We’ve all seen the meme, which gets more literal all the time. This is fine. Things may be on fire, but it’s fine.
Except, it’s not. The absurd graph below highlights where the earth’s temperatures are at this moment in history. Its absurdity is that it seems almost impossible to comprehend, given its scale, scope and severity. But that’s where we are in July 2023.
But this isn’t a post about the climate crisis; it’s about dealing with hope amid threat.
A Practitioner’s Role
There is a delicate balance in optimism and hope paired with the reality of a situation. I am hired to help people solve problems, address situations, see differently and show impact. All of this is meant to improve things and promote things. People I work with want hope. I help them find, cultivate, and give them reasons to continue.
I resist dwelling much on the threats they face and more on the opportunities that present themselves. Why? People are scared enough. I’ve never seen more uncertainty, concern, angst, and unease so widespread in my travels and encounters than I have this past year. These are uncertain times.
While prediction is folly, we can anticipate certain things will happen that are not what we want.
But within this, there’s opportunity. We might not be able to fix every problem or solve issues like climate change, but there are positive things we can do. Not all of this is just about preparing for the worst; it’s about making some things better. What’s so challenging is finding the places and spaces for these kinds of conversations while also being honest.
When interviewed for the House of Beautiful Business newsletter, environmental mediator and researcher Olivia Lazard spoke to the matter of positivity and realism in dealing with the climate crisis:
“We lose time, and the more time we lose, the less optimistic I can be when I speak in public. This is why many people who come and see me these days say, ‘Well, that was a bit of a bummer, wasn’t it?’ Yeah, it is! Deal with it!”
It is. And we have to deal with it.
At the same time, fear and the myriad feelings that come with the climate crisis (or the many other polycrises we face) don’t have a long life. We can’t operate out of fear for the long run. We will burn out. These feelings get us sparked and motivated in the short term, but they can’t endure.
This is where hope, optimism, creativity and curiosity come in. I believe it’s our role as practitioners to be the force that grounds people in these things because, without them, our uncertain future will become far more certain…of failure.
Positivity As A Force For Change
Being positive isn’t denying what’s happening. It’s much like cheerfulness: we can inspire others to feel better even when things aren’t great. As we know, feeling bad about something doesn’t provide a sustainable model for change without something else to drive us forward. That is hope. It’s positivity, and it’s about OPTIONS.
The two most dangerous people - to themselves and others — are those with everything to lose or nothing to lose. Positivity brings us options for the middle.
There’s no denying the effects of climate change, but there are things we can do to mitigate against it. There are things we can do to make the changed climate more hospitable. We also can create things that are altogether new to motivate us, inspire us and bring people together. Pragmatic optimism or fact-based optimism as Bruce Mau calls it draws on examples where we are doing things that benefit us and the planet, where we’ve made victories, and where we made a difference.
Whether it's the planet or your organization’s health, this is where positivity and hope can come in. I spent two years working with public health leaders who witnessed and endured many hardships, traumas, and stresses chronically and with little reprieve. We focused on what could be created for them to transition out of this. We looked at all the innovations that made the work more manageable (and could remain post-pandemic) and how it brought people together. This was finding positivity when people were still at a low ebb.
It has helped them move to the next phase because they are needed, and the work matters to those who do it. Finding positivity and designing systems that cultivate the best while acknowledging what’s happened and still being felt is that middle space between realism and optimism.
This also means taking the same approach to myself. This is challenging work, and it’s hard to remain positive sometimes, but questing for it and nurturing the best of what we can find can help. As practitioners, we need to take our own advice.
Optimism and hope may not solve all the problems, but they beat the alternative.