Monday Motivation: It’s About Progression, Not Perfection

Monday Motivation, Inspirational Ideas to Change the Globe For the Better

Although “urgent” was the word of the day, the last person I heard speak at New York City’s premier conference, Daniel Humm of Rethink Food, reminded the audience filled with global change ambassadors that “progress is more important than perfection,” when it came to action.

The stunning Glasshouse venue on Manhattan’s Westside Highway overlooking the Hudson housed the most thought-provoking conference I’ve ever attended. Global Citizen Now, in its second year of existence, convened the brightest minds and leading voices across all spheres of society, from world leaders to grassroots activists, to create a powerful cross-sector collaboration to solve urgent issues facing humanity and our planet.

Even though I saw the lineup of speakers before going, I didn’t realize the audience size would be so intimate with awe-inspiring special guests, making me wonder how I got to be so lucky to be chosen to attend. I literally had a second-row seat to these leading minds, stars, and politicians talking about their area of passion, alongside a woman I gifted my second ticket

I’m trying to choose the proper descriptions to paint a picture and soundtrack of all the information that was shared so passionately by thirty speakers including the President of France Emmanuel Macron who appeared live on a screen from his country sharing with the audience goals on climate change, poverty, and support of less rich countries to help them make a difference in urgent global needs. He didn’t have to be in person to understand his commitment to the event and its purpose.

Following his speech, a majority of the conference was made up of mini-panels of experts, stars, and leading authorities in critical issues that Global Citizen has deemed necessary to support and solve including ending poverty, climate change, women and girls equality, voting rights, eating plant-based meals, buying from woman-owned businesses, supporting a woman’s right to choose, providing menstrual supplies to women globally, how the advancement of Artificial Intelligence will affect our future and more. My mind exploded with a thought during every panel.

Staying true to their word, the conference provided attendees with beautiful glass water bottles with bamboo tops to fill up with mint and cucumber-infused water, reuse, and take home to limit plastic use as well as offering delicious tasting plant-based breakfast and lunch options. The rooms were set up beautifully without too much décor and just enough artwork to line walls spreading the message of the conference.

If the goal of the event was to make every attendee an ambassador of global change so they communicate it back to their own marketing platforms and circles of influence, they succeeded.  Each day I’ve committed to posting one simple action someone following me can make to become their own global citizen. My husband and I committed to these ten household/personal actions:

* Support more female farmers
* Eat only plant-based meals one day per week for the rest of the year
* Put our water in reusable glass bottles/steel containers instead of buying plastic bottles
* Stop using plastic K-Cups for coffee and buy a one-time reusable coffee filter for our K-Cup machine
* Expand our organic garden and continue to can/bottle food from it
* Continue to compost our vegetable and fruit extras
* Buy from women-owned companies 50% of the time
* Support plant-based restaurants once a month
* Donate to an organization that supports period products for global women/girls
* Continue to share this message and motivate more people to become Global Citizens

You can do your part by going to www.GlobalCitizen.org and signing up for free to get involved with them by sharing their news, issues, action plans, and more to help change our globe. The more actions you take, the more chances you have to win the rewards they offer.

One of the panelists Peter McGuiness, CEO of Impossible Foods (check out their website for recipes) said something that moved me, “Let me find a way to take action,” that is all it takes really. So, please take the pledge with me so we can progress our globe for a better future, maybe at times imperfectly, but with common interest and motion.