vesterberg.se

My youngest son Albin, discussed with me the other day the fact that stores all over Sweden are beginning to sell ecological alternatives. What is the real motivation behind, he asked me? Is it because they are concerned about our environment or is it because people are asking for these kinds of products? If you are in business, you look for opportunities to sell. If there is a demand and you have the capabilities, you want to offer products accordingly. In the last year things have changed in Sweden. Customers are looking for eco-products and small and big stores are competing to offer the soundest alternatives. There are many more or less defined labels; for example eco-something and fair-trade.

Hopefully, the definition of the labels will not be diluted. When something becomes mainstream, not every offer is what you think it is. When we have reached one level of fair and ecological trade, there is a danger that we as customers relax because our conscious feels better. Likewise, businesses relax because they continue to make money feeling somewhat altruistic. The motivation is still centered on ourselves and on our needs, on the consequences for ourselves. A bad conscience is a weak force. A relief means that we stop moving forward and true innovation stops.

I believe we need a deeper conviction, a persuasion that has become an inseparable part of us. Even if the consequences turn out bad at first, we insist because we believe. Passionate conviction is powerful. Conviction mixed with passion means that we will not be mere spectators, but become involved. To believe in something is really to act.

We can be thankful for the people in history that believed passionately in democracy, in women’s rights, in children’s rights, in poor people’s rights. They did not stop; they pushed on, because of their conviction. They were creative, they found new ways, and they conquered governments and continued in spite of oppression.

Think about this being in us also. In the small things; we might choose a more expensive alternative because of ecological or fair trade reasons. We might choose a different kind of lifestyle. Business might choose less return of investment because of sustainable reasons.

In a bigger perspective; I have a feeling that creativity can be unleashed because of our persuasion. We can reach a new level of innovation and start to find new ways of solving our problems. Egocentric innovation is not as powerful as collaborative innovation. Monocultural innovation is not as powerful as multicultural. If we are convinced we will press a little harder, we will endure a little more and we will strive a little longer. I believe, we will discover that taking responsibility for air and water will not drain our economy in the long run. Taking responsibility pays back.

Those motivated by conviction took the first step. The others followed. Who is going to take next step? Those motivated by strong conviction.

How can I develop this passionate conviction, I said to myself? The answer that came to my mind was; “touch the reality”. Touch the reality by nakedly facing the fate of the earth and the daily lives of the majority of the people of the earth. It can be a fearful encounter. But it can also be powerful. I will challenge myself to touch other countries and other cultures. Shifting the center from my world to the outside world. Ouch!