Think Big

Resilience: the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

Last month I was politely asked to speak on community resilience at the EcoExpo in Leesburg. I accepted and quickly thought what have I gotten myself into. I had an inkling of what constituted resilience however the more I Googled it, the more I realized resilience is a close cousin to sustainability which is not only my subject of purpose, it is also the mantra of our times. 

Tribes are in our nature.

Over 30,000 years ago, families came together to form tribes. What made these tribes resilient in the face of survival was individual genius. I use genius loosely here since early humans were not known as being Einstein-like. Their genius signified a survival trait above and beyond the norm, i.e. speed, agility, leadership and even trapping. Working together collectively, the woolly mammoth was taken down. We allowed and accepted the genius in every one of us to shine for the good of all. 

Fast-forward to today, and the woolly mammoth is us. We are fighting ourselves instead of working together. We are tearing each other down rather than forming bonds and alliances for the betterment of humanity. 

The metaphorical table has become vacant. We have found refuse in our own echo chambers, solace in hearing only affirmations, critical thinking practically outlawed and common sense ignored. 

Let’s Come Together

Let’s invite unlike minded geniuses to the table to break bread with for a chance to add to the solution not subtract. What a concept – getting everyone in the room and celebrating our differences? We just might see our own genius in others. Can we bring down the wooly mammoth again? 

From small businesses to non-profits to healthcare providers to charity to faith-based organizations to government service, all can be served at the table of conversation, because the best solutions are not right or left, blue or red. The best solutions are when everyone is invited to bring their genius to the table, when everyone listens to each other and not just themselves, when everyone contributes what they can, and when everyone is welcome. 

By getting back to our ancestorial roots, we can overcome the challenges we face today. By working in unison, we can self-sustain, and by capturing the imagination of others by leading with intentionality, we can become a community emulated by others. This is what made us tough and bounce back from our most recent pandemic. Let’s Think Big!

To eliminate the petty disagreements, the decisions of short-sightedness, the ego-driven ways, we can tackle the issues of our time by thinking big. When we set the table for others, poverty, homelessness, human trafficking, hunger, mental health begin to be issues of our past. I’m not saying this is easy. I am saying the road to finding the solutions of today begins with us.    

Our unified efforts put us on the cusp of real change. If we find the fortitude to acknowledge the genius in each other, invite all to the table, and think big, real change is attainable. 

Why embody resistance when we can BE resilient? Then and only then does our unified resilience become our beacon for others.

Farmer Banks for Florida House