Trathen Heckman at the UAS Holiday Party 2006Though he might say otherwise, Trathen Heckman's biggest contribution to the sustainability movement may well be his leadership. Trathen bears all of the hallmarks of a true leader: regular speaking engagements, directing two small non-profits, wide distribution of his journal Ripples, and generally providing insight to all who hear or read his words. But Trathen represents a rare type of leader -- one that inspires individuals to be whole, to be healthy and, ultimately, to lead themselves. He doesn't dictate terms. Rather, he spins the beautiful tale of an alternate interpretation of this moment in time. "We live in a world rapidly unraveling," which we need to be honest about, Trathen observes, "but, also, everyday a world is being born, a healthy just sustainable world." For Trathen, our true power and will to bring about change lies in our ability "restore and restory" our world.

Spending any length of time with Trathen, one is aware of a certain radiance that underlines his every action. He is at once grounded and ecstatic. In a time of of bleak forecasts, Trathen dares to "speak strong, loud, inviting truth" that stands in stark contrast to the fetishistic, consumer message we receive from mainstream culture. In his own words, he strives to be "humble but unapologetic." But "humble," he says, "does not mean afraid to shine." And shine is just what Trathen does, in the process promoting this core message: the unwitting power of our daily actions. To stay centered in this place of radiance, he has a few concrete tactics. "Personally, I do my best to surround myself with people, places, organizations and businesses that inspire and astound me with beauty, wisdom and ethics." This process of conscious selection of external influence helps to shape Trathen's perspective and vision. "The hard work is living up to those visions," he admits, "doing my best to live up to the crazy ideas that come."

And work hard Trathen does. He is deeply involved with two genre-busting non-profits, Daily Acts and Green Sangha. Trathen founded Daily Acts on a simple idea, that "by growing our awareness and better recognizing the power in each common action, we shape the world we wish to call home." Their quarterly journal Ripples is one of the most powerful examples of independent media presenting a positive version of current events, and their regular tours and workshops combine community and information sharing to guarantee a good time. Trathen is also the Executive Director of Green Sangha, an organization that hopes to "bring healing to ourselves, one another, and the earth through thoughts, words, and actions rooted in love." Their monthly retreats are a wonderful way to wake up and do so in community, to get still, get inspired and get into action. If you see a commonality between these two organizations, that's no coincidence. Trathen feels strongly that it is up to us to "create new institutions of culture" in order to support the coming transformation of our world. Towards that end, he cites renowned management guru Peter Drucker who felt that the power of an organization is to "help ordinary people excel by creating an environment to lift people up to their highest potential."

A common theme throughout Trathen's life and work is an ability to embrace the paradox of our times and not live beholden to darker scenarios that could play out for humanity's future. "Getting a good compass is key," he feels, so that, with what he calls "loving tenacity", we can "live up to the task of being clear and present, but not get lost to it, lost to greed, apathy and anger." Too often the bright stars around us in the movement fall prey to the "burn out" factor because self-care is not on their list of demands or tactics. True to Trathen's idiosyncratic ideology, the continual sacrifice of work brings him back to center of self awareness, family, ecology and community -- those parts of his life that provide the most joy. "Ripples has been the biggest teacher," he concedes. The challenge of finding his "deepest truths" and them putting them out for the world to see has helped him "live up to things that I wouldn't have done otherwise." In fact, it is the "gift of working with challenges" that has provided a surprising source of motivation to continue creating his vision of a sustainable society.

When asked what one action individuals can take to bring about the change they want to see in the world, Trathen's answer is simple: "Believe that every choice you make matters and embody your vision into being." Though this may sound trite, or maybe even too simple, it exemplifies the hard work of Daily Acts and Green Sangha, as well as the important shift in dialogue they are helping to bring about. In the face of despair, they are spreading the good word that the better world we want will transpire if we merely embrace it every day. Across a nation and a planet, this perspective will result in a snowball of loving action that dowses the flames nipping at society's feet. Trathen likes to paraphrase Peace Pilgrim: "find your highest light, schedule it, and then live it." "After all," he says, "it's how you show up that matters."