In LFS350 this year, one defining notion rang throughout the course: addressing issues of food system security requires us to become food citizens. It is our right and our responsibility to do so in order to create the world we want to see.
I’ve always been goal oriented, I’ve always been fairly sure of who I am in a single moment (I say moment, because there are times when this feeling is altered completely). And in looking towards my own future and my own goals, I hope to find my own niche for change at the intersection between development, sustainability and business within urban spaces.
But in all this assuredness, I’ve also questioned every step that I’ve taken and asked myself “why?” How do I know I’m doing what’s right for me? Will I like it? Is it actually right? Am I being naive? What do I want to do? What do I believe in?
There is only one thing that’s stayed constant : I want to do something, to take and action, to create something that will serve the world; change the world. I want to become what I believe in and yet, how do I reach something I don’t know how to reach?
I watched Simon Sinek’s video “how great leaders inspire action”, a TedTalk that emphasized that great leaders, companies, et cetera incite others not by answering the question “what are we doing” but answering the question “why are we doing it?”
People don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it
-Simon Sinek
So what of this? What I take is that as long as I live my life by just being who I want to be, if I can believe in every step that I’m doing, if I have a reason – then I’m going to learn and discover something. And looking back, I think it’s rung true. By becoming a GRS student, taking on or not taking on extracurriculars, by taking the courses I’ve chosen to take this year – I can back up every single one of my decisions because it’s been driven by my passion and where I feel drawn to.
Strangely, it echoes Dr. Shafik Dharamsi’s empowering words in his GRS lecture on sustainable development.
“When we know better, we see the world differently. When we see the world differently, we must be in the world differently”
I think the most important thing when looking to my future is to just feel, and do what I feel empowers myself and my beliefs. Focus on fulfilling myself and what my heart feels to be its calling. Perhaps, drawing from that, I can create change by inspiring those who believe the same things I believe and maybe that, is truly how I can make a difference.