Here is a simple confession: I often need to remind myself that pain is found in the gap between the way things are and the way I want things to be. My frustration and suffering increases the more I want things to be different. The only way to lessen pain is to accept reality, welcome it as the truth of now, and let go of my personal agenda. Acceptance is the only way to open doors to clear-headed and creative action.
What is the implication of this simple confession?
The world is growing more complex, dangerous, intolerant, and uncertain. One week ago, sensors in Hawaii measured CO2 emissions at 400 ppm—a number well above 350 ppm (the level determined “safe” for humans) and a sobering milestone on the path toward 450 ppm (a state of certain planetary ruin). CO2 levels have not been this high in human history.
I see in reality there is little reason to hope things will make a turn for the better in my lifetime. If I fully acknowledge what is happening today—the fact that we are near or passed the tipping point and even now the cry for collective action is not heeded—then I step out of the cycle of hope and disappointment. I can relax knowing there is no rosy future for the generations of earth’s species alive today.
This truth is tough to accept but accept it I must. Acceptance is not giving up; it is a measure of maturity on the path to becoming more skillful. Acceptance is a quality of the Insight Environmentalist.
From a peaceful place of acceptance I find nourishment in the great beauty of the world in this moment. We are the generation that will witness the sixth massive extinction on the planet. Like being with the dying in hospice, this is a rare and precious opportunity. It is a time to honor life, celebrate the magnificence of creation, ease suffering as best we can, and accept loss.
With acceptance, the Insight Environmentalist also takes responsibility to act ethically on behalf of future generations. Our environmental advocacy is no longer driven by panicked urgency to save ourselves or our grandchildren. We aim to lay a foundation for a different way of being. We aspire to lighten suffering and help all humanity and the species of earth flourish—someday—anew.
