2020 and it's business as usual - or is it?

So a new decade is upon us and with it new opportunities. I don’t know if anyone else has noticed a certain feeling in the air? A feeling that is  hard to put into words - a kind of blend of excitement, optimism, anticipation  and hope? A feeling of empowerment almost? 

To grasp this new feeling coming through demands that we can no longer do ‘business as usual’….especially where the environment and the future of our planet/humanity is concerned. As the old saying goes ‘If you always do what you’ve you’ve always done then you’ll always get what you’ve always got.’ It really is time for change!

And if we want things to change then we must change. If we want to see ourselves thrive, prosper and become the best that we can be then we must make some changes. If we want to see our planet thrive then we must treat it differently. There can be  no more sitting on the shelf. No more procrastinating. No more moaning from the sidelines.

Ghandi is famous for saying that we must ‘Be the change we want to see in the world’. This change, I believe, goes beyond the usual round of new year resolutions that we tend to make in January and then forget by the end of the month. The change that is needed goes deeper than that. And it is not just change for the sake of change because we feel a bit bored with the ways things are. The change that is needed is radical. It is change with a very real purpose - that of helping  ourselves, humanity  and our planet to  thrive.


For me the beginning of this new decade is sounding forth a voice calling me to action. I feel called to step things up a little, become more visible, more active, more proactive. Activism is something that I have almost always shied away from. My internal script has demanded that I stay below the radar, that I’m not seen, that I don’t step out of my comfort zone for fear of being hurt, laughed at, ridiculed or being found out to be inadequate in some way. 

But my inner voice says differently. I want to make this decade count on many levels. I don’t feel I can any longer live in the shadows, playing small.

However change can feel scary and if we’re not careful we can become paralysed by fear. So I am not going to jump straight in with a list of things that need doing and place undue stress on myself. I am going to process things slowly and take time to feel into what is being asked of me. I want to be able to take inspired action - action that uplifts me and makes me feel good - not fatigued and weighed down with the burdens of the world. I don’t want to live with a sense of heavy obligation but with a sense of joy and excitement about what I am doing. 

I have heard it said that rather that asking ‘What does the world need?’ we should ask ‘What brings me alive?’ because what the world needs is more people who are alive, passionate and feeling good about themselves.  

This feels like good news to me. 

‘Being the change’ can sound rather grandiose and theatrical but it doesn’t need to be. Change doesn’t have to be a big thing that sends us into overwhelm. We don’t have to change drastically overnight. We can start small. Every action we take to show up in a loving way whether this be for ourselves, for others or for our planet ultimately contributes to the over all good for everyone. 

So where does all this leave me? 

At the moment my heart is busy contemplating a few ideas. I want whatever I do to feel right for me at this moment in my life, to feel empowering and to light up my soul.Then when I step out I know that I will be bringing that light and sense of empowerment to the world. 

Rumi said that there are ‘100 ways to kneel and kiss the ground’. That is, there are 100 (and more!) ways to love and honour the earth and each other. Finding what speaks to us is all that is needed ….. that and finding the courage to take the first step.

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