I want to share a secret.

Maybe you know it already.

But if not, I’m going to give it to you, gently. This gentle approach is relatively new for me, but I am loving it. Historically I have often lacked tact, diplomacy and refinement. I now know that being gentle with our fellow humans, our kin, is the most beautiful way to live. This 48-year-old climate child is still growing up- we are never done growing up.

So here I go, here is a secret and I don’t mind what you do with it. But if you could be gentle, I would appreciate it.

My secret is that on the other side of your fear, is freedom.

How do I know?

Because other people told me it was true and then my greatest fears happened to me and then boom: I was free…

When I lost the people I was scared of losing I was free to become completely me and to become a better person, mother, friend and climate child.

After years of betrayal, disrespect and unkindness from those I loved the most I went within and made peace with myself and created a new life that I started from scratch. When my fears became reality, I began living a life that I am proud of for the first time in my life without fear of disapproval, scorn and discouragement. It felt oxymoronic and counter-intuitive, but it was where I was able to start living authentically, ethically and peacefully.

I believe our fears and anxieties are are communicators.  Many people avoid this wisdom rather than listening and learning from it. Most people ignore the messages, rather than gently engage and be curious about their fears and anxieties.

The climate crisis is something that scares many people. It is my belief that existential threats such as this, provide us with an opportunity to look at our relationship with living more deeply.

As Mary Oliver so beautifully wrote:

“Tell me, what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life.”

If you let go of our fear of death and terrible things happening to you; how would you choose to live?

How would you live if you didn’t fear your parents disapproving?

How would you behave and do things if you weren’t worried about losing your job?

What would you do for the environment and the climate if you didn’t worry about what the neighbours would say about your garden?

Sometimes ruining your ‘reputation’ and doing things differently is what leads to your freedom.

Climate activists and campaigners are often accused of being alarmist by presenting the science and demanding change to avert complete climate breakdown. I am not primarily focused on raising the alarm, that has been happening for a long time now. But I am curious to how we can all live well and push for change at the same time. I believe both things are possible…  

I believe we must not only face the fear of the climate crisis. But embrace it and use it to fuel the best life possible. That might sound absurd, especially to people who avoid discomfort. But I know it is the only way to live the best life possible.

The main problem that I see is that few people are brave enough to become free and face their fears. Too many people on this planet at this time are comfortable and complicit in their own capture, imprisonment and planetary destruction. Most people seem to like their masters and are too congenial to demand better. Freedom is divine, but most people are too comfortable and scared to understand that their fear is showing them where they are imprisoned.   

“The secret to happiness is freedom, the secret to freedom is courage.” Carrie Jones