Is there really any hope?

It is easy to look into the future, and despair. Daily posts in our newsfeeds about the polycrisis – climate change, biodiversity loss, plastic pollution, deforestation, and more – can seem overwhelming. Little action from our leaders and little change in the behavior of business and consumers can make it appear we’re on the road to ruin.

There appears to be little hope for the future of our society and this planet.

But I remain hopeful that change can occur.

Why?

I don’t have a definitive answer to the polycrisis.

Indeed, I believe no one does and I disagree with anyone who says they do. But I do believe we all have part of the answer and together we can find the complete answer.

I view the future as a range of possibilities, some more likely than others, some more desirable than others. And a small change in direction as we travel towards the answer could radically change the outcome.

So where does my optimism come from that we can find the answer? How can I remain optimistic with all this doom and gloom that we receive in our newsfeeds every day.

There are many reasons, but here I just want to focus on one, - stories of hope.

The story of humanity is one of man overcoming adversity. And adversity comes in many forms.

In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set out with a crew for Antarctica. Even after their ship, The Endurance, was crushed by the Antarctic ice and with no chance of rescue, Shackleton and his crew never gave up. They kept on moving forward across the ice.

Eventually, in 1916, they were able to reach Elephant Island, just off the coast of Antarctica. From their Shackleton with five handpicked men made the dangerous crossing to the island of South Georgia, where he was able to organize the rescue of the rest of the Endurance’s crew.

After the loss of The Endurance the chance of success for Shackleton and his crew was minimal. But the men never gave up and against the odds they succeeded.

The Lord of the Rings (I’m referring loosely to both the book and the film) is an epic tale of hope. One where the characters had little hope of success but still, they embarked on and remained true to the ultimate quest, even when faced with setbacks. Even after the Fellowship broke up.

And though success may have seemed small, they ultimately succeeded. I know it’s a fictional story, but Tolkien served on the Western Front during the First World War. He witnessed both the hope and despair of the men fighting on the frontline as the war dragged on, and his experiences informed his writing of the book.

It’s stories like these that taught me that often we will not know the answer until after we set off. Often, the journey is the only way to discovering the answer, and yes there will be setbacks. But sometimes there will be discoveries we could only have made because we were on the journey looking for the answer.

These stories, both real and fictional, show us that humans are highly adaptable animals and can overcome difficulties that can seem impossible. There is never any guarantee of success, but success remains possible so long as we keep striving for it. Failure is guaranteed if we stop.

And so, it is with my current situation. A year ago, I set out on a journey to follow my dream to be a “sustainability writer.” Things haven’t gone completely to plan, and now for the time being, I will have to go back to 9-5, working for a ‘business as usual’ company.

But that doesn’t mean I’ve lost hope on my writing dream. Far from it. I believe I have learnt a lot and have too much to offer. I just have to make some adjustments while I reevaluate my niche and ideal client and continue to build up my reputation.

[Incidentally, if you think that you or someone you know could use my skills and expertise, then please reach out to me, or pass on my details. It’s never too late.]

I currently have no idea how the next few months will pan out, but I will keep moving forward. My posts and messaging might become a bit irregular or delayed at times, but I am determined to keep providing the information you have come to expect from me.

And for those of you who I have already commitments with, nothing has changed.

Would you like to work with me? Then please feel free to reach out to me.

That’s the point I want to make about tackling the polycrisis. Sometimes, things don’t go as planned. Sometimes there will be setbacks. But you don’t know how it’s going to turn out, and so long as you continue to move forward, even if at times it feels you’re not making progress, hope of success will remain.

Hope remains because nothing in the future is certain. It is a set of probabilities and all we must do is just try to steer society to the most desirable.