Freeconomy Blog
Sat
10 Oct
My Top 10 sources of Inspiration
| 18 comments |
The world can be a tough place to be in at times, and so every now and again it is good to inhale some inspiration. Whenever I am feeling a bit low, I either read an inspirational quote, an uplifting book or listen to a spine-stiffening song. And at the times when it all seems a bit overwhelming, I think of one of the following people, whose lives, and deaths, will continue to inspire me and millions of others until the day I die:
10. Rosa Parks:
One insignificant day in the winter of 1955 one woman, after a hard day of work, refused to get up off her seat and let another passenger sit down. "Hardly inspirational", I hear you say, given that 99% of people on your local train, bus or tube unkindly do the same. Rosa would have happily given up her seat though. Her act wasn't an act of selfishness, it was an act of defiance against racial injustice, and it was purely symbolic. She had enough of racial segregation and was prepared to break the law to draw attention to the issue.
If more of us refused to get off the seat the world would be a much different place.
9. Theo Simon:
Theo is the lead singer and lyricist for my favourite band on the planet, Seize the Day. Not only does he, and his partner Shannon Smy, write the most profound, compassionate and powerful lyrics, he is also a fantastic musician to boot. And it doesn't stop there; he also lives out his ideals more than any other human I know. He lives in a community near Glastonbury, England, and has spent 20 years on the front line of grass roots campaigns, standing up for the planet and for all those who dwell upon it. I had the complete honour of meeting him last month and doing a workshop with him, and it moved me to the brink of tears on a number of occasions. A colossal human being.
When Julia climbed a giant Redwood tree as an act of peaceful civil disobedience in California in 1997, she went up as part of a group of rotating tree sitters. Because of events that unfolded, she ended up being up there for 2 years, through 8 changing seasons, overcoming and defeating some of the toughest conditions and tribulations and some of the worst sides of humanity, for a victory not only for a tree, but for the entire planet.
7. Jill Phipps:
Jill Phipps was a courageous woman who was killed after her and a few other protestors broke a police cordon at Coventry airport, trying to chain themselves to a truck that was delivering a load of calves, destined to become veal in Amsterdam.
This is not just a tribute to Jill, however. This is a tribute to all animal rights activists who spend their entire lives - often going to prison or even dying - fighting to end the holocaust-type suffering and cruelty we inflict on billions of defenseless sentient beings on a daily basis.
I think the reason I wanted to highlight this is because the media have given Animal Rights a terrible reputation; every now and again some activist will let their anger and frustration boil over and do something lacking in compassion for humans, things I don't condone (though I can understand the anger). But this is subsequently how the nation perceives the entire movement. The reality is that 99% of the people involved are the kindest, gentlest, most compassionate people you will ever meet, and their struggle is the most socially unacceptable struggle today, given that 93% of the population eat factory farmed meat. They are the Black civil rights campaigners and Suffragettes of the 21st Century. Respect.
6. Vinoba Bhave:
Bhave was a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi, and when the latter was assassinated in 1948, Vinoba picked up the baton of leadership. His achievements are mindblowing, one of which involved him walking around India virtually non-stop for 17 years as part of his 'Bhoodan' movement, inspiring India landowners to give back over 5 million acres of land to the poorest of peasants, enabling them to take control of their lives again. I would highly recommend reading his book of his life called 'Moved by Love'.
5. Ken Saro-Wiwa:
Saro-Wiwa led a non-violent campaign against the destruction of Ogoniland - the area of Nigeria where he lived - that was inflicted upon his people by a number of multinational oil companies, the most prominent being Shell. All so that we can have a cheap tank full of petrol every morning. He was executed by the Nigerian government for a crime that is widely accepted as having absolutely no foundation and completely politically motivated. If people were aware of Shell's role in it all, not another person should go to their forecourts ever again. Not that any of the other oil companies are much better. Three words for you - get a bicycle. Please.
4. Michael Reynolds:
This guy is better known (though still incredibly little known) as the Garbage Warrior and is one of the most uplifting and inspiring characters you will likely ever come across. He is an architect who has designed houses, known as Earthships, which are self-sustainable for food and energy and pretty much everything else. Not only that, they are made using local materials and waste, and all aesthetically beautiful into the bargain. The man is little short of a genius. So you would think a sane government would hail him as a national hero. Instead they revoked his license as his designs didn't fit in with state laws, and he had to spend 10 years fighting just to get his architecture's license back. But now he is at large again, pushing the boundaries of sustainable living and coming up with the most amazing solutions that any sane society would choose.
3. Peace Pilgrim:
At the age of 56, a silver haired woman who became known as Peace Pilgrim started on what was to become a 28 year walk across the US, going from coast-to-coast seven times. She vowed to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until giving shelter and fasting until given food". I could write for hours on her, but words would do her a huge injustice. Much better to watch this fantastic documentary about her.
This man changed the lives of every black person in America who came after him. Not only was he an amazing speaker and one of the most inspirational leaders to ever grace the earth, he stood up for what he believed in non-violently, at times costing him the freedom that he fought so hard for every other black person in the country, and for which he eventually gave his life. But what he spoke about every day was just as important. This is one of those few cases where there really isn't enough superlatives.
1. Gandhi:
OK, you guessed it I suppose, given that the website is dotted with his quotes and I am always ranting on about him in my blogs. I was in my fourth year of a business and economics degree when I came across 'the Great Soul', and on my way for a career with Monsanto, Coca-cola, Halliburton, Proctor and Gamble or someone else of that ilk. Therefore, you could say that I owe the guy quite a lot, just for that alone.
