We Take on the Big Complex Intimidating Issues We Face in Our World
– “We Play Large”
“I refuse to be intimidated by the big tough complex challenges we face in our world. I commit to facing these challenges directly and acting from my “larger self” to contribute my gifts in large or small ways. I will not be intimidated by the lack of obvious solutions and will draw upon and model the behaviors of those who founded the United States and those who persevered over the last 250 years to fully realize the vision for all Americans.”
What's Here
#1 The Challenges We Face
#2 Why This is Such a Tough Challenge
#3 The Challenge of Choosing/Committing
#4 Four Core Strategies – Common Across the Challenges
#5 Basic Categories of Possible Citizen Actions
Added to the challenge to protect and improve our democratic processes and institutions is a set of challenges that we face in our world that are big, complex, and intimidating. These are challenges that do not have evident answers in the beginning and for which there is no historical precedent. There is no history of success or certainty of future success on which to rely.
So, the path to success with these issues is unknown and we will often feel small in the face of these challenges. They naturally require us to go outside of our comfort zones to take them on. But that is what we are called to do now.
As in the case of protecting and improving our democracy, these are challenges that require committed individual engagement and also collective alignment – as well as effort maintained over an extended period of time. This is the reason that “ordinary” is not good enough and we have to model true American greatness to be successful.
Note. With the exception #1 The Challenges We Face below, all of the sections also relate to actions to protect and improve our democracy.
#1 The Challenges We Face
Most of these issues are focused specifically on the United States, but some are global. For example:
- We take on comprehensive immigration reform
- We take on the economic revitalization of rural America
- We take on closing wage and wealth disparities
- We continue to counter racism as well as recover from the consequences of our treatment of our native populations
- We build our solidarity and minimize socio/political polarization and the alienation that increasingly affects us
- We take on the challenges of rapidly developing AI and its impact
- We ensure the basics for people – food security, housing, equitable cost-effective healthcare, education, safe communities, etc.
- We respect our diversity of political and social beliefs and use it to creatively deal with the new challenges constantly thrown at us – together
- We take on climate change and deal with the various impacts
- We hold the line against terrorism and aggressive authoritarian regimes that threaten America and the American experiment
#2 Why This is Such a Tough Challenge
These are challenges that do not have evident answers at the beginning and for which there is no historical precedent. There is no certainty of success on which to rely. These challenges are even hard to define effectively, and they evolve as we deal with them. The path to success is also guaranteed to be uneven – a rollercoaster – with ups and downs, successes and failures, confidence and anxiety, discoveries and uncertainties. In fact it will be a journey, not a project.
Each of these issues is tough enough on its own. Taken together they present a daunting challenge, even though none of us will pursue all of them. It’s still a daunting array.
These big, tough, complex issues require committed individual engagement and also collective alignment and effort – maintained over an extended period of time. This is the reason that “ordinary” is not good enough and we have to act from our “larger selves” to be successful.
#3 The Challenge of Choosing/Committing
Part of what makes committing to action such an intimidating challenge is that there are so many of these challenges and they are all different and require different solution sets. No one can take them all on and there is no common set of solutions that can be customized to fit. We can play different roles and make different contributions to some of these, whole set of big, tough, complex challenges is beyond any of us.
And yet, success comes down to our individual willingness to truly commit ourselves to thoughtful sustained action. Commitment can be defined in several ways, for example:
- “To pledge oneself to a course of action.”
- “To carry into action deliberately.”
And Jean-Paul Sartre said:
- “Commitment is an act, not a word”
various ways to multiple challenges and increase our commitment as we find the best ways to contribute. The key is to get off the sidelines, commit to action, and then “find our way” as we go.
#4 Four Core Strategies - Common Across the Challenges
Despite the variation across issues, there are a few common strategies that we can employ regardless of which challenges we commit to.
These strategies require a good deal of thought and exploration and often involve engaging with others. They almost always require going outside our comfort zones to some degree, but that’s where we make things happen and grow in the process.
1. We learn about the big tough issues we face and what can be done about them. This can feel overwhelming, but the more we know, the more evident possible individual – and collective – actions become.
The amount of learning required is one big reason why it’s a trap to try to take on too many of the big tough issues and why we need to pick a couple and focus our actions on them. There is a lot to learn about each of the big tough challenges we face.
And we need to remember that the actions required to become educated about these issues are part of our contribution to the solutions. It’s not just “prep” or “getting ready.” It’s required committed action, and it is part of the solution.
2. We make the individual contributions we can make. Joining with others to promote systemic change is one approach we can take. We can also focus on what we can do individually. This can range from contributing financially, volunteering, and using our networks, to simply joining organizations, using our positions in organizations, and championing issues with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. Despite the systemic nature of these issues, our individual actions are highly significant.
3. We join with others and take part in the advocacy process for the big tough issues we engage with. There are lots of roles in the advocacy process that we can play – lots of ways to contribute. We don’t need to be professional advocates.
We do, however, need to support the advocacy processes to generate systemic change. One benefit of being part of the advocacy process is that there are a lot of opportunities to be engaged with others, which can be very supportive. This is deceptively important.
