These are the words of the fifteen-year-old Greta Thunberg, the young woman who has captured the world’s spotlight with her protest on the steps of the Swedish parliament building for the past month. Her demands; a radical change of government policy to help reverse the trends of climate change.
While you may not agree with her cause, you cannot help but admire her gumption and commitment to the cause she believes in.
Eight things that strengthen this moral duty
Sometimes the world makes so little sense we convince ourselves there is nothing we can do to help it, but the opposite is true. Each one of us can alter the conditions and influence the people around us and the sum of these individual efforts changes the world. Greta’s challenge to accept our moral responsibility brings to mind the eight important layers that make put the foundation of her belief,
1) We were born with a purpose that helps create a greater good and the main reason for our existence is to find it.
2) A Higher Consciousness gave us our life experiences to teach us important life lessons and grow to become more discerning about our choices.
3) One cannot make things better if you don’t value yourself and others
4) Every person was born with all the tools they need to handle the life challenges that come their way.
5) Another part of our mission is to be joyful about life and to add to the delight and abundance to the experiences of others.
6) You have the right to stand up for what you believe.
7) We can only create a better world through kindness, generosity, acceptance and peacefulness.
8) The outcomes of hatred, revenge and violence are death and destruction.
These things are key to our fulfillment, enlightenment and joy.
The value of consequences
Greta’s parents are handling the situation well. Although they agree with her right to protest, they could not support her skipping school to sit at the steps of parliament. They required their daughter to maintain her grades if she wanted to continue exercising her right to speak truth to power. Greta adjusted, she now goes to school four days a week and spends Friday’s trying to get the attention of her elected officials.
Consequences are an important part of life. They help to define the value of our actions. Without personal cost, taking action is easy, but our commitment to a cause is born when we understand the sacrifice and still pursue that ideal. The parents taught their daughter a great lesson about duty to her moral obligation
Conclusion
It is heartwarming to see this young woman already in touch with her true calling. I took until my forties to understand what she already knows at fifteen years of age. She gives me hope for the future of our world and our species. In these times of darkness, it is important to remember that all is not lost.
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