You might recognize if you can’t get out of it, get into it from Avatar, The Way of Water. It’s a line from the Aussie captain of the “whaling” ship and it really resonated with me. I’ve been attempting to get my boys to embrace it as a motto, especially my eldest Lex, in preparation for his National Service in Singapore, which he started yesterday.
Before you ask, I am fully supportive of NS for all young people (male and female) and predict it will start to become the norm again in many countries as our world continues to fracture, but I have to say, it was really hard saying goodbye to our fella. A milestone for him and for his parents, no doubt about it. To honour this milestone, the image in the Weekend Reads is an edited photo of him after his buzzcut last night. No more rockstar long hair for him for a while.
However, there’s another reason I wanted to share if you can’t get out of it, get into it and that is linked to every conversation I’m having these days with people saying they are completely disconnecting from the news.
Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand. It’s depressing out there and what’s going on in the US is extremely alarming, BUT disconnecting at this time is dangerous. When we look back at the worst atrocities in history, wondering how it happened, one big part of the story is the good people in those societies became so disenchanted they disconnected. It got too hard and too ugly, so they looked the other way. My friends it’s so dangerous, so so dangerous.
The next four years are going to be extremely challenging from a geopolitical perspective, from a societal perspective, all the way through to from a planetary perspective – no question about it. So, considering the incredible risks and challenges we are facing, it’s imperative we pay attention AND really fight for the future we want. If we are silent, the worst will happen, and our lack of participation and engagement guarantees it. It really is as simple as that.
So, if you can’t get out of it, get into it OK? We can’t look the other way. We just can’t. But how do we handle the next four years with Trump, Musk and everything else going on?
Here’s a few ideas
- Dark humour is your friend, embrace it with those of a similar mindset, it’ll do you wonders
- I don’t like to be unkind, but mocking ridiculous leaders on the world stage is a great tactic – because they don’t like being mocked at all. Laugh at them and be unforgiving. They deserve it
- Pay attention to big picture thinkers – the ones that bring the whole story together. I include many of them in the Weekend Reads and update this daily
- Listen to the philosophers. They are wise and have great insights. It’s a time for deep reflection about who we are and what we want to create
- Follow the science! If you live in a country (i.e. the US) where scientific knowledge (including medical information) is being silenced, follow the research in other countries where they are not so foolish – ignoring reality won’t make it go away
- Speak up if you have the courage to do it, or if you can’t (or it’s dangerous for you) support those who are speaking on the issues you care about – share their work, comment, etc… You can do it in private groups if you can’t share publicly
- Share love and kindness, because the world needs that. If you’ve stepped away from social media, come back and blast your channels with beauty, love, humour, whatever you’ve got to give. Ignore the negatives and make the world brighter just by being in it. I’ve got loads of friends who do this and I love them for it
- Focus on the issues that matter to you, and don’t get caught up in ALL the issues. The zone is definitely being flooded with shit, which means the important stuff is being missed. Step back, pay attention, but don’t be consumed by it all or you’ll go mad. We’ve got to manage HOW we participate these days, versus stepping away from everything all together. I really believe we have a responsibility to our children to fight for a better future for them, and to give them the confidence it’s a future to look forward to
- If you can afford to, pay for media that is aligned to your views. Left leaning media is under attack, and there’s barely any left, especially in the US. While we hear a lot about the fake news media, it’s being silenced or destroyed and that is never a good thing, because we need all voices represented. So much for free speech huh? Did you see this? Trump’s Pentagon says it will ‘rotate’ out some media from offices | The Straits Times – The New York Times, National Public Radio, NBC News and Politico are losing spots, while the New York Post, One America News Network, and Breitbart News are in
- If we are outside the US, let’s celebrate any of America’s meaningful events that get cancelled – like Black History Month, International Women’s Day, etc… Why not? We embrace commercial celebrations like Halloween with gusto, why not support those that really mean something? BTW in case you’re confused, Trump has not cancelled Black History Month, but it looks like the Department of Defense is cancelling anything linked to DEI – black history month: Is Donald Trump cancelling Black History Month amid anti-diversity effort? What you need to know – The Economic Times
- Do not let your country turn its back on DEI; it is vital for ALL of us to keep driving this forward. If rich, predominantly white men get total control, ALL of our lives will be worse. I did a little video on this recently – Everyone wins with equality, EVERYONE!! – and I wrote this BEFORE the attacks on DEI
- Vote for leaders who will do the right thing by all of humanity, and who understand that unity is critical at this time for the world. Take a stand and stop supporting any companies operating against our interests – hey why not join me as I boycott American products by its biggest MNCs while its leaders continue down this path? BUT please DO support American businesses run by marginalized communities (women-led, black businesses, etc…) it’s important we show them we’re on their side. However, we ALL need to shrink our consumption, so it’s a great time to get started (read: The Americans Pledging to Buy Less—or Even Nothing – WSJ.) While we’re at it, know which media is owned by Rupert Murdoch and don’t read, watch or listen to it. Murdoch has a HUGE responsibility for where we are right now. In fact, let’s all be a little more like Grace Tame huh?
This list is just off the top of my head and I’d love to hear more suggestions, so what would you add? Go on, hit me with your best shot!
Times are challenging and when we look at the state of our world, a critical pillar is exceptionally strong international leadership, so push your government, business and media leaders to stand up and defy the GOP. Make sure you demand it of them. Times are going to be tough if we don’t do anything, but they’ll also be tough if we do something, so we may as well fight, right? It’s definitely not time to accept defeat.
Don’t lose hope. It’s time to fight, so get into the ring and let’s create the future we want for the world. These straight, rich, white dudes don’t get to dictate what that looks like!
Besides, the clock is literally ticking!
Favorite visual or meme
Don’t you dare let anyone take your sparkle!!
And I can’t do one of these without some mention of the environment now can I?
Dig into the news
Plenty more to read, listen to or watch, so do click through to the reads at the image below, and a reminder, this platform has articles going back weeks, so have a scan and read/watch/listen to whatever jumps out at you.
Let me know what caught your attention? Or share with me what has your attention now? There’s a lot going on, which means none of us can cover everything. Besides, it’s always great to get feedback so I know I’m delivering something of value.
Cheers
Andrea
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