I resolve to make mistakes and hope you will, too

As a new year begins, we have the chance to review what has happened in the past, and reflect on changes we want to implement in the days ahead. There were opportunities in the past to do things we chose not to do, things that involved risks we were afraid to take. What sets apart the people we admire are the risks they took.

To create change always involves risk.

Of course it doesn’t make sense to take any random risk. The risks you take must come from beliefs you have deep within you. Its like the inner pressure from your purpose grows and creates such a force that it bursts out as the action/risk you know you should take. Then you have to decide to do so, or not.

The high points in your life were the times you took risks. These risks may seem relatively small, but always have an impact. That act may have influenced someone in a way you will never know. Taking the risk will give you confidence to take more risks, and reward you in surprising ways.

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something”

― Neil Gaiman

What has been needed is a plan, and a strategy and the leadership to implement it. Young people have created the plan, the Green New Deal, and are providing the leadership to make it happen. The Sunrise Movement is the main organization working for the Green New Deal. They are taking the risks, including nonviolent civil disobedience in the halls of Congress.

The reason for dwelling on risk is because it is urgent today, this new year, that millions of us take risks to begin to heal Mother Earth before it is too late for future generations to survive. In the process we will create a better world for us all.

The risks we need you to take are not (necessarily) to be arrested, but to talk to your family, friends and neighbors. We really need to have our youth involved. They are the ones who have the passion and concern. It is their future we are fighting for. We need to spread the story of the Green New Deal, to build pressure on politicians at all levels of government to create and enact legislation to begin to build the Green New Deal.