Lost in the Sauce
I have a problem. I’m guessing many of you have the same problem. I get lost in the sauce. Not the Urban Dictionary or wikiHow kind of “lost in the sauce” (that’s something else entirely), but the original kind: being confused, distracted, or overwhelmed by details, emotions, or circumstances, and therefore failing to focus on what’s important. I think a lot of us get lost in the sustainability sauce.
I care about nature, I care about health, I care about the future state of life on the planet, and that encompasses a lot of things. I want us all to have clean water, clean air, abundant natural resources, beautiful wild spaces, nutritious food, and a variety of plants and animals to enjoy and share the planet with. It’s all important. And there are so many ways that our behavior jeopardizes those things. Between overconsumption, water pollution, landfill toxicity, greenhouse gas emissions, pesticides on food, corporate indifference, government failures, and on and on, it’s hard to know where to focus.
Every day I get lots of interesting emails and newsletters with links to articles about the good and bad things that are happening in the world of sustainability. They’re all interesting. Many of them are calls to action (honestly, all of them feel to me like calls to action). I know I can’t to everything, so I’m always wondering, “What is the most important thing to do to make things better?” But I’ve decided that’s the wrong question. The right question is, “What am I really good at and passionate about that can make a difference?” All those other things? There are other people who are better at them than I am and have the passion to carry them through the tough parts.
These thoughts bring me back, full circle, to one of my early inspirations in sustainability – Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and her Venn Diagram. If you don’t know AEJ yet, you should. She is a brilliant marine biologist, founder of the Urban Ocean Lab, author, blogger, and so much more. She’s probably best known for her two best-selling books on the state of the planet, All We Can Save and What if We Get It Right? (Scroll down at this link for the other book.)
But back to the Venn Diagram. It’s a simple tool for pulling us out of the sustainability sauce:
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s Climate Action Venn Diagram
AEJ’s version of the diagram focuses on climate action, but it works for any kind of environmental sustainability action. Identify what brings you joy, what you’re good at, and what needs doing. Where they overlap – that’s your focus. (And if you don’t know what needs doing, check out all the links on this website!)
Do it. Go to the link and download AEJ’s Venn Diagram or just draw it on your whiteboard or a piece of paper. Even if you’re already in your sweet spot and doing your thing for life on the planet, keep this tool in mind. You won’t be doing the same thing forever, and you don’t want to get lost in the sauce.
Remember – we’re all in this together. Find your sweet spot.