credit: bizarrocomic.blogspot.com |
Life goes on day by day with the realities of the world being shrouded with a heavy fog for many who choose to remain so. Sustainable/simple living remains outside the fog in the minds of many people still stuck in their current reality.
But how do we help to change people’s world view and assist them in removing the veil over their eyes?
Well let me try and explain how I do this on a regular basis with an analogy.
Imagine that there are only two TV channels available in your area.
You are watching the “real reality” channel, while those around you are watching the “seriously head-stuck-in-the-sand” channel. You really feel tempted to simply ask them to get off the couch and change channels.
However you need to do this in such a way as not to criticize that person’s current beliefs or perspectives, because you know it would be counterproductive.
What you will need to do is talk to them at their level, knowing that they are watching that “seriously sandy” channel. Don’t belittle. It turns peoples minds off straight away.
Instead, be enthusiastic when you talk about the things that you do, or the behaviours you have ingrained in your life.
If the conversation on the “seriously head-stuck-in-the-sand” channel is regularly about football or shopping for shoes, then begin to start your own conversations about food gardening, generating your own electricity, your lack of utility bills, or even your favourite fruit tree or chicken.
You will soon find that a few interested people with begin to watch the “real reality” channel occasionally and start to enjoy this new channel. The more interesting conversations that occur, the more people begin to watch, little by little.
As the presenter of your local “real reality” channel, be mindful that your viewers are beginners. Start with basic content, and build it up. Don’t go headlong into climate chaos and peak oil just yet. If your channel starts running this stuff too early, you will lose half your viewers in a heartbeat.
So slowly does it. With any pop-culture TV show, it must remain interesting and relevant. Within a few months your “real reality” channel will become a talking point, and most people will know where it is on the dial. If someone asks a question about backyard chickens to another, they point them to the “real reality” channel by word of mouth.
This is when you know that your channel is being watched regularly with enthusiasm. As with everything in life you will quickly find avant “reality” channel watchers come out of the woodwork!
Hopefully, this analogy and post has struck a chord with many of you who already watch the reality channel.
Let me know if you have had similar experiences helping people to change channels.