So what did Gandhi teach me? First and foremost, he taught me to be the change I wanted to see in the world, even if I was a minority of one. Live your truth, let your life be your message, he said. He taught me that stealing wasn't just taking something that someone else owned, but that it was having more than you need at a time when many die because they haven't even got enough to eat and drink. He taught me that the non-violent non-cooperation of the brave was the most powerful force in the world and that if humans could learn to apply it then we would live in a much different world today. He taught me about Swadeshi, which in today's language could mean using local materials and supporting local people. He taught me that you only truly find happiness when you give it away to others.
Apart from that, he also just happened to bring independence to India, gaining freedom from Britain through peaceful means far beyond what we understand by the word peace. And when violence did eventually break out between Muslims and Hindus, he went on hunger strike to the death unless the violence stopped. Such was the respect and love for the man on both sides that within days an entire nation downed their weapons and saw sense, and kept the little man in a loincloth alive. For a couple of decades he convinced 300 million people to defy the British non-violently, against the most trying of circumstances. I personally feel indebted to the man, and I think humanity could learn so much from him.
Gandhi offered the world a solution, a way out of the madness. We can still choose to live that way anytime. Lets hope mankind has the courage to listen. Please read more of his life and his thoughts, they really will affect your life in the most unimaginable and positive ways.
Not that I always apply what he taught me though; the fact I don't is a big source of inner conflict. But he has shown me it is possible and that gives us all hope.
So who inspires you and why? It could be some famous world leader or the woman down at the community centre. There can never be too many inspiring stories...
THE FREECONOMY BLOG is written by Mark Boyle, the founder of The Freeconomy Community who is also living without money for one year.
Comment on this Post:
Meera comments ...
The blog, and the information in the links, are overwhelming. As for me, I've told before also, Mahahma Gandhi inspires me too.
James T comments ...
I would say Aung San Suu Kyi for her work in Burma - a nobel peace prize winner. For more see
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1991/kyi-bio.html
Brad comments ...
I think Barack Obama is doing a fantastic job in the states - yeah hes an American President but I think what he is trying to do is as much as any american president could possibly get away with. Just like the above lady, he has also just won the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009, which I suppose is a bit of a controversial decision but one I agree with.
Pedro Gonzalez comments ...
I am surprised Nelson Mandela isn't on your list when I see some of the other people on there. He suffered a lot to end apartheid and commands a lot of respect from me for doing so. I wish more people would stand up for their beliefs like him.
Solan comments ...
Ellen Macarthur. Beat world record of 90 days to sail solo round the world previously set by a man twice her size and strength, by 20 days. He took a couple of years to claim it back, and didn't exactly shave another twenty days off! She has inspired me to be brave and make a lot of changes in my life and is now an environmental campaigner, recently did an interview for desert island discs on radio 4. Is building an eco house and has got me copying that. Don't like sailing much myself though.......
Ana comments ...
The great quote I learnt at a very early age, and it made a total sense to my and it has given me a sense of fairness thorought my life is the universal golden rule; 'do to others what you would like to be done to you' or 'love your neighbour as yourself'.
When I read about Rosa Park, it came to mind that in this country (UK), still in the name of equality people are confronted again and again to fill forms about race/religion/sexual orientation.etc. As a legal foreigner living in this country, everytime confronted with those forms my heart sinks and remind me constantly how uniqual I'm from the rest of the society, and it fills me with anger especially during those unsettle times and the rise of the bnp. If the govt will be serious about equallity we didn't need to fill this forms.
Dago Schelin comments ...
Who inspires me most is Jesus.
Gandhi and Dr. King are also great inspiration. If I may advertise a video I made about King... http://www.vimeo.com/6792205
A big hug to all!
Naveen comments ...
Not one. But hundreds of thousands of Falun Dafa practitioners who still suffer in the hands of the Chinese govt. inspire me. Just for their beliefs, they're persecuted, their families are torn apart. But they don't fight back when hit or talk back when sweared at. Everyday, they're being tortured, raped and brain-washed. And, worst of all, some of the practitioners' organs are also being removed from their living bodies and sold on the world market. More than 3,300 deaths have been officially recorded, till date.
Solan comments ...
Ana, you don't have to fill those bits of the form in, they are a nuisance, but they're not compulsory. It's just to make sure they are fair to every-one, not to have a go at you.
Ana comments ...
Not true, Solan. They're being force on us. I don't get a swimming past if I don't fill the "inequality" race/religion/sexual orientation... section, the same for rent agreements, etc. They are being use more frequently and indiscriminately. The same for ID cards, HO want to force them on asylum seekers first and others foreigner because are the less likely to complain. Of course if you're white British doesn't bother you, you're the first class citizen from the list. I didn't realise I was from a different kind of whites until I came to this country, not even in my own country to fill important documents will ask this racists/discriminating question. I wonder if it's done intentionally to divide, and segregate, remember the say " divide and conquer".
Sandra comments ...
I think Mother Theresa was a great example, her death completely overshadowed by the death of Princess Diane in the same week.
hoon comments ...
George Fox the founder of the Quakers. He started a "prophetic church" based upom other things "the Ministry of Peace" ( you shall not take up arms for whatever cause and you shall root out the seeds of war within yourself ) "the Ministry of Truth" ( to speak Truth to Power ) "the Ministry of Simplicity" ( akin to live simply so that others may live ). If you like he started a movement that embodied the principles of Gandhi's non violent non-cooperation and that still continues today.
Ivymoon comments ...
Might I humbly suggest the addtion of Satish Kumar if you ever expand upon this list? :)
ümit orhan comments ...
the list was very benefitial for me. i have just learn about these great people.
if i have a similar list krishnamurti would definetely be on the list. :)
colin pickford comments ...
one of the comments is about a video, King and Ghandi. Add one more name, Ikeda to your google search and you will find another great video and another name to add to your list of greats. If you have trouble finding it search for SGI.
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