How To Change The World --- For Real This Time
By Yanna Solace Adofina
When you type the phrase “How To Change The World” on your favorite search engine, you would see many articles telling you how to contribute to the world's diminishing positive returns. Most recommendations are mostly vague and open to interpretation, such as sharing positivity, standing up for worthwhile causes, and saving the environment. A few minutes later, tabs upon tabs are filling up your screen and you find the same suggestions repeated several times ---- and none of them appeal to your consciousness.
The temptation to follow what the online crowd tells you is incredibly strong. It gives you society’s stamp of approval on what they think you should be spending your time, money, and passion on. But deep down, you know it’s not enough. There must be something more impactful than ticking some boxes on a to-do list made by someone you barely know.
So now we go back to the main question: how do I really change the world? Unlike most practical self-help articles, we’re not going to give you a definitive list of activities to do. We believe you can choose those for yourself. But before you dive into a life of seemingly charitable pursuits, we have some helpful suggestions you could look into :
CONTEMPLATE
If you want to be an authentic changemaker, you would have to step back and ask yourself, “Why am I doing this? What does change really mean for me? Is it something that happens when I reach the end goal, or something that occurs continually throughout the process?”
Contemplate and understand your most authentic definition of goodness and truth in this world by setting aside a specific time in your day to rest and relax. Take a few minutes to slow down, catch your breath, and just be one with yourself. Meditate and explore what makes your life full of joy and purpose. Write all of your thoughts in a journal. Knowing yourself better will help you make better changes. Your interpretation of change might be different from some, and that’s okay. Your WHY will serve as your North Star should you get lost or burnt out along the way.
TRANSLATE
Now that you have owned your truth, how do you see this translate into real life? Do you know of any events or activities that fit your definition ---- events that gave you real joy upon seeing them unfold? Reach out and get connected to your neighborhood and find out how you can help. We at lifelab work together with like-minded organizations to help bring about greater change, such as the Amani Institute, Green Planet Energy (formerly Greenpeace Energy), and reBuy Ecommerce among many others.
DONATE
Once you have found your cause, get ready to pledge something for it. Volunteer your time and effort, and make sure to commit to it. You can also sift through your belongings, and set aside items that you no longer have a need for ---- someone out there will be very grateful for it. Monetary donations are also a good way to help if you feel called to do so. In fact, one of our lifelab team members Naomi has joined an online group that promotes exchanges of preloved items; it’s a great way to encourage sustainability.
(DON’T BE) OBSTINATE
Unfortunately, not everything is going to work exactly the way you want it. It is easy to be disheartened when the change you want to see is not easily tangible; if it seems like nothing has changed at all. But this does not mean that everything you did was in vain. Every action we take, no matter how small, makes a difference in the long run.
After this, you’d probably still have a number of tabs open on your search engine and that’s okay. But this time it will be different. Whatever cause you may choose to champion, your actions will be more purposeful and your energy will flow continuously towards your goal. You get to change the world on your own terms… for real this time.