On Being Small and Powerful

Earlier this week I received my Surfrider Foundation monthly Making Waves issue and was struck by the simplicity and timeliness of the editorial.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Surfrider Foundation, I will just provide some excerpts from their Mission Statement and Foundation Principles page:

SURFRIDER recognizes the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the planet's coasts are necessary and irreplaceable. SURFRIDER is committed to preserving natural living and non-living diversity and ecological integrity of the coastal environment.

SURFRIDER believes environmental education is essential to the future health and well- being of the planet. SURFRIDER seeks to develop and utilize educational materials that are informative, factual, proactive, synergistic and fun.

SURFRIDER strives to be accurate and nonpartisan in its communications with its members and the general public. In addition, SURFRIDER will express the unique values inherent in wave-riding — individualism, camaraderie, non materialism, and an appreciation for human kind's historic relations with the Ocean.

SURFRIDER is a grassroots organization, effective through the participation of its members. SURFRIDER activities emphasize the value of an involved membership.

SURFRIDER will not permit sponsors to divert the Foundation from its mission or projects undertaken.

Anyone who has a love for the ocean or an appreciation for the preservation and protection of our natural resources, I encourage you visit the Surfrider website and assess whether their efforts to protect the world's oceans is worthy of your support.

Now, back to the editorial...

People have to come to terms with one fact of life. If one is unhappy / dissatisfied / uncomfortable / etc. with ones situation, is it ultimately up to the individual to analysze the situation and make a choice as to whether there should be any action taken to change the situation or accept it as what it is.

There are those who like to complain. Either they see a futility in the situation, because they feel there are no options for changing the situation, or it is a preferred method of getting attention from others.

There are those who expect others to take care of the situation for them. You know, taking care of something takes work! Some don't want to work. Maybe it's not about the work but about the responsibility they will assume. Taking action means taking responsibility.

There are those who refuse to acknowledge the situation in the first place. Either they are afraid of confirming the reality behind their situation or concerned about the ramifications of having acknowledged the situation at all.

There are many more reasons for not DOing anything about a situation which one knows is just not right. And many will live a life less than what it could POTENTIALLY BE.

Then, there are those who see this life as something meaningful. Life is made up of each individual moment, each decision, each action or inaction of every one of us on this planet.

From the editorial, for those who see life as an opportunity to grow individually and collectively:

Ever feel like you're not getting anywhere no matter how hard you try, or that everything is going wrong in the world? Well do not fret, for everything you do affects the whole, and it doesn't work proportionately. Just as a butterfly flapping its wings in one hemisphere can effect a hurricane in another, one sincere gesture on your end can have positive consequences of geometrical proportions. So don't ever give up.

So yes, as one individual changes, the entire system changes. You never know when you are going to be the tipping point.

I'm small and I know it and it's great news. Every time I stand at the water's edge and a wave races up and embraces my feet, it's a trip. I think one of the most tragic things of all is how we cheat ourselves of the present moment, of the small moment.

Make the small moments count.

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