~ Reflections on Gratitude to Everyone Working on Positive Social Change ~
"Real change, enduring change,
happens one step at a time."
– Ruth Bader Ginsburg
On September 18, the US lost a giant - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG). Her diminutive physical appearance belied her stature as a jurist, a feminist, and above all, a woman who cared deeply about the suffering of others. Social and political commentators have articulated her qualities and achievements far better than I could, so instead I simply want to offer my heartfelt gratitude to her and to everyone working on positive social change. This includes other luminaries such as Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, MLK Jr. and countless others, the social movements they were part of, as well as individuals working to heal their own culturally ingrained prejudices and biases.
At a collective level, social movements and their leaders have been the most important force for advancing positive change ever since Roman plebeians rose up against their masters in the fifth century BCE. They work because ordinary people – like you and me – are the ultimate source of power in any society. When we exercise our collective muscle, change happens - even if it takes a while. As Martin Luther King Jr. said “the arc of the moral universe…bends towards justice” and although the arc still has a lot of bending to do, social movements have achieved an enormous amount and I am profoundly grateful to them.
But at a fundamental level, all social problems originate in the human mind and specifically in our core beliefs about self, others and the world. Deeply rooted and pernicious mental models about white supremacy, human exceptionalism, male superiority and other aspects of human experience determine how we think, what we say and how we act. As Gandhi said:
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
So making the world a better place requires us to root out our individual prejudices and biases. Unless we can become kinder, gentler and more loving, it’s unlikely that the world will change much in that direction. We need to end the violence inside ourselves in order to end the violence in the external world. Both forms of change are necessary. Lasting social change depends on individual change and individual change is depends on social conditions. In other words, individuals influence society and society influences individuals.
Some say that individual actions cannot accomplish significant social change. I beg to differ. And RBG's life is a recent example of the difference one person can make. Not only was she a force to be reckoned with the courtroom, she represented the best qualities of being human - kindness, generosity, humor, integrity and grace.
But even if we are not all in positions of power, as she was, we can still do our best to model behavior that we would like to see in the world. If we believe in honesty, fairness and respect then our thoughts, words and deeds should reflect them. This is what moral integrity is all about. And it is essential on the spiritual journey, regardless of the results of our actions.
So today I am grateful for the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and other social luminaries, social movements working for positive change, and everyone who is doing what they can – collectively and personally - to create a peaceful, just and sustainable world.
I’ll leave you with another quote from RBG:
"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you."
At a collective level, social movements and their leaders have been the most important force for advancing positive change ever since Roman plebeians rose up against their masters in the fifth century BCE. They work because ordinary people – like you and me – are the ultimate source of power in any society. When we exercise our collective muscle, change happens - even if it takes a while. As Martin Luther King Jr. said “the arc of the moral universe…bends towards justice” and although the arc still has a lot of bending to do, social movements have achieved an enormous amount and I am profoundly grateful to them.
But at a fundamental level, all social problems originate in the human mind and specifically in our core beliefs about self, others and the world. Deeply rooted and pernicious mental models about white supremacy, human exceptionalism, male superiority and other aspects of human experience determine how we think, what we say and how we act. As Gandhi said:
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
So making the world a better place requires us to root out our individual prejudices and biases. Unless we can become kinder, gentler and more loving, it’s unlikely that the world will change much in that direction. We need to end the violence inside ourselves in order to end the violence in the external world. Both forms of change are necessary. Lasting social change depends on individual change and individual change is depends on social conditions. In other words, individuals influence society and society influences individuals.
Some say that individual actions cannot accomplish significant social change. I beg to differ. And RBG's life is a recent example of the difference one person can make. Not only was she a force to be reckoned with the courtroom, she represented the best qualities of being human - kindness, generosity, humor, integrity and grace.
But even if we are not all in positions of power, as she was, we can still do our best to model behavior that we would like to see in the world. If we believe in honesty, fairness and respect then our thoughts, words and deeds should reflect them. This is what moral integrity is all about. And it is essential on the spiritual journey, regardless of the results of our actions.
So today I am grateful for the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and other social luminaries, social movements working for positive change, and everyone who is doing what they can – collectively and personally - to create a peaceful, just and sustainable world.
I’ll leave you with another quote from RBG:
"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you."