It took me a long time to figure out where I fit into the vast healing the Earth arena. Yes sir, I have coaching skills, marketing skills, business skills, and science skills galore … but every time I set out to find my group I felt unmotivated and uninspired to make the leap that takes me beyond the “sign me up for a newsletter” click of the mouse to the magical world of active engagement. Perhaps the timing was off, or perhaps I had to go through an inner journey before finding a space where I could feel at home, contribute, and enjoy a little nourishment myself.
Looking back, the scenario went something like this: I’d find an environmental topic that intrigued me, begin a Google search, smile as I scrolled down the page, and then, one-by-one, become deflated because the energy of the group was too technical (I got lost in the weeds), too business-oriented ( I was looking for more than dollars and cents), too overwhelming (scary, there no hope for us—gasp!), or too commercialized (lots of green washing).
Was I being fussy? The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it because I am an easy going person by nature. Finally, after months of looking, I found “the group for me”.
Now that I’ve had some time to reflect (and laugh) at the process, here are 5 Tips that may help you, or someone that you know along the happy trail:
1. Give yourself time – my expectations were measured in days; now I realize that finding the right environmental group fit can take weeks or months (or longer if you are unclear about what you are looking for).
2. Don’t be shy–ask other people. I loved to interview environmental advocates, activists, elders–and learned a lot this way.
3, Read plenty of books (eBooks), and on-line articles, blogs, etc. I discovered that many, if not all the environmental or green authors had blogs, wrote articles, plus had a presentation or two posted on YouTube.
4. Laugh at yourself – lighten up; I fell into the trap of feeling pressure. It was a challenge for me to learn more about the impact of non-healthy practices on the Earth and not act immediately. It seemed that my “call to action” went directly to my heart, so naturally, I wanted to dive right in–the only problem was that my head didn’t agree—and I needed both heart and head in-sync to move forward in a balanced, healthy, sustainable way.
5. The magical “ah” moment for me was the decision to hire a coach who understood environmental and green issues. So after a quick peek at the WiserEarth website, I found a life coach, who has a private practice coaching activists and other social change artisans.
Why did I hire a coach?
First, I learned to value the coaching skill set by becoming a professional Integrative Coach at The Ford Institute for Integrative Coaching (San Diego).
Second, I always find it so much more fulfilling to walk down a new path with someone. Yes, you can do it by yourself, but as the saying goes, two heads (and hearts) are better than one.
Third, when shifting from one mode to another, it really helps to have someone to whom you are accountable because we are all human—so unless you have a structure in place, day-to-day distractions are plentiful.
I hope that you find these tips useful. I’ll be more than happy to share the second half of my very human journey to help to heal the Earth … plus the people, ideas, groups, laughter, and resources that show up along the way.