Reclaiming perspective in 2025
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Reflecting on 2024 it’s hard not to focus on the many manifestations of deepening divisions that have dominated the headlines this year. Increasing economic inequity, polarised political debates, inter-generational divides, religious intolerance, racism and the list goes on.
To some of us, it feels as though the balance has tipped. Perhaps where we once felt confident that what unites us humans is greater than what divides us, this shaky sense of optimism is giving way to a creeping pessimism.
I’ve definitely felt this sense of creeping pessimism this year. I’m known for my optimism however I’ve found it hard not to be drawn into the rabbit holes of negative news feeds that amplify division and downplay stories of unity. More and more, the world, as reflected through our feeds, seems characterised by uncertainty and toxicity.
Last week, this all got the better of me. Reading the news coverage of Peter Dutton’s announcement that he would not stand in front of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flag if he becomes PM, I felt so appalled and angry. So, I used the tool that we all to often default to when we need an outlet and crafted a LinkedIn post expressing my discontent. It got lots of attention - my highest viewed post this year. Part of me felt that this was a good thing, raising awareness of this injustice, but reflecting on it, I think I probably just gave Peter Dutton more airtime than he deserves and fed the appetite for content that reinforces the dominant view of a society that is more divided than ever.
So, as the year comes to a close, I’m making a commitment to reclaim the one thing we can really control in this confusing world - our perspective. As we usher in a new year, I’m choosing to focus my attention on those examples of humans being together in ways that give us hope for the future. That demonstrate our capacity to care for one another and tell us that we have more in common than we think. No matter what my social and news feed tells me, I know that there are more stories out there of humans being kind to each other, of people reaching out and building connections, of humans working together to create a better and more just world.
Maybe if we all paid close attention to these stories and use our various platforms to amplify them, we could help extract ourselves and those around us from the negative vortex that wants to suck us in. We should never turn a blind eye to injustice, and I will keep using my voice to raise awareness of issues that I care deeply about, but in doing so, I’ll be thinking about whose story I’m amplifying and whether I am giving steam to forces that seek to divide us rather than amplifying stories that show us how we can be better humans.
What better time to make this commitment?
Whether you celebrate Christmas in its religious sense or not, the festive season for most of us is a time where we narrow our focus on those who matter to us, our family, friends, colleagues, and community. At this time of the year, many of us are also focused on making sure those members of our community who are doing it tough - we see many acts of care and kindness at this time of the year.
I choose to focus on this in 2025.
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