Being Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall’s birthday is April 3rd.  She will be 88.  By that time in life, most people have chosen to retire, slow down and live a more quiet life. But being Jane Goodall, she has done the opposite.

She has turned up the volume on her work to save the world’s wild ones and wild places. Most years she travels over 300 days giving lectures, attending meetings like CITIES, accepting honors, and visiting and inspiring hoards of school children who are members of her worldwide Roots & Shoots program. Not even the pandemic slowed down her busy schedule, albeit she did most of her meetings on line.

If there is news about wildlife, Dr. Jane is among the first to give a comment or make a widely quoted statement. Most recently she has been speaking out about the wildlife trade (as it relates to the spread of viruses), and with editor Doug Abrams Jane wrote The Book of Hope.

In every way, she is a model for hope, and a purposeful well lived life.

In celebration of my friend Dr. Jane’s  birthday I’ve highlighted 14 characteristics I consider essential to being Jane Goodall.

I believe each of us can emulate some (or all) of these attributes to help us live our uniquely best purposeful life.

Find your passion and do not waiver from it. Since she was born (I am exaggerating but you get the gist) Jane Goodall knew she wanted to help animals. Imagine if you’ve spent 20, 40, 80 years focused on one thing. You would be an expert at it. And you would achieve a lot. Most of us get taken off our path because of impatience or because of family or cultural pressures.  Find your passion and stick with it.

• Be Yourself. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind what Jane Goodall stands for. She follows her own calling and passion. That makes her both unique and highly effective. So be yourself. Everyone else is taken.

• Be disciplined. Jane has a mission-like attitude. Indeed she is on a mission, and you feel it from all of her actions. She gets the job done no matter how tired, or overworked she is. And she doesn’t complain.

• Surround yourself with influential friends. And do things for them. Jane sometimes lends her name for events her friends are doing.  She did a foreword for one of my books.  She is generous with her time and heart. And people want to be around her and give back to her as well.  Motivational teachers all tell us the same thing, “you are only as successful as the people you surround yourself with.” So surround yourself with people you want to emulate.

• Be determined. Did you know that Jane describes herself as a frail child, prone to sickness. A Doctor once told her she would never be able to follow her dream to go to Africa because she did not have the physical aptitude for it. She had to overcome her shyness in order to be a speaker?  She had to overcome many obstacles to be able to do field work in Gombe Stream, including being told she would not be allowed in the Park without a chaperone (that’s when her mother Vanne came to her rescue). Determination will get you far along your path in life.

• Adopt a minimalist mindset. Although I doubt Jane cares about the label of minimalist, she has always lived simply, even before a minimalist lifestyle was popular. Her staff told me she lives out of one small piece of luggage. And I took this photo of the bed she slept in for years in her home in Tanzania. A simple, no fuss lifestyle leaves alot of time and energy for other things besides maintaining a high end complicated lifestyle.

MORE ON BEING JANE GOODALL

• Walk your talk. Knowing who you are, and what you are most passionate about, makes you believable to others. Because meat consumption is a huge contributor to climate change, and because of the abuse and suffering animals endure in factory farms, Jane is a vegan except when her grueling travel schedule only has vegetarian options. Take a stand for what you believe in and make sure you make all your lifestyle choices reflect your values and beliefs.

• Don’t give up. In the preface of my book, Saving Wild, Inspiration From Fifty Leading Conservationists, I tell a story about the time I asked Jane, “How do you keep going despite all the overwhelming bad news in the world?” She fixed her green gold-speckled eyes on mine and said, “I never give up.” At 88 Jane is probably doing more than ever to share her cause. The words, never give up, are simple. But they can be very difficult to put into action.

• Keep a sense of humor. Even though Dr. Jane works in a field that is challenging, and at times overwhelming and depressing, she seems to remain in good spirits.

 

• Remain Hopeful. Despite the fact that conservation is one of the most difficult fields to work in, she refuses to give up hope. Having an indomitable spirit is a quality she acknowledges as important.  In fact, one of the many things Jane is known for is her focus on Hope. She has numerous books on Reasons for Hope including her most recent, The Book of Hope. “Hope is infectious,” she says. “Without hope, there is no hope.”

• Give people your full attention. If you have ever met and had a conversation with Jane you know she looks you straight in the eyes making you feel there is no one else in the room. Present, focused, and curious. All great qualities for greatness.

• Say Yes. Jane graciously gives her name to causes that are in line with the mission of her Jane Goodall Institute. That selflessness has only served to expand her name and message across the world.

• Learn to speak well. Jane is one of the best public speakers I have ever heard. Every one of her lectures has a signature beginning that initially grabs the audience’s attention. Watch her signature opening on my YouTube channel here.  She follows her crowd pleasing opening with stories that evoke emotion. I have been in the audience many times when she was speaking and I always notice people crying and laughing, both signs that the audience is taking the message to heart.

•  Be humble. Dr. Jane Goodall is perhaps the best-known name in the world related to conservation and animals, yet she remains unpretentious, simple and gracious.

We need inspiration now more than ever. And Dr. Jane continues to provide it through her work, and who she is in the world. By simply being Jane Goodall.

Happy Birthday Jane Goodall.

For more on Jane Goodall check out my post, What you don’t know about Dr. Jane.