Can you feel it? Can you see it? It's all around. There is a strange feeling, a energy pushing this planet and everything on it in a direction none of us seem to want to go. We talk about it as if it's happening on a personal level but nothing is changing it's direction, at least not fast enough to make a difference. Are Environmental Studies Majors & Faculty the only people that sense this? Is it up to us to change the future that has yet to come? Lets not be afraid of it, lets embrace it, take the challenge head on. There is a future out there worth envisioning and being a social change agent is going to help get us there.
What is a social change agent and whats it mean to be one in the world?
A social change agent wants a better future. A social change agent sees the world for what it really is and wants to make a difference in positive ways that reduce oppression and inequality. They have a unique understanding of the dominate narrative in our society and all over the world. Seeing the connections that make up our reality and knowing that it can be different is the drive for a social change agent. Bringing options and opportunities to communities we engage with including our homes to better their lives and ours. Being a social change agent is about standing up for what is right and doing the right thing no matter the force in the way. Social change agents are strong willed, courageous, calm under pressure and compassionate. They care not only for their own loved ones but for all of man kind, non-human species, their environments, and the ecosystems that allow life to thrive. It is our job, our calling, our mission, our purpose to lead the changes necessary for life to continue to thrive. It is our responsibility to contribute to technological advancements and in the merging of it's applications to the real world. We must find the maximum benefits while limiting the negative effects. Through our teachings, research, and resilience our Environmental Studies Program has shaped us into becoming the next wave of ideas that can and will shape our future.
The key to accomplishing the changes we seek is with love which is highlighted in "Emergent Strategy." If love was the main concept of our society cooperation and understanding throughout would be seen and felt more. The impacts of how our world is run or operates as would be I think drastically different. Being or becoming an emergent strategist requires us to spread love and not hate. Our goals involve bringing people and communities together through love, compassion, and understanding for one another. We are stronger together just as we are stronger with nature. We shouldn't be separating ourselves from each other or nature. We are all human or at least we all share this planet and the best way for all of us to thrive is to come together despite our differences and love one another and value life, all life in a way that hasn't been seen for quite some time. Finding solutions to live on this planet in harmony with one another and nature should be focused on love not profit. Applying what I have learned through the use of appropriate technologies can help solve many of the problems separating us from nature.
What has helped me identify myself, my goals, and my purpose wasn't one thing alone. It has been a combination of life experiences, education, and open mindedness. The book emergent strategy was one of many books I would recommend to others that has helped provide some insight, knowledge, guidance, and understanding. My time in the Army was a major part of my life that opened my eyes to the reality of the world. My time at HSU and the ENST program has provided me the tools, focus, direction, and connections to accomplish my goals and create my vision and spread what I've learned. I've always had this vision or idea about living with nature rather than against it. Living a more sustainable life, a greener life. My own personal road blocks or speed bumps has allowed me to find my purpose and my passion which is helping Veterans with their PTSD and Addiction problems by providing a space where they can learn to grow their own food and medicine while working with the land and the local community. The ENST program has taught me how to communicate those ideas and connect with others about them. It has assured me that I'm going in the right direction and the only thing in my way is myself. The other key aspect of the book "Emergent Strategy" is resilience which I believe go hand in hand with adaption. The world is in constant change and the more adaptable we are, the more resilient we become. We become stronger and grow as individuals through these experiences. Being open minded will help bring about new and more experiences that will help us become more adaptable to situations and cultures outside of our main perspectives on life. Seeing the world through other lenses is important when trying to spread knowledge through love.
Actions needed to smash through my goals and make my vision a reality is to finish what I've started to begin with. Finish my formal education and stay consistent when it's completed. Always strive to be a better person. Keep educating yourself is KEY. Continue growing as a person as well as being part of the community. Spread the knowledge I have learned and lead by example. A major aspect of this is becoming decentralized in how humans do things such as politics, data and information flow, economies, finances, and peer to peer networks. Being decentralized will help humans thrive in a sustainable fashion by forcing ourselves to be more responsible and ethical. Being decentralized while harnessing the vast amounts of capabilities with our technological advancements increases the connection and networks around the world and keeps the flow of knowledge distributed evenly. I believe that by accomplishing this we as a species can create more time for ourselves which we could put into being more sustainable. We wouldn't be in a rush all the time. We can focus our energy on helping and loving ourselves, each other, and our home, Earth. For me, the next steps are to live it. Live how I preach. I believe I am ahead of the game at this point and I fully intend on keeping it that way. I know exactly what I have to do to make my dreams, my vision come true. It is my purpose to make it happen. I know I can help people especially Veterans change theirs lives, by changing their minds, giving them options that maybe they didn't know they had. By offering another way to live, a life that has purpose.
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