Take the First Step

Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who continues to inspire us today, not just in civil rights, but in general leadership, activism, change movements, non-violence, and has left us with many wonderful quotes that can be transferred to many areas of life.

One of his most famous quotes:

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take that first step.”

We all resist change. For most of us, taking the first step towards change is always the hardest. We are comforted by normalcy. The bigger the change, the harder the first step is. We are frightened to not know the outcome of change. We doubt ourselves and we overthink. But once the ice is broken and the first step is taken, the rest can fall into place more easily.

Take sustainable behavior change as an example. Most of us agree that behavior change is crucial to make a difference in a more sustainable life. We know there are things we can and should do better. But habits are hard to break. And our own individual actions are not going to stop climate change anyways, so why bother? But the thing is that one small change can lead to another. Not only in our own lives but others who see this also follow suit and make changes. And with each change made, the positive effects multiple. Collectively our changes can have a real impact.

It could start with something as small as turning off the lights when you leave the room. You do this at home. Do you do this at work when you leave a conference room or other space that is to be unoccupied? You start doing this after meetings. Then as you walk down the halls you may notice other unoccupied rooms with lights on. So you turn them off. Others notice this. Some are annoyed but most think it’s a pretty good idea and start doing it too. Before you know it you have created an office culture where turning the lights off is the norm and those who forget are reminded (hopefully politely). This change ends up saving energy in your building and then other energy saving habits start to form as well. People are unplugging unused electronics, changing their computer settings, add being more conscious of keeping the building temperature more conservative. It adds up to a real savings each month!

So today we challenge you to take the first step in whatever your goal may be. Just do it and see where it leads!

Happy MLK Day! Thank you, Dr. King for your contributions and inspiration!

By Amy Kadrie, Sustainability Coordinator