I was reflecting recently on the work I’ve started doing in sustainability. I embarked upon this path because it’s important to me to help solve the problem of global warming, and I’m a great believer in small steps that accelerate into larger steps and ultimately create a real impact. And it’s clear to me that this problem isn’t going to be solved in my lifetime. That in itself is a strange idea. I’m now middle-aged, and it’s a new concept for me to know that I am beginning work that others will finish.

Europe is dotted with cathedrals that took hundreds of years to build. Those hundreds of years span generations—involving entire families who devoted their lives to crafting these amazing, lasting monuments, knowing that they would not live to see them completed. As a twenty-first century American, and as a businessperson who has spent her career in high tech, I am accustomed to seeing the entire lifecycle of a project from birth to death. I like to finish things, and measure their impact. Well, now I’m working on a project that will last longer than me. That’s a daunting thought! Global warming is not going to be reversed fast enough for me to see the deal done. But this is teaching me patience, and redoubling my penchant for perseverance. I’m taking a page from the ancient societies, and pressing on, knowing that the work is valuable in its own right, and that each step we all take is part of a greater good that will influence future generations.

Tags: Sustainable Business

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