It's Probably a Distraction
Leaning into discomfort to overcome distraction and doubt
What To Do When You Don't Want To Do Anything
Sometimes, it just isn't there (and that's ok).
From Hurry to Harmony: Rediscovering the Value of a Slower Pace
An invitation to take your take your time, set your pace, and move through life with purpose, meaning, thoughtfulness, and intention.
It's Probably a Distraction
Leaning into discomfort to overcome distraction and doubt
What To Do When You Don't Want To Do Anything
Sometimes, it just isn't there (and that's ok).
From Hurry to Harmony: Rediscovering the Value of a Slower Pace
An invitation to take your take your time, set your pace, and move through life with purpose, meaning, thoughtfulness, and intention.
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~5 Minute Read
We're breaking records left and right, my friends. Unfortunately, the particular record I'm referring to here is the average surface temperature of our (currently) beautiful green Earth. Now, maybe this streak ends up as a fluke in the grand timeline of Earth's history, but I'm not convinced riding this out and leaving our future up to chance is worth the risk.
I'll be the first to admit that taking environmentally-conscious action can be daunting, and we've long been told to focus on sustainability. Where do we begin? What do we actually do? Will it even make a difference (spoiler: it will)?
I think we've been aiming at the wrong target - a well-intentioned one, but the wrong one nonetheless. Environmental responsibility goes beyond sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices—it requires us to embrace the role of environmental stewards. As stewards, we don't just do sustainable things; we become guardians of our planet, taking personal responsibility for its care. This shift from sustainability to stewardship isn't just semantic—it's a fundamental change in how we view our relationship with the Earth and our role in its preservation.
One of the primary distinctions between a focus on sustainability and stewardship is that of doing versus being. I looked up the Merriam-Webster dictionary of stewardship and this is what I found: "the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care."
Sustainable practices are something we can and should do, being a steward becomes a part of who we are.
The power of a stewardship mindset comes down to responsibility. When we view ourselves as stewards of our Earth and environment, we view ourselves as personally responsible for its care. Sustainable practices are a common byproduct.
Without a stewardship mindset, we may only ever consider more sustainable options if they are convenient or easy. These practices end up viewed as nice-to-haves versus critical actions. Stewards see things through because they are the right thing to do.
~5 Minute Read
We're breaking records left and right, my friends. Unfortunately, the particular record I'm referring to here is the average surface temperature of our (currently) beautiful green Earth. Now, maybe this streak ends up as a fluke in the grand timeline of Earth's history, but I'm not convinced riding this out and leaving our future up to chance is worth the risk.
I'll be the first to admit that taking environmentally-conscious action can be daunting, and we've long been told to focus on sustainability. Where do we begin? What do we actually do? Will it even make a difference (spoiler: it will)?
I think we've been aiming at the wrong target - a well-intentioned one, but the wrong one nonetheless. Environmental responsibility goes beyond sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices—it requires us to embrace the role of environmental stewards. As stewards, we don't just do sustainable things; we become guardians of our planet, taking personal responsibility for its care. This shift from sustainability to stewardship isn't just semantic—it's a fundamental change in how we view our relationship with the Earth and our role in its preservation.
One of the primary distinctions between a focus on sustainability and stewardship is that of doing versus being. I looked up the Merriam-Webster dictionary of stewardship and this is what I found: "the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care."
Sustainable practices are something we can and should do, being a steward becomes a part of who we are.
The power of a stewardship mindset comes down to responsibility. When we view ourselves as stewards of our Earth and environment, we view ourselves as personally responsible for its care. Sustainable practices are a common byproduct.
Without a stewardship mindset, we may only ever consider more sustainable options if they are convenient or easy. These practices end up viewed as nice-to-haves versus critical actions. Stewards see things through because they are the right thing to do.
And, I want to highlight that having a stewardship mindset is no less concrete than the sustainable practices someone engages in and I think the distinction, at risk of overusing the word here, is sustainability itself. Or maybe a better word choice here is durability or resilience.
Do you continue to engage in these practices even when it's difficult? How consistent are you over time? In many ways, stewardship vs. sustainable practices isn't an either/or argument, rather one of depth and duration.
When we pair a global awareness with local action, and have an appreciation for the interconnected nature of all things, we all but eliminate the risk of overlooking broader environmental challenges when we focus our energy on local impact. A healthier local environment and community is almost always going to be a net positive. for the surrounding communities and beyond.
One thing to look out for is short-sighted solutions. An exaggerated example is cleaning up litter in your city or town and then dumping it on the side of the road in neighboring towns. Obviously, this solves nothing and we've all but undone the positive impact. We've solved nothing, rather we've merely put the problem at arm's length. That's not what we're after here.
This is where something like Second-Order Thinking (Farnam Street has a great 3-minute read on the subject: https://fs.blog/second-order-thinking/). This looks like us asking "and then what" to help better understand the reach and consequences of our actions and will help prevent us from becoming too narrow in our focus.
It's a valiant stance to want to change the world. But, it's also quite daunting. Only a massive ego could avoid feeling a bit overwhelmed by the notion. When we look at things on a global scale, it's easy to experience a mix of analysis paralysis and apathy - both leading to inaction.
