Doing Nothing Is Easy

To see something takes little effort. And when we see something, doing nothing is easy.

Part of the problem we have in today’s times is that we have lost view of the inherent agency each and everyone of us have to be agents of change. It’s become far too easy to do nothing and in a world that places high value on an easy life, we are possibly losing one of the most important aspects of being alive – the ability to act. 

We want fast food, next day delivery, and the world at our fingertips. The measure of success becomes the ability to put in little to no effort. 

Yet living a deeply fulfilling life is not an effortless task. It’s one that takes dedication, self- sacrifice and the willingness to push yourself to contribute to a world you want to see. If we want a kinder, more compassionate world, we have to do something.

What can we do to feel motivated to do something, rather than taking the easy route of doing nothing? We have to understand that we are worthwhile, the world is worthwhile and our efforts are worthwhile. We may feel small and helpless, but the impact of unleashing your inner spirit has limitless potential. While the world around you may not change overnight, your efforts will definitely begin to change you. You will realize that you have the ability to make a difference. Rather than feeling victimized by the world, you will begin to feel empowered to stand up and create a difference. 

This is the truth we see every day here at The Pollination Project. Individuals from all over the world, diverse and different, find within themselves a power greater than anything they could have ever imagined. 

The price that we have to pay to uncover the power of compassionate action is the willingness to do something. Doing nothing is easy, doing something is worthwhile. 

Join our community, be a doer and experience the deep fulfillment that can only be found in service to something greater than ourselves. 

Listening is Revolutionary

listening is revolutionary - AJ Dahiya

There is a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln that inspires me:

“I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.“


So much of our social discourse has dissolved into stalemates. Now more than ever, listening may be the most revolutionary heartivist act that any of us can undertake. To offer another person our attention and presence is a gift. 

I have written before about my belief that listening is more than being silent; it is the spaciousness to receive the words of another with the authentic expectation that something new and important will be shared. For most people I know (myself included), this is difficult. More often, we are filtering someone else’s words or actions through the perspective of our own unmet needs, preconceived judgments, or the defensiveness of our ego. 

As heartivists striving for connection, wholeness, and peace, the practice of cultivating discernment over judgment begins with listening and reflection. There is a practice from the study of Non-Violent Communication (NVC) I use to help me grow in this area. I find that intently thinking about my own needs and emotions in a difficult conversation, as well as trying to place myself in the mindset of the “other” helps shift my perspective significantly. (If you try this exercise, I would love to hear about your experience.) 

As I grow in my heartivist practice, I still sometimes feel anger, indignation, or grief at the suffering in the world; but I see those things, and my relationship to them, with clear eyes and less reactivity. 

This isn’t a warm and fuzzy addendum to social change. It is the very foundation of it. 

In the words of my hero, Martin Luther King Jr.,

“You can have no influence over those for whom you have underlying contempt.”