[Image: A Smallholder Farmer in PNG | © Fairtrade ]
After spending the best part of the last 5 years focusing solely on Climate Change, earlier this year I found myself stepping back a little and looking at (and working on) some of the other challenges we humans are facing.
That's not to say a considerable amount of my time isn't still spent on climate change - it is - but I know myself well enough now to realise that I also need to spend time trying to help fix other issues.
Part of this personal shift reflects the reality of how pervasive the impacts of climate change have already become, the other part reflects my realisation that the skills I've picked up on the journey are (hopefully) useful for helping address a range of issues.
Since I started this journey to find a way I could play my part in making the world just a little bit better, I've realised that it's not just about the issue I focus on, but also how I best use these skills I have.
Given I've been fortunate enough to work across a range of disciplines in a number of different sectors over the past 20 years, I now have a breadth of experience that I'm finding deeply motivating to use to help individuals and organisations change their world for the better.
I'm also not getting any younger (!) and know all too well that we have but a short time to make a difference. Adds a little bit of healthy urgency to the doing of the work I'm taking on!
So far this work has included helping indigenous Australians, looking for ways to accelerate sustainable tourism in the Coral Triangle, reducing homelessness and providing guidance to a number of Cleantech companies. It has at times been unbelievably exhausting - both intellectually and emotionally - but at all times inspiring. Some of the people I've worked alongside are true leaders in their field, as well as being humbly inspirational. It's always mattered to me who I work with as well as what I do - now it finally feels as though I have full control over both those aspects of my livelihood. And it's not something I ever want to lose if I can help it!
I can't actually believe it's only been 6 months since I started down this new path. Here's looking forward to the second half of my first year running solo!
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