to help keep this planet thriving so that life can persist.
It’s an impossible challenge for any one person, so we need each other to be in sync and share the same values and willingness. But that doesn’t mean we need to do the same things.
I’m very grateful for the bold protesters who gather crowds and shout out against what’s so painfully obvious.
But I’m not one of those protesters.
I appreciate the passionate activists who dedicate their lives to serving our world and taking on the extra weight that others won’t bear.
But I’m not one of those activists.
I admire leaders in governments, universities, businesses, and nonprofits who courageously speak and act against the grain to initiate change.
But I’m not one of those leaders.
I’m just a regular person who loves our world and wants to see it thrive. I live relatively modestly and focus more on what I can control than how I can control others. And I have no interest in telling people how they should live out their lives.
But I am interested in helping people think and understand their values.
I’m definitely one of those people.
So, I started What’s In My Stuff as a way to align with my values and help people connect with theirs. I’ll admit, it’d be totally awesome if more people started valuing our world more because of this content – not to boost my ego, but to boost personal responsibility and a sense of caring among humanity.
Each time you visit What’s In My Stuff, I hope you learn something new that opens your thinking. I hope you feel more aligned with your values. And most of all, I hope you feel better equipped to answer the question: What can I do?
