Rumi famously said,
You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop ― Rumi
It does really start with one.
Did you listen to Nancy Economou’s podcast episode of how social change is a way of life for her? Nancy shared how a single experience of meeting a young girl who’s face had been burnt by kerosene changed Nancy’s life. She went from selling high end jewelry for Cartier to establishing a non-for-profit that had delivered more than 20K solar lights to some of the most economically backward people around the world. Light changes everything and by giving these people a way to get out of the darkness, Watts of Love has enabled them to gain economic freedom and financial stability – one light at a time.
If you missed Nancy’s inspiring life story, you can listen to it here.
Climate change, water shortage, deforestation, species disappearing, air quality rapidly worsening, human rights violations, environmental pollution, poverty affect us every single day. The stakes are so high and now is the time when maybe more people are paying attention. A time when we can educate, raise awareness, and inspire. A time when we can show support and show leadership.
We are all different and we may care about different issues as well as multiple issues like sustainability, slow fashion, women’s rights, equal access to education, diversity, politics, and many more. But the important thing is to care about something bigger than ourselves and care enough that we are ready to take action and become a change maker.
#1 Get educated
Start by informing yourself on the issues at hand. This is always the first step and, in many ways, the most important. Be open, step out of the bubble of your life, read, learn, and ask. All around the world, there are many international and domestic organizations that have been setup for various causes. Check out their website, newsletters or even podcasts. We don’t have to be experts on every single issue because let’s face it, that is not even possible. But we have to know what is happening in the world. We cannot afford to be ignorant.
Knowledge really is power. Knowledge and awareness are always the first steps toward action. They bring forth empathy and understanding.
#2 Start by changing yourself
A lot of changes begin by changing ourselves. We might think that it is not enough, but it truly does make a difference. We begin to get a greater understand at the issue we are passionate about and start meeting and connecting with other people and organizations passionate about the same.
CulturallyOurs was started because our founder Karthika Gupta was passionate about diversity. As an immigrant she had firsthand experience dealing with inclusion issues, fitting in and figuring out how to fit it and share her story.
A collective effort of individuals, a series of seemingly small changes can lead to something bigger. If everyone thinks that someone else should do something, we’ll get nothing done. Be that someone else, and lead by example. Start participating in protests, rallies, or marches. It’s such a simple act of activism, but so important. These gatherings attract likeminded individuals who are very passionate about the same causes, share your ideas and feel that together, you can actually make a difference. You can also start driving change in your own immediate environment and community, be it your family, your circle of friends, or your workplace.
#3 Speak up and get involved
We can all become advocates of causes and change. We may not influence millions, but we definitely have the power to influence some. Use your networks, use your blog, social media, or personal connections. Or just simply to talk to people you meet and share your knowledge. What may be obvious or common sense to you may not be the case for others.
For some people, social activism comes naturally. For others, it may be more of an effort. But if you care enough about a cause, it’s the natural next step. You can start by connecting with like-minded people. And once again, you can start small and go from there.
Use platforms like Meetup or Eventbrite to find meetings and events that might relate to what you are passionate about. Sometime local city governments have special days for the public to be involved with causes and efforts that impact the local community at a grassroots level. You can volunteer your time, offer your skills and knowledge to advance a cause. You can support social enterprises, or you can become a social entrepreneur yourself. And if you’re ready to lead in any capacity, do it.
Change can happen in myriad forms and ways. It doesn’t have to be global movements and initiatives like Watts of Love. It can be small, simple steps that can morph into something bigger and more global as time goes by and we can all be a part of it.
So, it does start with one. How are you going to be the change?
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