Whose Job?
I recently had the same conversation three times with three different people on the same day.
It went something like this…
THEM: When is the Prime Minister going to fix… (insert issue here… climate change, the coronavirus, equal opportunity, taxes, the health system, the education system…)?
ME: Why are we relying on one person to deal with these issues?
THEM: Then when is he going to make the corporations change?
ME: Why are we relying on other people to fix the problems? Isn’t that why we have so many problems?
THEM: Silence/ awkward silence/ walk away/ change topic/ Indignantly defend “but that’s their job!!”
Copout
To me, this is an absolute copout I keep hearing, and if anyone really wants anything to change, it has to stop.
I see the biggest problem here is that people don’t believe they have any power. Collectively, as a species, we seem to be looking to someone else to fix the problems and do the work for us. Mainly, governments and corporations.
The main reason seems to be in the response that we feel that each of us as an individual dos not have the power to change. This is what I hear…
“What can one person do? The Prime Minister represents government who represent us, and we want the change so they should do it for us. They should make some legislation.”
“The corporations are the ones making the products that are wrecking the planet and our minds, hears and bodies…so they should be the ones to change so that we have better things to choose from.”
Power To Change
Nowhere in these conversations am I hearing that we as a consumer and an inhabitant on this planet have the power to make change in every single second, every single breath an every single choice of every single day.
If we are willing to place the power for change in the hands of one person – the Prime Minister, or a CEO, then why are we so unable to place that power in our own hands.
Why do we think that each of us has any less power to make a change that matters than a Prime Minister or a CEO.
The only way anyone has more power than you is when you choose give it to them. I see two reasons for this…
Either you really don’t believe you have any power in yourself to make real change, or you simply cannot be bothered to make change in your life, because really, deep down, you like your life the way it is, and you don’t want to be the one to change – you want everyone else to take the responsibility of making things better for you.
Who Is Responsible For Change?
So who needs to change? Who is ultimately responsible for the change?
The answer is everyone. Every single person, in every single second, breath and choice of every day are responsible for making choices that consider the impact on the whole planet, the whole human species and the whole individual self.
At present, most of us are making choices about what works for us as an individual. It is this world view that we are each on our own, working competitively against others, to win and better ourselves and our individual life that has to stop.
Because if we keep going the way we are going we will destroy the ecosystems of the planet, which will ultimately destroy the human species. unless we all want to live connected to machines that create artificial oxygen, daylight, food and water to help us survive.
If we want to survive as a species and keep this planet alive, we must start to understand that every choice we make has an impact on everything, everything, and we are all responsible for everything.
The Power Of Government
The power of government may ultimately, administratively lie with one person, a Prime Minister or a President, or maybe a Monarch. But if you really think that person has the ability to fix all our problems because they have this title and do this job, you must be kidding you.
Could you personally, really be across ALL the different views and interests of ALL the people in the country and make the best, most representative decisions about everything.
No, firstly because you cannot possibly speak to everyone, and because some people believe in climate change and some people don’t. Some people feel the effects of discrimination, and others are the discriminators, without even realising. Some people believe in abortion, equal opportunity,
What you believe, need, want or desire, is not necessarily what the rest of your country believes, needs, wants or desires, let alone one person, one leader. And no choice they make will ever represent the whole.
Let’s face it, innovation and change do NOT come from the government. Government is an administrator of a huge amount of complex, conflicting, antiquated and not always the best thing for the people or the planet, rules, laws and regulations. Government is not strategic or considering the long-term. They are reactive in order to literally put out fires, and keep the current majority voters and their beliefs happy, to maybe retain another term in office.
Government decisions are rarely considerate of the long, term, strategic needs of the planet and ALL people who live on it now and in the future. So if the majority of voters like more power to “big business,” and the growth economy, then this is what the decisions will support.
Let’s face it, no one wants the government to really legislate against their job and their industry to make a change because we‘re all looking after our jobs and our job security.
So if the government isn’t responsible, let’s look to corporations, because, well, they make all the stuff.
The Power Of Corporations
Corporations are the ones that leak chemicals into rivers, cut down the trees of the Amazon, and make products that take 400 years to decompose in landfills. They make the plastic bags that we need to carry our groceries, and the cars that produce toxic emissions.
The corporations make processed foods full of chemicals that make us sick.
The corporations make the phones, tablets, and video games that are updated every year so that we have to upgrade.
They may the clothes of such terrible quality that we have to throw them out after2 wears. They are the ones who exploit workers in foreign countries. We, as consumers don’t have anything to do with how they make their products or do business. We only buy their products.
It’s up to them to do the right thing? And if they don’t make the government should be making laws to make them change.
Really? No, really?
The Power Of Consumer and The People
As the individual that you are, you have the power to make a change in every choice you make in every single second of every single day.
Do you choose to upgrade your phone/ shoes/ bag/ car/ house because there’s a better one, a newer one on the market? Are you buying things because you really need them, or do you just want them? Are you upgrading because your current thing is worn out or no longer works and cannot be fixed? Or is there a new, shiny thing that you have to have because it’s going to make you feel good for five minutes?
Where in your life are you supporting corporations who do things that are destroying and exploiting the planet and the people who live on it? Where are you researching who you buy from and how the products are made? Where are you looking to where your banks or your super funds invest? Who are you doing business with every time you have over money and what are their values?
Where does your café buy their coffee, and who and what is affected by this? Do you drink it in a disposable takeaway cup or a reusable cup? Do you buy plastic bags at the supermarket or do you take 5 minutes to keep reusable bags in the boot of your car?
Do you buy books or go to the library? Do you walk to drive? Do you watch reality TV and celebrity gossip on TV? Do you follow people on social media who care about important stuff or those that just consume makeup and clothes and trivialise your mind? Are you discerning about the information you put into your mind, or do you just take what the media and the news tells you for granted. Do you question everything or just accept it?
Where are you figuring out how to recycle, re-use or put your waste to compost? Or are you just dumping it all in a landfill because you’re too busy and important and don’t have the time, or just can’t be arsed… because well, the government and the corporations should fix it.
How do you help the homeless? Do you understand their issues? Do you really care? How do your choices and actions reflect this? How do you talk to your co-workers or people you come across in your day – of different ages, genders, or races? Do you see each of them equally as people, or as something different? Do their beliefs, needs, wants or desires matter, or not?
The Power To Change
The power to change lies with each and every individual in every choice you make in every single second of every single day.
Your choice and your power lie in your consideration of how everything you do and say affects other people and the planet.
It’s as simple as that. Do you even think about the impact on other people and the planet? Or just yourself.
Because change comes when we choose to do better and make better choices and actually consider the impact that we can have and the power we hold in every choice in every single second of every single day.
The power of change lies with you. When consumers stop buying toxic crap and demand better and different products, only the corporations will change. When consumers start buying more consciously and making different choices, only then will corporations change. When consumers demand cyclic and sharing economies and products, recycled and re-usable materials, and only choose and accept a different way of living that considers the whole, only then will corporations change.
Stop eating and drinking and buying and watching and reading and using the crap that you know is bad for you, other people and the planet.
When these consumer demands become the only choice of the majority voters, then governments might try to create laws and regulations to reflect our collective values.
But in the meantime, change must come from the bottom up. The only way change occurs through government and corporations is in response to the people. And quite frankly, the people start with you.
Your life is your choice. But every choice you make impacts everything. Everything. Only you have the power to make the choices to change what needs to be changed.
The choice is yours…
…Liz Watt