Reflection: A Powerful Practice for Positive Change

Dr. Kimberly M Post
Associate Dean of Environmental Graduate Studies

Human and natural systems are facing challenges that are dauntingly complex and continuously evolving (Benatar, 2016; Dreier et al., 2019; UNESCO, 2022). We are witnessing and often complicit in unprecedented degradation of the natural world. Basic human needs are not being met for at least one third of the approximately 8 billion people on the planet – and there will likely be more than 10 billion people a generation from now (McCoy, 2017; UNESCO, 2022). The growing environmental and social challenges are bringing into stark focus that climate change defines this century (Jenkins & Stone, 2019). “It’s not just land that is broken, but more importantly, our relationship to land” (Kimmerer, 2013, p. 9).

Unfortunately, the more we learn about the climate crisis, the harder it becomes to believe we have any ability to make a positive impact. When we feel helpless, it is much easier to accept popular denial rhetoric as truth or retreat into implicatory apathy. These are consequences of non-reflective thinking, which not only protects us from feeling overwhelmed but also keeps us from taking action and engaging in solutions (Dewey, 1910). This is where we come up against one of the most basic of human flaws – our tendency to construct opinions based on insufficient knowledge and understanding, then cling to them blindly and reject all evidence to the contrary. This thinking is not based on true reflection but on crippling cognitive shortcuts, usually borrowed from others rather than arrived at by our own thinking.

But what if we chose a different path? Most of us tend to move through each day with our senses closed to the Earth, failing to notice the scent of damp earth after a rainstorm or the dry rustle of shifting leaves stirred by a sudden breeze. What would it mean to sit in quiet contemplation with a forest, to observe the artful intricacies of a wetland ecosystem, to feel the pulse of life surging with the ocean’s tide? This is the essence of reflection – a deeply connective practice of paying attention and being present that helps us examine our deeply held beliefs and assumptions (Post, 2019). Reflection helps us recognize our values and feelings – and those of others – and can shape the way we approach challenges (Eaton et al, 2016). It is an internal exploration of knowing, and the ways in which we know things are vital to our understanding of both the world and our place in it. Reflection is a powerful practice for positive change.

When we abandon or fail to acknowledge the importance of living in mutuality with the natural world, we lose connection to a place of wisdom and inspiration. Reflecting on our symbiotic relationship with the Earth helps us recognize the many ways that nature heals itself from moment to moment, day to day, season to season, life cycle to life cycle. This shift in perspective is not just philosophical; it has profound implications for how we approach the climate crisis (Post, 2019). The answer lies not just in our actions, but in our willingness to reflect deeply, to listen closely, and to open our hearts to the living world around us. Reflection reorients our relationship with nature, an important “step toward belonging in all dimensions” (Haskell, 2018, p. 149). When we see ourselves as an integral part of the living, breathing Earth, we can no longer ignore the suffering of others or the degradation of our shared home. We begin to understand that our actions ripple out into the world, affecting the interconnected web of life in ways too numerous to count.

The unfolding future may be uncertain, but one thing is clear – the intricate network of connections that weaves our planet together is integral to our survival (Jacobs et al., 2019; Wheatley, 2006). Recognizing that we are a part of nature, not apart from nature is a critical step toward healing our wounded world. By embracing our connection to the Earth, we reshape the very fabric of all our relationships, transforming not only how we go about living in the world, but how we think about the world we live in.

References

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