Longterm.
I was taking to a find yesterday and the slowness of change. Sometimes to change a habit or introduce new habit takes years. Knowing that, it is quite easy to fall into a despair about the change that need to happen in the world. Imagine if for one individual it takes years to be full comfortable in new behaviour, what would it take for a society to change? How do you even start acting upon improvement or change if you know that it will take forever to see the results. What is our lifetime on the global scale? How much it does it mean, or can it mean for the world?
Indeed looking at the years we can actively engage with the world it becomes discouraging to even start such adventure. Basically we have to find peace with the fact that the higher the level of abstraction we work on the less observable change we will witness. This is just how it is, and we must find ways to maintain motivation regardless of the fact either we see the change or not, which is difficult because we nice instant gratification and reassurance that our actions have impact. It requires a lot of trust in what you do to be able to work on something, you know you’ll never see changing. I sometimes see people get discouraged and unmotivated to act upon change just because they don’t see the point in doing something. Complex processes are so complex that to inject your small deeds into a larger system and see the necessity is very difficult. But I believe there is a way around it. Changing the perspective, while looking at your actions, within a global scale can help to keep on optimistic spirits and regardless of visibility of the impact, enjoy the process.
Working on something unachievable can be very fulfilling. There are quite a few reasons I can think of but let me name a few. Knowing that your goal is embedded in a comes web of societal processes, it takes away a pressure of doing things right. We know that there are many other processes playing along and our contribution is probably very small and merely insignificant. Please note, that not having the pressure doesn’t mean that we become lazy or sloppy, I don’t even count it as an option, but relaxing the desire of completion brings in more openness in the working process. Basically the less tension and pressure there is the more choices we have because we are open to new ideas. An example, when we have a deadline coming up tomorrow, it is highly unlikely that we will be looking for a solution that lays outside of out comfort zone, we won’t take risks and go for a solution that we know will work. But if your deadline is 200 years from now, you have all time to keep the open focus as long as you like. Three is a lot of value in openness to the new solutions, when we need to make fundamental changes. Solutions that work are great but solutions that might work better, need to be implemented along the way. For me thinking about my contribution to the world’s change comes easy. I am fully aware that I won’t be able to experience the results most of the processes I am focusing on. It will take years to see the impact of my work, I will probably be long dead by then. But to be honest I find it very exciting to be working with such mind set. The idea that I am doing something now, the movement I start in the present moment will take on, emerge, grow and develop is very exciting to me. I feel connected to the world in a very subtle but unique and irreplaceable way.
Every movement we make has an impact on the future events, everything is relational and in constant dance with each other. I see immense beauty in this and I get very inspired to think of my actions as a small energy force that changes the future. Our impact is inescapable, as long as we live we will have an affect on the world. The question is what kind of effect? If we fall into a pessimistic despair and decide to stay inactive in the field we are passionate about, but fee demotivated because of no preservable outcomes, we can do that, sure. But no matter what we do, it will leave an imprint. So perhaps consider sticking with what brings you joy regardless of the visibility of the results and find motivation in the process itself. Future will change either we want it or not and it will take its own path we won’t be part of as living agents but per definition we are already part of that future, nothing can change that. Staying true to what feels fight and keeps you inspired is the best strategy to contribute to the future in my opinion. Acting from the place of love and care will result in a future built based on those values. I have no doubts about it.