The Choiceless Choice

by | Jul 1, 2015 | Archive

Have you ever known you had to make a certain choice without knowing exactly why? Somewhere, somehow, in the middle of your stomach, you have a “gut” feeling that says you must act.

As we listen to this deeper voice, we are listening to what some call intuition. It is not a choice led strictly by information that fits on charts or graphs, but rather a deep knowing that we have to follow.

In a conversation with Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, I was sharing about my choice not only to climb into an ancient redwood tree named Luna in order to save her, but also my choice to stay there for 738 days. I had a deep knowing that I had to climb Luna and stay; that to walk away from the injustice of industrial logging without at least trying to make a difference would be to perpetuate that injustice. In those moments I had the freedom to choose. I could have chosen to walk away or come down, but at the same time, my strong inner guidance would not allow me to do so.

In our conversation we recognized that such moments are the choice-less choice. Moments when we step into our courage and greatness even when it would be easier to just be silent, to walk away, or to stop in fear.

Instead, we are called so powerfully by our inner voice that we cannot help but act…like a parent running out into oncoming traffic to save a child from being hit by a car, the men and women who rushed into the burning Twin Towers to rescue people, Mahatma Gandhi risking his life over and over for the liberation of India from the British, or my own brother who dove into a slippery mud pool that others were too scared to dive into to rescue a boy who had drowned.

Living in the world today, it is easy to be overcome by the seemingly never-ending list of things to do. Where do we direct our focus, energy, passion, commitment and resources? By getting clear on who we are called to be, what our purpose is, and being willing to let go of our addiction to comfort and transform our fear, we are more able to listen to and trust that deep inner knowing and voice.
We find ourselves growing beyond who we have known ourselves to be as we answer the powerful callings of choice-less choice.

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In the heart of Nkwen Bamenda III Sub Division, Northwest region of Cameroon, the pilot project "Youth and Visual Arts Activism for Social Change" unfolded at Teken Quarter Youth Community Hall. This initiative, running from January to April 2023, targeted fifteen disadvantaged youths—including school dropouts, drug addicts, and other vulnerable groups. The project, supported by a seed grant, was launched by the Collective Arts Development Association (CADA), which provided six art facilitators. These experts delivered extensive training in various artistic skills, from sketching and drawing on canvas boards to graphic design and T-shirt printing.

Participants were introduced to the fundamentals of colors, composition, and proportions, along with practical applications in screen printing on diverse materials like jeans, nylon, and polyester. The primary goal of the project was to leverage art and social entrepreneurship as viable alternatives to drug use, abuse, crime, and poverty in the local community. Furthermore, the project included an outreach program involving sixth-grade pupils from the Government Primary School in Teken Quarter.

The success of this pilot paved the way for a flagship initiative titled "Empowering Marginalized Youths through Life Skill Education Art and Entrepreneurship Skill Development." This ongoing program offers six-month intensive training sessions to thirty disadvantaged youths, teaching them not only visual and graphic arts but also audio-visual skills and crafts essential for economic independence and social inclusion. Moreover, the program includes mental health education, counseling, rehabilitation strategies, and connects participants with mental health professionals as needed, continuing to transform lives thanks to the foundational support of The Pollination Project grant.

#art #socialchange #activism #youthempowerment #mentalhealtheducation #cameroon #heartivism #grants #thepollinationproject
WINNERS!!
Our grantees Manjushree Abhinav and Aanchal Raturi won the Swarnali Roy Vegan Advocacy Awards 2024 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 

Manjushree received a grant for her project "My planet and my plate", inspiring students to become climate activists themselves, to plant the seed of change into the hearts and minds of students, hoping that these seeds will sprout into far-reaching effects. 

Aanchal founded Project Re-Learn, conducting workshops in Uttaranchal colleges to sensitize future agriculturists about ethical practices. 

Join us in congratulating these two incredible heartivists! 🧡 

@hsi_india 
@hsiglobal 
@manjushreeabhinav 
@earthling_anna_raturi 

#animalrights #animalwelfare #vegan #plantbased #veganlifestyle #nocruelty #crueltyfree #heartivism #grants #animaladvocacy #india
🌟 Volunteer Week 🌟  Celebrating our family of Grant Advisors!

Today we celebrate our grant advisors dedicated to #animalprotection .

🔸 April King (Montenegro/United States) 
🔸 Elphas Ongongo (Kenya) 
🔸 Mohini Sharma (India) 
🔸 Evans Okumu (Kenya) 
🔸 Fernanda García Naranjo Ortega (Mexico)
🔸 Leandro Franz (Brazil) 
🔸 Jeremy Gregory (United States)
🔸 Kate Luke (Australia)
🔸 Andrew Alexander (United States) 

@granjitatyh 
@kotorkitties 
@littleoaksanctuary 

#volunteerweek 
#animalrights  #animalwelfare  #heartivism  #grants  #animaladvocacy #advisors