WOSU 11/30/2009

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wosu/news.newsmain?action=section&SECTION_ID=4

During a recent meeting for one of my community projects I had a side conversation about the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference. As you might expect we talked about the environment and our little efforts to save it; turning off lights and such, and how the poor economy has added incentive. When I get together with friends and talk about saving money and energy it can often turn into preaching to the choir.

This time though my friend changed the conversation and asked, “How is your internal climate changing?”

How is my internal climate changing? I don’t even know what my internal climate is? I thought about these things for several days after our talk. I had no quick answer to this one.

Not having a quick answer was in fact a clue to how my internal climate had been changing.

You see, I have always been fairly – ok very – opinionated. In the past I have been quick to provide a response to any number of topics based on my pre-disposed opinion.

Changing that behavior hasn’t been easy, but it appears to be happening. The current structure of our society doesn’t help because we reward ourselves for quick answers and cemented opinions.

For example; prior to the last election, at one of the city council forums, this question was raised:

“Do you think global warming is a man made phenomenon?”

On the surface this seems like a totally valid question; one that might even have a clear yes or no answer. Give a “yes” or a “no” and you are guaranteed to put yourself on one side or the other of the global warming debate. The reward is that you are now in the exclusive group of people willing to answer that question the same way as yourself. Just maybe that group will clinch the votes you need to be elected.

Unfortunately, through the process of grouping ourselves – creating us’s and them’s – we build barriers to actually accomplishing anything. Instead of finding ways to make the world better for all we become more concerned with one-upping the other team.

That makes this reward hardly a reward at all.

Asking what our internal climate is or how it is changing isn’t so much about coming up with a good metaphorical retort; it is about forcing the mind to discover what is in the heart.

Over the past several days I’ve discovered that my heart desires me to move beyond asking questions that divide. While I may maintain my opinions about climate change it is my internal climate change that is telling me I want to discover the questions that lead to a stronger union between myself and others.

So now it’s your turn. As the world’s leaders meet to try and take action on global climate change, I ask you, “What is your internal climate change?”