I used to wonder if one person could make a difference. This wasn’t a philosophical exercise that I pondered in some detached way. For me, this question was more critical than that. I tried to ignore it by keeping busy with social events and classes (this was before I had my kids), but I couldn’t run from the nagging notion that there might be a bigger way to live my life. The possibility at least offered a promise that there could be meaningful work beyond my IBM cubicle, which had begun to close in on my like a cage. So in 2003, still without answers, I took the plunge and resigned from my job.
A steady paycheck wasn’t overrated in those days (or any day), so I don’t want to sound blasé about the decision. Leaving behind a good job to start over in sales was difficult on many levels. I had worked extremely hard to build a career in management consulting with a top firm. But I hadn’t done it for any more compelling reasons than to make money and have a title. Like any other ambitious person, I wanted to be somebody. Yet, in trying so hard to do so, I had become somebody else. I was more or less okay with this until my eyes began opening to what I might be missing.
I would come across quotes like, “Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all” by Helen Keller and “We must be the change we wish to see in the world” by Gandhi. I found myself drawn to the quotes, but confused by the people behind them. What could a blind and deaf woman and a downtrodden activist from India possibly teach me about life? Everything, it turned out. Helen Keller and Mahatma Gandhi knew their purpose. They knew how to lead others, to give hope, and to breathe life into people, places and projects. They taught me that one person can make a difference.
With that question now settled, I set about figuring out what I might contribute. Having my daughter in 2005 fueled my desire to find myself (that is such a hackneyed phrase, but like all clichés there is some truth to it). It wasn’t that hard to discover my purpose once I got quiet long enough to allow it. I would take my infant daughter to the Arboretum and write down ideas in a notepad. Tapping into my love for nature and wildlife conservation, I began by writing several nature-inspired children’s stories. Things grew from there. By the end of 2005 I had written a business plan for my company EarthPeople, a consulting a communications firm that would help clients of all sizes implement profitable sustainability strategies. I’ve been doing that every since.
Changes took place in my personal life, too. By 2007, my husband Mike and I had two children, and keeping them healthy became a priority. Understanding the dangers of pesticides, we started buying organic produce and green cleaning products. We had our new home built to Platinum LEED standards (this designation from the U.S. Green Building Council stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”) by local green builder Alan Hoffmann. I even transferred to a community church, White Rock United Methodist, so I could walk on occasion. Sustainable living became my passion.
Expressing my frustration that so many others still didn’t share my eco-enthusiasm, my friend said to me, “You know, Anna, there is only so much you can do.” A light went on when she said that. In that moment I realized that not only can one person make a difference, one word can make a difference. In this case, the word was “only.” Taking that out, I chose to hear, “You know, Anna, there is SO MUCH you can do.” From there I decided to write a book that would help people like me see the beauty and the benefits of green living. Green, American Style hits bookstore shelves on April 1. In it, readers can glean the many ways that sustainability can help them make a difference, beginning at home with their families and extending it out from there, just like I did.
I no longer question the power of one to make a difference. In fact, when we gather enough “ones” together, we garner the power to change the world. We’re doing this in Dallas with a group I’ve launched with my friend and fellow writer Karen Eubank. EcoTuesday is a national sustainable business networking organization. We meet on the last Tuesday of each month for fun and fellowship with other green-minded folks. I hope you’ll join us!
Anna M. Clark is president of EarthPeople and the author of Green, American Style. © 2010 Anna Clark. All rights reserved.
