Be the Change: Be the change that you want to see in the world. You don’t need to speak a language fluently, you don’t need a degree, you don’t need to have power or influence and you certainly don’t need to be elected….change always starts with one person and that person is you.
Big and small things don’t exist: Know that everything you do, every choice you make, every sentence you write and every word you speak (or don’t speak) truly matters. There are no small or big things in the world…how we live our lives goes a long way in shaping how things can be in our homes, community, country and the world.
The balance between creating and discovering: We all have the potential to do and be great things in the world. It is not so much something we create as it is to be discovered. It is up to you to discover what your purpose is, believe that you can and will make a difference and then act on it.
Everything starts with me: Always take personal responsibility. Never think that “this is not my job” or “what can I do? I am only one person!”…because guess what? That is a cop out. Imagine if everyone thought that way? You don’t really need anyone’s permission to make changes. Remember “if it has to be me, it’s up to me and it definitely starts with me.”
It’s about what and why, not how: Don’t put things off because you got caught up with the how of things. Be clear about the what and the why – meaning what you want to change and why you want to change it. Focus on these two ideas and trust me, the how will come. Because in the end, what is important is the decision making, not the problem solving.
Be AWARE: There is a reason why I am stressing on the word AWARENESS and that is because it is the genesis of change. How can we change something we are not aware of and we haven’t acknowledged? By being aware and being able to critically think for ourselves is the first step to beginning the process of change, and of truly making an impact.
Get involved: To get involved you need to be aware of what is going on around you. Maybe you want to donate and maybe you want to make time to do something…whatever your choice is, there are so many ways that you can get involved. Look out for friends who volunteer, for nonprofit organizations on Face Book and online that you can join in for projects…it is as easy as dropping a mail or making a call….all you have to do is ask.
Live consciously: How do we deal with the challenges we face in a constructive manner? It is by living consciously.
And how do we live consciously? It is through the power of choice. You choose to not litter on the ground, you choose to take time out to help someone, you choose to volunteer, you choose to switch the fans off when you leave, you choose to donate your clothes, you choose to be a compassionate person….I could go on. Never take what you hear or see at face value. Open your eyes and find out for yourself. Listen to all sorts of opinions, open yourself up to meeting different kinds of people and keep on learning. This is how you live consciously.
Change starts today: A lot of people say “I would love to help but where is the time?” or wait for things to be right in order to begin. But when is the right time? And why do we want to wait? Change is never easy, it is often messy but as Teddy Roosevelt once said “Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are.” That is what counts.
And it starts with you: What does Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Clara Barton, Rosa Parks, Paul Rusesabagina, Oskar Schindler, Eleanor Roosevelt, Wang Weilin, Marla Ruzicka and Rachel Corrie (people whose lives have inspired
me and taught me many a lesson) have in common? They stood up for what they believed in. My point is, look at history….significant change has happened not because of armies, governments, nations…it happened because of the courage and commitment of people. |
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