5/21/2019 5 Comments 2019-05-21 The DipI have had a lot of conversations with people at the door, friends, family and happenstance strangers about climate change and its colossal nature. A lot of them share in the grievance of a time now passed. It’s an emotional dip that is resisted (everything is fine or improving), denied (it’s not that bad or it’s untrue), nihilistic (there is nothing we can do) and depressing (this sucks). All these emotional registers are valid when coming to grips with reality. It’s all part of the dip. In fact, that dip is important because it is required to get ahead of the curve. To be ahead of the curve is to be on the forefront of a trend and act upon it before others do. Satir’s change curve is used for personal development. However, it speaks to common, if not universal, response to the ending of a status quo (shown as new process). The ending of the status quo requires us to go through an emotional dip (large or small), which will be uncomfortable. It’ll carry with it all of the emotional responses to resist and reject the change mixed with confusion and resentment that can lead to a lot of people to quitting before they even make it through and see the benefits. Time wasted, nothing gained. I would at this time ask you a question, would you rather improve and grow or stay the same and stagnate? For myself the answer is relatively simple. I would rather improve and grow. I would rather adapt, experiment and change my behaviour to best suit a new environment. If I didn’t improve and grow than I would have not lasted two years going door-to-door for the Ancient Forest Alliance raising money for our endangered old growth forests. When I first started canvassing I would get angry, I would end the night early, I would get depressed. Eventually, I gained the emotional intelligence and rituals to keep me through the night. I went from raising 100$, to 200$, to $400 plus. Most people don’t last in canvassing, especially if you are naturally hardwired to be good at it. For myself, I had to overcome many personal hurdles from self-doubt and confidence to straight up people skills. It was the persistence that led me to grow and succeed. If I hadn’t been willing to persist through the discomfort, emotional outrage, apathy and depressions, both in myself and in others, I would not have my job as a Junior Advisor for Urban Systems. I got this job by knocking on the door of the man who is now my mentor and by showing up fully present. Now in my new job, another ending with a new beginning, that came with the shock of the opportunity and the denial of that opportunity. It was frustrating and confusing for 10 months. Until recently I didn’t understand how to behave, what was expected, what to do, or how to integrate into the company. However, the same persistence, and the knowledge of the dip, is what allows me to push through the discomfort that lets me grow to new heights. I relate these experiences to my coming to reality with climate change. We have data on increasing intensities of droughts, floods, wildfires, and increased rates of ecological loss, among others. I will not deny, nor ignore that reality. The environment has changed and as such my behaviour must change. My partner and I have eliminated 99% of our plastic, lowered our destructive and consumptive footprint, and are now shifting into a regenerative mindset. We plan on being ahead of the curve. For us, I see the regenerative mindset expressing itself through gardening. A small rebellious act where we have dug into the boulevard outside our home, planted squash, peas and other delicious things. In the past, I have planted lavender, as a bee friendly drought-resistant addition, to homes I knew I would not live in come September (as a student you move a lot). I share this with you because collectively our entire society needs to experience the dip. We have resisted and rejected climate change for too long. The confusion of our managers and the resentment of the general public seems palpable. However, I have met with individuals experimenting with new behaviors for our towns and cities. I have seen them make decisions and integrate new ways of thinking and being. I see the excitement of a problem worth solving in the eyes of a growing number of people. As a societal shift we need to recognize the universal responsibility of it all. It is as much my responsibility as it is yours as it is our companies, organizations and communities. The individual and the collective must experience the dip, persist, adapt and integrate into a new era. Coming to grips with reality ought to be difficult. Every generation has its challenges. Winston Churchill once said that “the price of greatness is responsibility” as much as growth requires struggle. So I encourage you to resist, to deny, to feel nihilistic, or whatever uncomfortable emotion you feel in regards to climate change, but don't quit. Persist through, reflect, adapt and reach a new platitude of awareness. Become regenerative instead of a degenerate ;)
5 Comments
Rgagne
5/22/2019 09:52:41 am
Well written Robin. We all need to take more ownership to what lays ahead. There's no value in looking back and pointing fingers. If we do look back it's to learn so we do not make the same mistakes .Reducing plastics, growing more of your own veggies, buying local, pedaling Insteal of pushing the gas pedal are a few things we can do to help reduce our carbon footprint
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Jessica
8/23/2019 01:49:46 pm
Sneaky little lavender plants around Victoria. Love it! There is so much here in my neighbourhood in Squamish. Hopefully lots of happy bees.
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AuthorRobin Roger Gagne is a freelance writer, web designer, and SEO wizard. Archives
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