What is Your Next Step?

What is your next step?

After you read this, what will be your next step? Will you go do the next thing on your to-do list or take a coffee break? Will you decide to go for a walk or call a friend? Or will you take a few minutes to think about what you just read and what it means to you?

Throughout any given day, we’ll have thousands of thoughts and make hundreds of decisions. And whatever you think about or whatever decisions you make will basically be steps (some small and some big) that you’ll take from the moment you wake up in the morning til you fall asleep at night.

So, ask yourself – How do the steps I take each day reflect my awareness of living in this climate-change world?

The climate crisis has begun to impact everything in our lives and will have a direct influence upon every choice and decision that you and I will make in our future.

What is your next step? What do you choose to think about? What will you choose to do next?

For the moments of your day, what steps will you take that reflect your concern about the climate crisis as well as your desire and drive to live more conscientiously and responsibly in this climate-change world?

It’s always about the next step. The step right in front of you. The step that’s staring you in the face.

At this point, it’s beyond any doubt that our individual and collective decisions have contributed to warmer temperatures, rising CO2 levels, depleted soils, droughts, extreme weather events, plastic pollution and a significant loss with various species. Reminding ourselves of these realities forces us to reflect upon all the steps that we’ve taken in the past that have contributed to what we see and are experiencing around the world. What part did you play in this climate reality?

Now, at this moment, we can begin to explore what steps we need to change and, at the same time, examine what new steps that we need to take to lead more meaningful and valuable lives. And we can start to contemplate what it will take to think more ecologically and help create a healthier ecosystem in our homes, our neighborhoods, and throughout our towns or cities.

We can add value and meaning to our lives by asking certain questions. These questions can help us focus better and hopefully make smarter and wiser decisions throughout any given day. Questions that can help us live with a greater sense of awareness and authenticity. So for you,

How do you become more centered?

How do you become more compassionate?

How do you become more creative?

How do you become more collaborative?

How do you become more courageous?

In these confusing and challenging times, these five questions should be cultivated and nourished everyday.

Your next step can be to embrace how you choose to answer each question. Through your answers to these powerful questions, you can find a greater sense of clarity and empowerment in whatever you choose to think about or action that you decide to take throughout the day.

What is your next step?

 

 

Header image via Pixabay via Pexels.com. 

This is the first of a column series by Minnesotan climate activisit Tone Lanzillo. We welcome him aboard.