The end of the year, and standing on the cusp of a new one, is a time for reflection and introspection. It is a time for thinking back at the year that was, of things accomplished and those left unfinished. It is a time for new beginnings, of making plans and resolutions for the new year. Read more books, spend less time on social media, choose healthy food, eat local, exercise more, travel more, slow down, shop less, buy better, waste less… We all have our own lists!
We find ourselves at a unique moment in time where our planet faces an existential crisis, and where the intersectionality of inequalities, climate crisis, poverty, historical injustices, and gender issues are well established. There are more urgent conversations on climate action, solutions, and justice than ever before. Yet, there is also a denial and a lack of urgency to change the status quo in substantive ways. To make matters worse, there is a rise of ideologies that are extremist, narrow-minded, intolerant, and unscientific, leading to strife and conflicts.
But humans have historically shown an enormous capacity to be resilient and resourceful, to learn, adapt, renew, and rebuild. So, as we start the new year, let us reaffirm our shared values of humanity, fraternity, equality, and justice. And renew our commitment to doing the right thing for our children by caring for the well-being of planet Earth.
So, as we start the new year, let us reaffirm our shared values of humanity, fraternity, equality, and justice. And renew our commitment to doing the right thing for our children by caring for the well-being of planet Earth.
Because it is all interconnected! No one has said it better than William Shatner, the actor who played the iconic role of Captain Kirk in the TV series, Star Trek and who recently became the oldest person to travel to space. In his reflections on his journey to space in his book, Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder, he says, “It can change the way we look at the planet but also other things like countries, ethnicities, religions; it can prompt an instant re-evaluation of our shared harmony and a shift in focus to all the wonderful things we have in common instead of what makes us different.”
To kickstart 2023 on an inspirational note, we have curated a collection of thoughtful quotes that will, hopefully, get you thinking, make you smile, and have you ready for the new year. The subscribers of our newsletters know that we round off every newsletter with a quote. This year-end round-up makes all these quotes available in one place! Also, this a reminder to subscribe if you have not already – our newsletters have a lot more than quotes!
- “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
— Oprah Winfrey
- “The future depends on what you do today.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
- “The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
— Rachel Carson
- “Finland is officially the world’s happiest country. It is also 75 percent forest. I believe these facts are related.”
— Matt Haig
- “Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”
— Carl Sagan
- “One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.”
— Leo Tolstoy
- “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
― Dr. Jane Goodall
- “There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away, it must go somewhere.”
— Annie Leonard
- “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
- “We’re a part of nature. As we destroy nature, we destroy ourselves. It’s a selfish thing to want to protect nature.”
― Yvon Chouinard
- “We are, after all, the greatest problem solvers to have ever existed on Earth. If working apart, we are a force powerful enough to destabilize our planet, surely, working together, we are powerful enough to save it.”
― David Attenborough
- “Modern society will find no solution to the ecological problem unless it takes a serious look at its lifestyle.”
― Pope John Paul II
As we sign off from 2022, there is much to be grateful for, and much left to do. Here is to welcoming the new year with optimism and hope, and with the resolve to act in ways big and small for an equitable, just, and sustainable future!
