The strength of any chain is found in the function of its individual links. It only takes one link for the whole chain to stop working, and that’s an issue! One link in the supply chain falls over and the whole of the holidays is threatened. A year or so ago, none of us would have given a second thought to the supply chain. It just worked. We got the stuff we wanted, in ever decreasing time frames, and we consumed all that we wanted. That old adage comes to mind, “you never know the value of what you’ve got, until it’s gone.”
We may all now have a deeper appreciation for what goes into the movement of goods around the world, but I also hope, that the current supply chain issues highlight two other important values. The interplay between independence and interdependence, and our insatiable need for stuff!
At the core of global citizenship is the fundamental understanding that we do not function in isolation. We are all interconnected and therefore interdependent. We rely on each other to thrive. What happens in one part of the world affects another, be that positively or not. The global pandemic has brought that truth home in abundance the last couple of years.
Whilst we must never lose sight of our own unique individuality and place value on our own cultural identity, we have to accept, and learn to appreciate, the multitude of ways that our lives on this planet are interconnected. Only through deeply understanding this, can we begin to solve our global challenges, be that climate change, world hunger, human rights, pandemics…. or even supply chain issues. We rely on each other and are linked by our humanity, not our passports.
We consume so much, and mostly don’t give it a second thought. Yet, not getting the stuff we want, when we want it, isn’t all bad. Just maybe, this pause in our consumption, gives us chance to ask the question, “did I really need it in the first place?” Sure, we all want to give our loved ones fantastic gifts at the holidays, and there isn’t anything wrong in that. But maybe, not having access to so much tangible stuff, make us think about the intangible stuff we have in abundance. Alongside the stuff we get to wrap, we might also want to give gifts you can’t. The gift of real time, uninterrupted, and in the moment present time. Time to walk together, talk together, listen to one another and laugh as one. The gift of understanding, building a deeper sense of appreciation, empathy and respect. The gift of kindness; small acts that have a big impact.
Let’s not forget the gift of encouragement! It is through encouraging each other that we all get better. It is encouragement that keeps our links resilient and our chain strong.
