October 25, 2015 • 39

Announcing the Pilot Fish Trailblazer Awards

Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Carcharhinus_longimanus_1.jpg

One of nature’s most unusual “odd couples” is the massive shark and the little striped pilot fish. Instead of being the next meal for the shark, the intrepid little fish has somehow worked out a collaborative relationship. In exchange for the shark’s protection from other predators, the pilot fish scouts new feeding grounds and provides a valuable service by cleaning parasites off the shark’s gills.

At first glance, the pilot fish might seem a little crazy. Who makes friends with sharks? But the pilot fish is not worried about what other people think. Above all, the pilot fish is an original thinker, a trailblazer, swimming fearlessly into new territories and forging unexpected and unlikely alliances.

In honor of this spunky little creature, I’d like to announce the Pilot Fish Trailblazer Awards, which will nominate people from around the world for their forward thinking and problem solving in difficult or seemingly impossible situations.

I’m sure you agree that the world is at a political, cultural, and religious crossroads. We are surrounded by so much strife and so much polarity in society and in our political institutions. All around us, we hear a lot of complaints about the problems, but we see little action. We see elected officials in the government and public service guided by self-interest and greed. But amidst the noise and chaos, a few visionaries look to the future. Instead of problems, they see opportunities. Instead of complaining, they act. These trailblazers need to be recognized and honored.

They may be famous or virtually unknown. They may be alive or deceased. They may be a single person or a group of people united around a common cause. They are generous people who look beyond their own self-interests and reach out to others. Their efforts may have focused in a specific area–like politics, medicine, the arts, human rights–or they may have had a broader impact on a group of people or a society.

Why do I want to do this? Now more than ever, we need to highlight people who can offer guidance and solutions to complex problems. We need to move forward as a global society and end the stalemates that have paralyzed and fragmented our political institutions. We need forward thinkers who can see beyond the present and their own self-interests to help shape a better future for themselves, their families, and society as a whole.

Over the next few weeks and months, I’ll be posting my nominations for the Pilot Fish Trailblazer Awards. Use the voting option at the end of the post to select your favorites. I also invite you to nominate trailblazers that you know. Send me your nominations in the comment section below. Better still, contact me if you’d like to write a guest post highlighting a trailblazer from your community or country. You can contact me through the comments section below.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this! And have a great week.