A reminder of hope from Dr. Jane Goodall

Today and all days we might need a few reasons to hope

Hello friends. Over the last week I’ve been on the ground in and around Asheville, helping the people of North Carolina recover from the terrible effects of Hurricane Helene. The team at World Central Kitchen is still there—and they are working around the world, making sure that people are fed, no matter what they’re up against. Sometimes it seems that the world is falling apart in front of our eyes, and I know that it can be easy to lose hope. I don’t think any of us can afford to lose sight of something as important as hope.

Which is why I wanted to bring back some words of hope that I have shared before, but I think we need to remember always, especially today. Do you remember my podcast with my friend, Dr. Jane Goodall? She is a very positive person to be around—and she doesn’t think hope is wishful thinking, she thinks it’s about action. “I see us as a species,” she told me, “which is at the mouth of a very long, very dark tunnel. And right at the end, there’s a star shining, and that’s hope. But we can’t sit at the mouth of the tunnel and wonder when that star will come! No, we have to roll up our sleeves and we have to crawl under, climb over, work our way around all the obstacles that lie between us and the star.”

I was lucky enough to spend time with Dr. Goodall a few weeks ago in New York, where we shared a stage at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting on a panel called Everything Everywhere All At Once. We talked with Katie Couric about how many challenges the world is facing right now…climate change, wars, but we also talked about systemic solutions, how we can take care of people, make sure people in need can get fed—without damaging nature, without leaving our animal friends, our trees, our mother Earth behind. I always learn so much when I’m with Dr. Goodall…and people, can you believe she’s 90 this year? A living legend.

So I want to remind you of the four reasons that Dr. Goodall told me on the podcast for why she’s hopeful for the future, something I think we all need to hear.

Young people

“They are more aware and they are taking action…they are not just thinking of problems, they are actually solving them.”

Intellect…also known as our brains

“We haven’t used our intellect wisely. Many people are just not using their brains well. But we have so much potential!”

The resilience of nature

“With time and help, nature can always come back. It may not look the same, but things can once again become beautiful.”

Our indomitable spirit

“I’m hopeful for the people that tackle problems that are seemingly impossible and won’t give up.”

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I think Dr. Goodall is one of the wisest people on the planet. It’s an honor to get to spend time with her—and for that reason, I feel like I can respectfully offer you a fifth reason to be hopeful…something I see every day whether I’m with World Central Kitchen or in the kitchens of my restaurants:

Community

There’s an old saying that I love…when we run alone, we run fast, but when we run together, we run far. Too often we are working in our own spaces, trying to get as much done as we can without the distraction of the people around us. But in fact, the people around us aren’t a distraction…they are our support network. If we see ourselves as part of a wider community of collaborators, of cooperators, of partners…we will run far.

And with that, my friends, I hope you are all able to take these messages and see how they can shape the world around you on every level—from the personal, to the community, to the global—and never forget that when we build longer tables, and not higher walls, we can all move forward towards a better tomorrow.