Have you ever considered how your actions can affect future generations to come? We’re constantly reminded to always live in the present and to be grateful for it. We are taught from an early age to always be present in mind and body. Even when we do think of the future, we think about how our present-day actions might affect our own future. We hardly think far beyond that in terms of our generation or even the survival of the human race.

Now, for those of you who watched the award-winning movie Interstellar, you’d understand that previous sentence in its fictional sense and how it relates to us right now as well. I recently rewatched Interstellar, and I had many questions and thoughts about our survival as human beings. It highlights that our every action in the present day can affect our outcome collectively. You might be wondering what a fictional movie has to do with our survival as a species, but have you ever considered where we’re headed as humans on this dying planet? Is it a direction you see fit for future generations to follow?

Let’s consider climate change as an example. Every single time we choose to dispose of garbage into the oceans—it impacts the quality of marine life. Every time we choose to burn chemicals or release toxic gas into the atmosphere, we are making the air less breathable for future generations. This can stem beyond the environmental impacts of our actions. It can include everything relating to our survival—social, political, and economic. As such, I wanted to use this piece to encourage you all to make more mindful, informed decisions.

The next time you have to decide on certain tasks, try also to consider all of the consequences. This is especially important for leaders and administrators who are responsible for macro-level decision-making. Being mindful of certain decisions will make room for improvements in human life as we know it. You can examine this further through examples of our past societies and how their decisions impacted us today.

What if Rose Park never got on the bus? What if our Guyanese political leaders never fought for independence in 1966? What if Nelson Mandela never stood up for Afro-South African rights? I would imagine the results would’ve been worse than they are today if these historical figures had not taken mindful actions. You do not have to be a famous historical figure; your actions might not even make it to historical textbooks. You just have to believe that your actions are for the greater good, even if you don’t see the fruits of your labour in your lifetime.