On Christmas Day 50 years ago, America was a divided nation. It was a tough year of troubled times and assassinations. We lost Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, and the Vietnam War was in full swing with massive rampant protests. I can see the parallels between the issues we dealt with during that difficult year of 1968 and today, including moments and opportunities to bring us back together.
The photo above has been making the rounds on TV and social media over the past week, and I too was inspired by this singular image that helped to reunite our nation on that day. “Earth Rise”, taken by astronaut Bill Anders, allowed us to see the Earth and ourselves from a great distance and give space to the challenges that plagued our nation and our world back then. Anders was not a professional photographer and had limited knowledge of film, yet the impact of his ability to capture something so grand and vast stirred our emotions for our fellow humans.
It would be a moment that the earth stood still and, all of us united on one planet, took a deep breath full of peace and pride. For this new year, I pray that as we move into 2019 we reflect on moments like this and unify for a cause bigger than ourselves. The world needs us to use our energy and intentions for good and being productive in all that we are passionate about.
Similar to 1968, our world is in turmoil but there are ways we can come together to breath deeper life and meaning into the issues and challenges of our times. There is no snapshot solution to the increasing complexity, but there is a framework of good work to be accomplished through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Anyone can be involved from businesses to individuals and, if you’re searching for areas to focus your intentions towards next year, the SDGs gives us the architecture of areas that have the greatest impact on the world. I encourage for your 2019 New Year’s resolution to consider selecting an SDG for you, your family and your business to advocate for. Read more about the SDGs and their impact on our world here: UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Thank you, Apollo 8, you saved 1968! Thank you, SDGs, we hope you bring solutions to 2019!