What a Humane World Looks Like: Stepping Up

During the Q and A part of a presentation I gave recently on living a joyful, meaningful, examined life, one of the participants asked me: "What do you do if you're the only one in your community like you?" I responded: "You're not." Rarely are we the only one in our communities, or even in a group of people, who feel the way we do. But often no one has yet had the courage to speak out about it. Through my teaching and activism experiences I've had to teach myself to push past my comfort zone as an inherently shy person and voice my views. I've had countless experiences of people coming up to me after I've done so and thanking me for speaking aloud what they, too, were thinking or feeling.

Many people are familiar with the quote from Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." But someone has to step up and get that small group started. Someone needs to be the first one to speak out. To act. To ask questions. To seek out and connect with others who feel the same way and are just waiting for someone to help them tap into their own courage.

Amazing things happen when just one person decides to step up and take action. Think about Muhammad Yunus and the microcredit movement. Think about Mother Teresa. Gandhi. Annie Leonard and her "Story of Stuff." Craig Kielburger. Jane Goodall. Wangari Maathai. The free hugs guy.

We carry so many fears with us (many of which are inculcated by our cultures) that inhibit our actions. We don't want to appear stupid or vulnerable or needy or in any way weak to others, so we refrain from acting; we silence ourselves from speaking out.

I still struggle with fear and insecurity and lack of confidence in my life and work, but I'm learning to stretch my boundaries. At the dog park I regularly step in when someone's dog is being too aggressive, and recently I mediated an argument (which was headed toward a physical fight) between two men who had a disagreement about the proper way to train dogs. I've also started (gasp!) introducing myself to other dog guardians at the park -- not just to learn the dogs' names, but the names of the guardians, too. I give humane education workshops to the public, even though weasels wrestle in my stomach for hours before every presentation.

To achieve the just, compassionate world we want is going to take everyone embracing their trepidation and stepping up anyway -- not waiting until someone else speaks out first.

Here's a little video from One World to help inspire you:



~ Marsha

Image courtesy of cygnus921 via Creative Commons.

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