It was extremely late at night in 2019 when I got off the plane in Nairobi, Kenya, and quickly jumped into the nearest shuttle bus taking us into the city. I was there as a Trauma Specialist and Mindful Self-Compassion teacher for my second humanitarian service project in Kenya working with teens who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) on the mountainous region of Chepkurkur on Mount Elgon. To my surprise, seated next to me was Dr. Jane Goodall, the British Ethologist, Primatologist, and Anthropologist. In addition, she is a fierce advocate for hope, resilience, and our capacity for positive change. She is most famous for her 65+ years of groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in their natural habitat in Gombe, Tanzania. In addition, she founded two main organizations: Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in 1977, which has grown to 25 international offices, and Roots & Shoots in 1991, which is a global youth program empowering youth to make a difference for people, animals, and the environment.
As I was flooded with disbelief about my luck, deep down, I knew it wasn’t just luck but an extraordinary moment in my life. Realizing this, I pushed through my introversion, fear, and exhaustion to summon up all the courage inside to engage in a conversation with this incredible human. In the wee hours of the night, we shared our experience of tapping into our passion as it motivates us to create positive change. Even though I had never worked with chimpanzees, I could recognize that elements of my trauma-informed therapeutic intentions using mindfulness and self-compassion were aligned with her own advocacy, promoting awareness and change through compassion, acceptance, common humanity, and forgiveness.
Lessons on hope and resilience
In her recent book, The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, which she co-authored with Douglas Abrams, Dr. Goodall investigates the attributes of hope and resilience. She emphasizes how identifying clear goals, taking action, belief in ourselves, and support from the community can shift us towards a hopeful mindset. As we connect with our core values, we can allow inspiration to shift into motivation followed by action. Even if action starts with baby steps, we must take every advantage of opportunities that may come our way. In fact, creating change can occur in any stage of our lives. Shifting towards hope can light our way through the journey of mental well-being.
“Hope is what we desire… even though we may not be able to take action. Action and agency are important for hope, but hope can survive even in a prison cell.”
Dr. Goodall emphasizes that “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.”
Creating a community of support through those we align with can be the key to understanding that we don’t have to be alone in our life’s journey. It is our decision whether to internalize these powerful messages so that we can embody them towards promoting the change that we envision for ourselves, our community, and our planet. Dr. Goodall goes on to say, “Never forget that when we build longer tables, and not higher walls, we can all move forward towards a better tomorrow.”
She says, “With time and help, nature can always come back. It may not look the same, but things can once again become beautiful.” In this same way, we too can remember our humanity and resilience as we search for hope in the smallest steps we take each day, connecting with the knowledge that each of us can tap into the wellspring of our heart, our humanity, towards shifting in this very moment. Collectively, each moment of hope transforms into a bead of a pearl, and through community effort, it joins to create a beautiful necklace. We must only remind ourselves that this very moment matters, it matters in each person’s life, and it matters cumulatively in the life of every being in our global community.
“Hope is contagious, your actions will inspire others.”
Through Dr. Goodall’s wisdom, strength, kindness, and fierce motivation, I can better recognize that each of us has the capacity to choose what kind of impact we desire to create in this world. Each day is a new beginning where we can give ourselves permission to lean into moments of inspiration through connection with people, animals, nature, or our community, allowing it to motivate change.
In her life of 91 years, Dr. Jane Goodall made incredible strides not only in the fields of chimpanzee research, human and animal rights, and the environment, but also in empowering others to tap into their own reservoirs of resilience, hope, and motivation. I am truly grateful for this incredible opportunity to connect with one of my heroes.
On October 1, 2025, in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Jane Goodall passed away from natural causes. This article is my homage to a brilliant human being who will forever live in my heart.
If you are interested in reading more about my above-mentioned humanitarian trip in 2019 in Kenya, please click on https://themindfulself.com/transformations-mindful-self-compassion/
Photographer unknown.