There is only one way to make change in this country, when each of us takes personal responsibility to change the life around us. We don’t need a stalled Congress to tell us what to do. We don’t need to sit around and wait for someone to fix our lives for us. We have the power to change our lives instantly through our choices, our words and our actions. That’s how we create change.
Begin with the world around you
What do you need to do to change the life around you? Do you need to learn something new in order to contribute more at work? Do you need to give more thought to how to interact with those around you? Will you help others move forward? What about spending more time preparing nutritious meals so you and your family do not contribute to the obesity statistic? What about the environment you live in? Will you walk softly on our planet earth by recycling, conserving, and living simply? Begin making change right where you are. Make changes in your thinking, in your words, in your expectations. Change how you live your life. Become an example of your own values. Inspire by being an example of what you believe. Whether you choose a 1:1 interaction or find yourself in front of an organization of like-minded people, identify a part of your world you have the ability to change and set about changing it.
Change something important to you
What pleases you the most? Go tell more people about it. What creates problems for you? How could that problem be solved? Take steps to help change your world for the better. People are rallying around the Made in America campaign. Others are educating their community about Global Warming and the impact each person can make. Maybe your concern is the lives of the poor, or undereducated, or people with special needs. You may become a champion for animal rights. What is important to you and how will you personally help create change?
Use education as a cornerstone for change
When you see a problem, look for a solution you can offer. Educate yourself to the nuances of a situation you want to change. Give deep thought to what you would like to see it become. What is possible? What will help create change? Go exploring and find out what others are doing. When you find a solution that aligns with your personal values, implement it. If you see that your approach has exceptional value, set about to make it happen. Educate others. This is not about talking them into your point of view. It is about giving them enough information to make an informed decision. If you find they are like-minded, you can show them how they can take action, how they can be a part of making change in the world. How will you set about educating yourself and others so a change will occur?
Make change in your community
If three people in a community got together to figure out how to solve a problem simply because the problem exists and they have a strong desire to turn it into an asset rather than a liability, they would be a catalyst for change. They would sit down at a table and brainstorm. They would find ways to mini-test their ideas. Once they have a plan, they share it with people who can implement it on a larger scale. Try out your idea in your own community. If it works, other communities will copy it. They may adapt it and make it better. That’s how ideas spread, from person to person, from action to action. You can be a part of that.
Create action around your passion
What do you care about enough to want to help it change for the better? What are you living through that your understanding of it, if shared, will make it easier for someone else to move through the same process? Do you see a solution to a nation-wide problem that you can develop and experiment with on a local level and then offer to other communities that are in a position to put it in action? I’m not talking politics here, I’m talking person to person, creating collaborations in order to test and expand an idea. Maybe you start your own company around your idea. Maybe you create it and gift it to the world. Identifying a solution and offering it as an action step can change the world around you.
Become an entrepreneur to the world
Entrepreneurs have the ability to see new ways to do things. Apply that creative ability to community and national problems. Whether you start a non-profit to make a difference in your community or go work in a company that is making a difference or give money to a cause you support, find something you care about and help advance its cause.
Let change come from you
How would you fix the budget? How would you improve education? How would you care for the planet? How would you end obesity? You begin with yourself and those in your circle of influence. You get yourself out of debt and stay solvent. You begin to live more simply, with more awareness and gratitude. You go online, learn something new, and teach your children to do the same. You insist on pesticide-free and preservative free food. You limit your consumption, actively conserve energy and recycle what you use. You educate yourself about healthy nutrition and provide it for those around you. Then you find a few friends to join with you to educate others in what you have found. You can change the world, one person at a time, one thought at time.
