Inspiration for actions, based on John Muir

“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.” ― John Muir

I recently watched the PBS Documentary Series entitled The National Parks by Ken Burns on a lazy Sunday afternoon. While watching this I ran across an American icon that I had forgotten about, John Muir. Which is whom I would like to explore more in this essay on influential leaders.

John Muir was the visionary behind our National Parks, and he was the champion of the forest, river and wild life that surrounds us. A man that never stopped learning and devoted himself to the world outside, Nature, the great outdoors, Mother Earth. He is credited with being the ‘father of the National Parks’ and co-founded the Sierra Club which is still an active conservation organization.

John Muir possessed all the traits that make a great leader effective: intelligence, confidence, charisma, determination, integrity and grit. He stood up for what he believed to be right in the face of adversity, keeping our natural areas wild and beautiful without being spoiled by capitalist pursuits. I admire John Muir and his strength and determination in the face of adversity. I think about how if he hadn’t decided to walk “anywhere that is wild” in the direction of the Sierra Mountains, Yosemite would have been exploited, Yellowstone would never exist and the countless of other natural treasures he championed to protect. It took a lot of determination and 2 grit to stand up against conventional, capitalists when they could have easily made Yosemite a themed nature park. Surrendering to materialism was not going to happen on John’s watch!

I think that John Muir would define leadership as a skill and trait. He came from a very rough upbringing and learned a lot of things the hard way, which would have been a skill he mastered. Additionally, he possessed qualities that would have been hardwired in his DNA, his determination, athletic ability and sheer will would be traits he innately possessed. Additionally, the timing of where he was and when, in hindsight, were perfect and he literally was in the right place at the right time. To be the first conservation enthusiast and environmental activist took a lot of moral character and he was the man for the job.

We are all better off because he walked this earth and as he would say, “Everybody needs beauty...places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul alike" (John Muir, 3).

Works Cited:

"John Muir Quotes (Author of My First Summer in the Sierra)." Web. 10 Sept. 2020.