The Gap Between Knowing and Doing
Adapted from a previous publication in "International Initiatives," University of Houston - Clear Lake
An Apache Medicine man told me many years ago, “Ingeborg, your thoughts and actions must become one.” As I grew more aware of my thoughts and potential appropriate action, my procrastination lessened. Then I included my intuition and the whole thing made my life richer.
Still, I’m talking about thoughts and intuition, not addressing that deep knowledge that forms my inner compass. The kind of knowing only comes through experience and reflection, becoming part of my DNA, so to speak. This knowing helps me realize what gifts I can share, which things I can speak of with authority, and helps me to recognize my guiding force and inner peace.
Yet, my peace doesn’t last long, especially when I consider the world’s turbulent challenges of today: We all know of areas in our life where there exists a gap between knowing and not doing anything about it. Students migrate to careers outside their fields of study. Worldwide there exists a gap in pay (sometimes thousands, if not millions of dollars), increasingly cutting out the middle class in the Western world. A gap in wages of women compared to men. Concerning the environment: I observe the paradox of wars over gasoline involving good people who know other and better approaches that could supply clean and war-free energy.
Brazil, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, France and most of Europe now are committed to a transition to different fuel and better air. Here in the U.S., you and I face huge environmental challenges with our unconscious separation from nature, and the endless desire for comfort and things.
On a personal note, Reece, my grandson then four years old, questioned me as I described the thick smog I had to drive through to get to the airport. A dark brown and yellow layer of air pushed down by clouds hung low over Houston as far as my eyes could see.“Oma, why you breathe it in? Where did that “yucky” air come from? Where did that pollution go, Oma?” He asked, “Where did it go in your body; how did it get out?” It troubled him so much. The honest answer would be to admit to Reece that it’s because your Oma and the rest of the world simply don’t care enough.
In Europe after World War II, I heard many a time, “Wir haben es nicht gewusst” (We didn’t know it.) You and I cannot apply these words any more. I sit behind a computer everyday, read newspapers, see and breathe that air pollution the minute I step outside. Technology lets us know about the world very intimately; I cannot wait until governments or other leaders close my gap between knowing and doing for me. If we don’t dare to do it by ourselves, let’s join those who do. Mikhail Gorbachev writes about politics and of a perestroika of the earth as a whole. Hazel Henderson goes beyond economics in advocating economic policies guided by earth ethics. Elisabeth Sahtouris writes, “It’s exciting to close the gap by creating something new which we truly can call creative and innovative progress for ourselves and all humanity.” At universities we bridge cultures world wide through learning together with international students in the classroom; I raise the question: What gap between knowing and doing do you want to close? Which new story would you like to inspire your life?
Still, I’m talking about thoughts and intuition, not addressing that deep knowledge that forms my inner compass. The kind of knowing only comes through experience and reflection, becoming part of my DNA, so to speak. This knowing helps me realize what gifts I can share, which things I can speak of with authority, and helps me to recognize my guiding force and inner peace.
Yet, my peace doesn’t last long, especially when I consider the world’s turbulent challenges of today: We all know of areas in our life where there exists a gap between knowing and not doing anything about it. Students migrate to careers outside their fields of study. Worldwide there exists a gap in pay (sometimes thousands, if not millions of dollars), increasingly cutting out the middle class in the Western world. A gap in wages of women compared to men. Concerning the environment: I observe the paradox of wars over gasoline involving good people who know other and better approaches that could supply clean and war-free energy.
Brazil, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, France and most of Europe now are committed to a transition to different fuel and better air. Here in the U.S., you and I face huge environmental challenges with our unconscious separation from nature, and the endless desire for comfort and things.
On a personal note, Reece, my grandson then four years old, questioned me as I described the thick smog I had to drive through to get to the airport. A dark brown and yellow layer of air pushed down by clouds hung low over Houston as far as my eyes could see.“Oma, why you breathe it in? Where did that “yucky” air come from? Where did that pollution go, Oma?” He asked, “Where did it go in your body; how did it get out?” It troubled him so much. The honest answer would be to admit to Reece that it’s because your Oma and the rest of the world simply don’t care enough.
In Europe after World War II, I heard many a time, “Wir haben es nicht gewusst” (We didn’t know it.) You and I cannot apply these words any more. I sit behind a computer everyday, read newspapers, see and breathe that air pollution the minute I step outside. Technology lets us know about the world very intimately; I cannot wait until governments or other leaders close my gap between knowing and doing for me. If we don’t dare to do it by ourselves, let’s join those who do. Mikhail Gorbachev writes about politics and of a perestroika of the earth as a whole. Hazel Henderson goes beyond economics in advocating economic policies guided by earth ethics. Elisabeth Sahtouris writes, “It’s exciting to close the gap by creating something new which we truly can call creative and innovative progress for ourselves and all humanity.” At universities we bridge cultures world wide through learning together with international students in the classroom; I raise the question: What gap between knowing and doing do you want to close? Which new story would you like to inspire your life?