4. We act from our “larger selves” and a sense of significance. This starts with the realization – and acceptance – that we matter. We are significant. What we do matters. We don’t need to solve these issues – we can’t. But we do need to be off the sidelines and contributing what we can contribute. We can start small, but we need to “be in the game.”
And that means acting from our “larger selves.” It means drawing on our values, our courage, our ability to persevere, our resilience, and the competencies that we have developed over a lifetime. It means acting large even if we feel small. If we look, we will find what we need, although we will probably be outside our normal comfort zones.
There will always be a pull to retreat and to act from our smaller selves – our sense of impotence in the face of tough reality, our desire to be taken care of, our desire to blame others and nurse grievances, acting from fear and anger, etc. That pull is natural, and we are challenged to acknowledge it and then say, “No, I’m acting from my larger self.”
“Let no one be discouraged by the belief that there is nothing
one manor one woman can do against the enormous
array of the world’s ills — against misery and ignorance,
injustice, and violence… Few will have the greatness
to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change
a small portion of events, and in the total of all those
acts will be written the history of this generation.
It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and
belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man
(or a woman) stands up for an ideal,
or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes
out against injustice, he (or she or they) sends a tiny
ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million
different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build
a current which can sweep down the mightiest
walls of oppression and resistance.”
Robert Francis Kennedy speech at
Day of Affirmation,
University of Capetown, South Africa
#5 Basic Categories of Possible Citizen Actions
There are a surprising number of actions that individuals can take to the big tough challenges we face in our world. Most of us model many of those actions already but we can significantly increase our impact simply be being very intentional about the roles we play.
The key is to take a number of actions that are not too much of a stretch (some stretch is good) and then keep increasing the actions taken as we gain experience. There are a lot of actions that we can take as citizens right now. So, the problem isn’t a lack of actions that we can take. The challenge is to not be intimidated by how many possible actions there are and choose which to take – now.
These are Only Examples to Stimulate Thinking and Action
They are not prescriptive – not saying “you should do this.” There is no “right profile” of actions to take Some examples are more specific than others. These are just examples. Many more actions are possible.
- We Can Make Connections
We have connections to others – individuals, family, groups, organizations and networks. Those connections may be face-to-face, digital, etc. They may be connections to funding or political influence with individuals or groups. They may be connections to journalists, individuals or groups with information or data, or specific groups in a community, such as police or faith communities. - We Can Donate Money
Money matters because it makes things happen. We can’t fund everything, but we can choose where we want our money to go. We can do some research to ensure that our money will be likely to result in desired outcomes and follow up to ensure performance. WE can donate individually or recruit others to donate with us. - We Can Volunteer
We have professional and personal capabilities. Volunteering where our capabilities match need can be a major contribution. There is an extraordinary range of capabilities that can make a difference – from fundraising and senior administrative
or clerical support, to providing childcare, transportation, publicity, or serving in voluntary roles. There is a broad range of need and a broad range of capabilities. Finding the fit is the key and that may take some effort.
Note. When we volunteer we make sure to leave “I’m just a volunteer” at the door.
We bring the same commitment and professionalism that we would for a highly paid
position. And, if the organization doesn’t take volunteers seriously, then we
challenge them or move on.
- We Can Be a Role Model and Encourage Others to Act
Our actions speak and people are watching and listening. Consciously modeling the qualities of an effective citizen can be surprisingly powerful. Our actions say, “this is what I value and what I believe in and what I will champion.” It also says, “we are significant as citizens, and I invite you to join me.” By role modeling we are also demonstrating to others that the behavior we choose to model is possible for others. - We Can Set or Influence Policy
This obviously applies to people in roles that can set policy, but policy can be set in many settings – from a home and neighborhood to organizations, companies, and communities. Policy can be set with others. And we can influence policy even if we don’t have full authority to set it.
- We Can Be Part of the Advocacy Process
This is surprisingly important. Advocacy is often key in making the desired systemic changes, yet most of us don’t see ourselves as “advocates.” An effective advocacy process requires a surprising number of people with complementary skills and experience. We don’t need to be a high profile “advocate” in those settings. We can make a difference by playing a role(s) that fits our capabilities and experience and the needs of the advocacy process.
- We Can Hold Public Officials Accountable
There is no single action that is “the answer” in holding people accountable and this often requires working with or supporting others. But there are some specific actions that you can take- individually or collectively – that add up. For example, we can work to get officials elected or appointed that stand for our values and beliefs. We can let them know where we stand on issues and what we expect of them. We can support accountable officials in various ways (donating, volunteering, etc.). We can also support organizations and officials with the responsibility of holding government bodies and officials accountable (from watchdogs to inspector generals). - We Can Be Active in Organizations
We can join organizations working to take on the big tough challenge. We can start such an organization. We can help organizations form coalitions, advocate together, etc. We can advocate and/or protest with organizations. We can bring others with us to the organizations. - We Can Counter Polarization and Build Solidarity
For some of the challenges we face, this is critical. For some it is just important. We can get outside our bubble/echo chamber – outside our comfort zone – and expand our understanding, appreciation, and connection to “others” – those “not like us.” We can seek out others with differing viewpoints and life experiences, be disciplined in understanding multiple points of view, challenge misinformation, and “seek first to understand before being understood.”