Because there's so much we could do, the overwhelm creeps in and we do nothing. Or, that feeling of insignificance creeps in and we can't help but think, "Why bother? I'm just a drop in a very big bucket. What I'm doing doesn't matter." It DOES matter, but I appreciate why it doesn't feel like that. It's easy to feel insignificant when we zoom out on our Earth and see ourselves for the specks that we are, and in many ways we are insignificant (I'll talk about why this is a good thing another day). But, it's foolish to think our actions don't matter at all, that what we do over time doesn't impact or influence the world around us.
One of the only ways to overcome that is to adjust the scope and scale. We may be insignificant on a global scale, but we're often quite significant on a local scale. What we do directly impacts our friends, family, and community Here are a couple examples. There's not much any one of us can do to make a significant dent in the pollution problem facing our oceans besides maybe donating some money to the organizations working to solve that. Even then, it's difficult to know exactly the impact your contribution made. But, you can make a massive impact by helping clean up the parks your kids play at or the beaches your family visits. Even cleaning up the sides of the roads you travel regularly will have an immediate impact - less trash and pollution and a more beautiful road to travel.
Another example is simply consuming less. It's difficult to think forward to the end of the life of whatever it is that you bought and consider how purchasing less of that impacts what's being sent to landfills. It's far less difficult to see the impact on your bank account.
It's ok to be a little selfish here when we're talking about stewardship and sustainable practices, even though it really isn't being selfish at all. It's only selfish if there isn't any mutual benefit for all parties involved. In the first example, your surroundings are cleaner and the Earth is a wee bit less polluted. In the second example, you're saving a couple shekels and fewer things are inevitably ending up in the trash. There's this misconception that stewardship requires selflessness and sure, there are plenty of instances when that's true. For the most part though, there will typically be an opportunity for a mutually beneficial exchange.
***
The path to true environmental responsibility isn't just about what we do—it's about who we become. This shift in mindset—from sustainability to stewardship—empowers us to take consistent, meaningful local action, creating the potential for global impact. What you do and who you are matters. You can make a difference. Will you?
Cover Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash
And, I want to highlight that having a stewardship mindset is no less concrete than the sustainable practices someone engages in and I think the distinction, at risk of overusing the word here, is sustainability itself. Or maybe a better word choice here is durability or resilience.
Do you continue to engage in these practices even when it's difficult? How consistent are you over time? In many ways, stewardship vs. sustainable practices isn't an either/or argument, rather one of depth and duration.
When we pair a global awareness with local action, and have an appreciation for the interconnected nature of all things, we all but eliminate the risk of overlooking broader environmental challenges when we focus our energy on local impact. A healthier local environment and community is almost always going to be a net positive. for the surrounding communities and beyond.
One thing to look out for is short-sighted solutions. An exaggerated example is cleaning up litter in your city or town and then dumping it on the side of the road in neighboring towns. Obviously, this solves nothing and we've all but undone the positive impact. We've solved nothing, rather we've merely put the problem at arm's length. That's not what we're after here.
This is where something like Second-Order Thinking (Farnam Street has a great 3-minute read on the subject: https://fs.blog/second-order-thinking/). This looks like us asking "and then what" to help better understand the reach and consequences of our actions and will help prevent us from becoming too narrow in our focus.
It's a valiant stance to want to change the world. But, it's also quite daunting. Only a massive ego could avoid feeling a bit overwhelmed by the notion. When we look at things on a global scale, it's easy to experience a mix of analysis paralysis and apathy - both leading to inaction.
Because there's so much we could do, the overwhelm creeps in and we do nothing. Or, that feeling of insignificance creeps in and we can't help but think, "Why bother? I'm just a drop in a very big bucket. What I'm doing doesn't matter." It DOES matter, but I appreciate why it doesn't feel like that. It's easy to feel insignificant when we zoom out on our Earth and see ourselves for the specks that we are, and in many ways we are insignificant (I'll talk about why this is a good thing another day). But, it's foolish to think our actions don't matter at all, that what we do over time doesn't impact or influence the world around us.
One of the only ways to overcome that is to adjust the scope and scale. We may be insignificant on a global scale, but we're often quite significant on a local scale. What we do directly impacts our friends, family, and community Here are a couple examples. There's not much any one of us can do to make a significant dent in the pollution problem facing our oceans besides maybe donating some money to the organizations working to solve that. Even then, it's difficult to know exactly the impact your contribution made. But, you can make a massive impact by helping clean up the parks your kids play at or the beaches your family visits. Even cleaning up the sides of the roads you travel regularly will have an immediate impact - less trash and pollution and a more beautiful road to travel.
Another example is simply consuming less. It's difficult to think forward to the end of the life of whatever it is that you bought and consider how purchasing less of that impacts what's being sent to landfills. It's far less difficult to see the impact on your bank account.
It's ok to be a little selfish here when we're talking about stewardship and sustainable practices, even though it really isn't being selfish at all. It's only selfish if there isn't any mutual benefit for all parties involved. In the first example, your surroundings are cleaner and the Earth is a wee bit less polluted. In the second example, you're saving a couple shekels and fewer things are inevitably ending up in the trash. There's this misconception that stewardship requires selflessness and sure, there are plenty of instances when that's true. For the most part though, there will typically be an opportunity for a mutually beneficial exchange.
***
The path to true environmental responsibility isn't just about what we do—it's about who we become. This shift in mindset—from sustainability to stewardship—empowers us to take consistent, meaningful local action, creating the potential for global impact. What you do and who you are matters. You can make a difference. Will you?
Cover Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash
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