What a year it has been… for many of us around the world, 2021 continued, enforced and amplified the challenges that 2020 brought to this decade. Our hearts go out to the many people who suffered illness, loss and pain due to the global pandemic, economic distress, social injustice, refuge, hunger and poverty, natural disasters… the list goes on and on. Sometimes it can be hard not to feel despair in light of what we are facing as human kind. In these moments it is good to remember that, no matter what, we still have a choice.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor Frankl
At GAIA Insights, we like to think of our company as a living organism. Just like in nature, organisms constantly change and evolve, and it is our job as stewards of this organism to ensure that it can thrive by adapting to the conditions it is facing. In our case, this means a harsh decline in business, seeing beloved colleagues move on to new ventures and asking ourselves critical questions about our very existence. And yet, we believe in the rhythm of life and that every back loop offers the opportunities for radical innovation. After every winter, there comes spring, even if preceded by a seemingly endless hibernation period.
So what have we done this year?
- We invested time and energy in building our communities on social media. A giant “thank you” to everyone who is following us, shares and resonates with our messaging!
- We expanded our offering in the form of an online adventure game exclusively designed to develop leadership skills in an innovative, scalable and cost-effective way, to make our expertise more accessible to wider audiences.
- We questioned and then reaffirmed our purpose and what we stand for: Caring for People, Planet and Purpose. It has never seemed more important and worthwhile than now.
While these three pillars – People, Planet, Purpose – have been guiding GAIA Insights from its inception a decade ago, it is encouraging to see that more and more people finally realize what is at stake. Whether it is organizations such as ours in the ever-growing community of B Corporations or the list of Terra Carta Supporters, we have to unite and stand together, not only to beat the pandemic but also to save our planet. One way of doing that is to support causes, initiatives and movements we believe in.
Every year since 2012, we have supported PLAN International and SOS Children’s Villages to reflect “People” and we founded GAIA Gives, a non-profit association, to cater to ”Purpose”. Most recently, we turned our attention to “Planet”: Two years ago, we began to plant trees in Brazil with WeForest and last year we spread light around the world with our #IceLanternsOfHope campaign and started to support The Ocean Cleanup.
After Forests and Oceans, this year we will dedicate our donations to Wildlife. We decided to support the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and their mission to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Wildlife and biodiversity are integral to the balance of nature, and WWF focuses on saving populations of the most ecologically, economically and culturally important species in the wild. Ultimately, by protecting species, we save this beautiful, vulnerable and irreplaceable planet we call home.
Wildlife is also a source of inspiration. It nurtures our sense of wonder and puts our existence into perspective. In order to spark this sense of wonder and gratitude, we invite everyone to take an Awe Walk and help us increase our donation. Click HERE to find out how it works!
For now, we would like to thank everyone who has shown their love and encouragement for GAIA Insights this past year and over the last decade. Your (emotional) support does not go unnoticed and it is the fuel that keeps us going.
We wish you and your loved ones all the best for the New Year, above all good health and “the last of the human freedoms” – to choose your attitude in the dire circumstances we find ourselves in.
We choose love.
Your GAIA Insights Team