“It’s how you adapt to change, responding rather than reacting”
Those of you who read my last blog or the pages on this website will know that last Autumn I started my Ocean Flow journey by cycling around the South West of the UK engaging with environmental projects and tapping into what it means to be in a state of flow. However, for several reasons this did not happen and nor did the subsequent podcast. I re-planned the journey for April this year and again it did not happen, this time due to COVID-19. This could have been frustrating, but it wasn’t, and actually made me think of:
“It’s how you adapt to change, responding rather than reacting”
I am not sure if those were the exact words, but at the end of a yoga session last Summer in Portugal, where I was attending a surf and yoga retreat, our lovely yoga teacher Natalie mentioned something along those lines. That simple, but powerful sentence really struck me, especially as I have been heavily involved in climate change, community activism and behaviour change for quite a while now and this is the type of thinking and ethos I believe is required to move forward in a positive way. Although I had been acting in that way, I had never quite thought about or labelled it like that.
It inevitably made me want to explore and reflect on “what’s the difference between reacting and responding?” For me, although they seem pretty similar, responding is about taking a more peaceful, thoughtful and holistic approach grounded in a willingness to be open and curious.
A couple of weeks later I was returning to the UK on a long bus journey from Lisbon to London and had recently discovered the Waterpeople podcast. Whilst listening to the episode from Kimi Werner she mentioned word-for-word how she “responds, rather than reacts to challenges”.
I thought, wow, this sounds familiar and it made me sit up from the cramped bus and turn to catch the glowing orange sun disappear into the darkness somewhere in Northern Spain. It was one of those moments where the little hairs on your arms or the back of your neck stand up. I think one of the reasons it struck such a cord with me is because it is so true and so simple. Thinking about this recently, I wonder whether we can take something from this to what is happening now in the World?
I am incredibly grateful to be somewhere safe and largely unaffected by COVID-19. Although the job I was planning on doing has been postponed or cancelled and I hence have no income, I still have somewhere to live, fresh water to drink and food to eat. I know COVID-19 has impacted people but for me, there are bigger, more pressing issues that affect millions more people every day and require much more urgent, creative and immediate action; climate change, the refugee crisis, air pollution, race and gender equality, ocean warming and sea-level rise to name a few. Can we embrace this uncertainty? Can we collectively respond to these in a way which is thoughtful, empowering, bold and ambitious?
At the start of the lockdown period, I started reconnecting with music, in particular Jack Johnson, whose music I love but more importantly his approach to life and the great work him and his wife, Kim, are doing through their Foundations to tackle plastic pollution and engage people with food sustainability. Another thing I have been doing is walking 2-3 hours most days which has been a magical experience, listening to the birds (is it me, or are there way more this year!?), being present, noticing and reconnecting with my nature connection, mindfulness and gratitude practices. Again, I am incredibly grateful and recognise how privileged I am to be able to do this. However, I feel I am using this time as best as I can. A couple of weeks ago I read the blog of a friend and wonderful human-being, Linzi Hawkin (which gave me a prompt to write this blog, thank you Linzi!), who mentioned we have:
“A whole day ahead of us to design in the way that works best for us.”
We do! Every day is a gift and we have an amazing opportunity. Although time seems super-speeded right now (does anyone else think the days are flying by?!), we can make the most of it. In the first few weeks of lockdown I listened to the beautiful podcast On Being with Krista Tippett and guest writer Robert MacFarlane who stated:
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
This incredible quote, originally coined by Martin Luther King Jr. seems appropriate for today. Maybe we can shorten that arc or speed it up? Who is up for trying? This leads onto another gem from the same podcast where the host and MacFarlane discuss “are we being good ancestors?” Great question.
Are we?
P.S. watch this video – “Dear Humanity”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7lP7lwVfOA
Also, check out Natalie’s work on surfing, science and sustainability – she is currently doing an MSc in Sustainability and looking for research participants: https://www.ecoyogasurf.com/research