Are you a responsible global citizen?
Nearly 25 years ago, my husband and I lived in Australia. We saved enough money to go explore the Great Barrier Reef. As we dove in the water, we were surrounded by coral, fish, and colors I’d never seen. It was one of the most magnificent things ever.
Fast forward to one year ago. We went back to the exact same place we visited all those years ago. We got into the water at the outer reef, where we’d been 25 years earlier, only to become heartbroken as we saw something else entirely. All of the beautiful coral was bleached white. The marine life was very few.
Global Warming – Yes or No?
Now, whether you believe in global warming or not is irrelevant. 46 scientists have said the bleaching of the Australian Barrier Reef is from heat waves created in the water. What we once knew as beautiful, colorful and full of life is now no more. Never again will generations after us get to embark upon the same experience.
We have a responsibility as global citizens to pay intentional attention to the planet on which we live. Now, maybe you are not about saving the planet. Maybe you don’t care about the oceans, but chances are you have an awareness of global attention. Many organizations have committed to prioritizing their surrounding communities. It could be that you want to pay specific attention to the community you serve.
As a speaker around the globe, I have chosen to take part in the National Speakers Association. This organization has created the National Speakers Association Foundation to help speakers in time of needs such as natural disasters, health issues and crises. What can you become a part of to help others, to help your community and to aid in the world around us?
Inspiring global attention
There are so many ways that we can easily be better global citizens with the resources we have. In 1987, Ian Conan was sailing around the world on a solo yacht race. One thing that got his attention was the amount of crazy pollution in the ocean. He came back to Australia and he decided to create Clean Up Australia Day. Now that very first day, I remember volunteering to clean up in my community. It seems crazy that you would get people to take a day off from work and clean up rubbish and trash. But it worked!
Fast forward today and you’ll find it still ongoing. Ian and Clean Up the World partnered with global alliances where 30 million people in 80 different countries participated in that very first year. One man’s vision just to start cleaning up the waterways became this ripple effect that has come across the planet.
I wonder if there’s one thing that you could do as a global citizen and start paying attention to. Maybe there’s one particular charity in your local community that your business would like to get behind. Maybe as an individual, there’s one particular passion you have for a charity where you could donate time in lieu of money.
We have a responsibility to take care of the planet that we are gifted with, to pay attention so that other people may enjoy it and their attention might be invested in these wonderful resources we have. I want to challenge you to become a conscious, intentional global citizen and pay attention to what matters around you.
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