While we are still at the start of this new year, let us consider that we’ve still managed to stay on top of our new year’s resolutions and embody a sense of hope and intrinsic motivation. As we still face the barriers and inhibition of the pandemic, our resolutions might look and feel a little different this year. Perhaps they are more personal; focusing on mental health, for example.
I’ve found that manifesting a purpose can provide an immense amount of perseverance, happiness and inner peace. Looking to women that now pursue a life of activism and advocacy might give you inspiration for personal empowerment and a life purpose; queue our woman of the week: Jane Fonda.
While she grew up in Hollywood and has garnered immense recognition for her career as an actress, she has also developed her lifetime purpose in the direction of activism. Earlier on, she began advocating for civil rights and against war. Now, she channels her devotion, dedication, and decidedly extensive fame towards a common interest for humanity: climate activism. In an interview with the host of 1.5 Degrees, a podcast focusing on climate science and sustainability, Fonda speaks out about her commitment to climate activism. She openly dissects her privilege as a famous white woman in the U.S. with sobering recognition of how that affects her position as a climate activist.
While she is truly invested, her commitment to growing the movement only begins with encouraging girls to speak up––it’s apparent that she sees her role as an enabler, a lever for change. Her strength, perseverance and humility are a guiding light to women everywhere; finding a purpose and investing both our time and resources as well as our hearts, our intellect and our inner strength.
With ‘Fire Drill Fridays’ gaining more and more traction in the U.S., she is her position of fame to empower and encourage women to get out and speak up about issues close to their hearts. Fonda claims that “women get much feistier and braver when they’re older”.
While we are still facing restrictions of the pandemic, there are no limitations to how extensively we can educate ourselves on current global issues; there is no barrier to learning. So, it seems that we might be able to translate this into a resolution for 2021––feist, bravery, and proactivity. We shouldn’t wait.