Our role in the web

"Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth.  We did not weave the web of life, we are merely a strand in it.  Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves."  -- Chief Seattle

I was talking with a friend during a break in class yesterday, and he mentioned that he had been in Chicago not long ago.  "I'm not, like, totally into recycling or anything," he said, "but it was really unnerving to stand there with a plastic bottle in your hand and have to throw it in the trash.  They just don't seem to do recycling there."

I understand that this could be a phenomenon unique to the particular family he was visiting, but it was a gentle reminder that not everyone approaches the world in the same way.  So when I encountered this quote this morning, I found myself wondering if the reason we in the Pacific Northwest are so passionate about recycling could be partially attributed to the influence of Chief Seattle.

Which then got me to thinking of a wonderful piece by Margaret Wheatley, entitled "What is our role in creating change?" in which she said "A leader is anyone willing to help, anyone who sees something that needs to change and takes the first steps to influence that situation.  It might be a parent who intervenes in her child's school; or a rural village that works to get clean water; or a worker who refuses to allow mistreatment of others in his workplace; or a citizen who rallies her neighbors to stop local polluters.  Everywhere in the world, no matter the economic or social circumstances, people step forward to try and make a small difference.


Because a leader is anyone willing to help, she adds, we can celebrate the fact that the world is abundantly rich in leaders.  Some people ask, "Where have all the leaders gone?"  But if we worry that there's a shortage of leaders, we're just looking in the worng place, usually at the top of some hierarchy.  Instead, we need to look around us, to look localy.  And we need to look at ourselves.  When have we moved into action for an issue or concern that we cared about?  When have we stepped forward to help and thereby become a leader?


The process that creates change in the world is quite straightforward.  We notice something that needs to be changed.  We keep noticing it.  The problem keeps getting our attention, even though most people don't notice that there's even a problem.  We start to act, we try something.  If that doesn't work, we try a different approach.  We learn as we go."

Which got me to thinking.  Where have I been a leader lately -- and what challenges have I noticed that I haven't taken the time to address?  Or have I even been noticing?

My job, over the next few months, will be to pay attention to those opportunities, perhaps even to act on them.

But I confess that this morning that just sounds exhausting...