If you are thinking, "I'm just one person, what can I do"?
What if everyone thought like that?
It's natural for you to feel enraged, depressed and overwhelmed at all the injustice in the world, and to think 'I'm just one person' what can I do?
Thank God that not all people think like that, or we would be living in hell, literally!
Thank God there are people that take the evils of the world personal. People that refuse to sit by doing nothing, taking matters into their own hands and do whatever they can to bring about the needed changes.
It's not about you single-handedlychanging the world.
Nobody expects you to do anything by yourself. Nobody can make any real, meaningful, enduring changes all by themsleves. But if you can inspire just one person to act towards change, then that person motivates one more, before you know it a chain reaction will have been put in motion that will bring about that real, meaningful, enduring change you're striving for.
Find Your Passion!
Your passion is the only thing that will carry you through the rough patches. Try to think of five things you would like to improve or change. Start with things about yourself. Then about your school. Your community? Your country? The world? After you have a master list, try to figure out the ones that are most important to you, whether it's animal rights, the school dress code etc. Now get a couple of close friends, family, etc. to start it out.
Find your focus.
While there are many serious issues, equally worthy of attention and support, you risk spreading yourself too thinly if you spend equal amounts of energy on all of them, and as a result you will feel like a failure. i am not saying don't support other causes, but choose one or two which affect you the most, and put your energy towards these.
It's important to remember that, no matter how much you strive, you will never solve the world's problems alone- since when did being an agony aunt for 5-6 billion (and rising!) people sound like a recipe for success?! You are not superman/woman. However, apathy is not the answer either. A huge amount of the world's problems are caused by ignorance and apathy of individuals, who become passive witnesses of injustice and fail to realise the empowering truth: that small changes in their habits can result in great positive change. Consider what you are most able to have an impact on.
Some causes can be supported simply by choosing a certain product over another while shopping, while some others, without qualifications, expertise or resources can only really be supported by donating money (e.g., charities for diseases), with only a minority possessing the skills for research. However even in such a case, fundraising for causes such as these can be worthwhile in itself.
You should consider your natural abilities, skills and strengths and how you can use these to make a positive contribution in your own unique way. Don't despair of the skills you don't possess, but work with what you've got. Even Martin Luther King wasn't perfect, but he had a strong belief and determination in his own personal power to change things.
Educate and inform yourself.
This might sound like hard work, but if you're serious about implementing positive change, it's important to be as knowledgeable as possible on it, otherwise people won't take you seriously. If it's something you're truly passionate about, then you will most likely find the motivation to do this. ignorance is not your friend!
Inform others.
Inform others about your knowledge and causes. You may want to start by talking to your family, friends and coworkers, or go online, where you will find plenty of sites with likeminded people who want to help with worthwhile causes. Check out Facebook, or better yet Care2.org, which is like a Facebook for activists.
However, you must understand that not everyone shares the same priorities as you. Some of them might still support your cause. If everyone's priorities were the same, there would be serious imbalance in other areas, which would lead to chaos!
Don't get mad if some people don't agree with your cause or point of view, as they may still spread awareness of it. A lot of positive change has occurred when enough people have become aware and educated about world issues. Remember, even negative publicity is publicity!
Change doesn't come quickly or automatically.
Bringing about change requires dedication, patience, and years of chipping away at the status quo, which often has deep roots and multiple causes.
To effect any degree of change requires passion and a belief in your own power, however, ultimately your cause must be a group effort, since no individual is absolute.
I recommend you read my article, the How-to Guide to Becoming an Activist: Steps to Supporting Your Cause, then download for free, How to Coordinate a Campaign for Change, one of the many free ebooks available at Assetebooks.com without sign-up or obligations, to prepare for your activities as an activist. Then, with the help of some of the great contacts and materials from my Resources page, you will be ready to join the fight in an effective, yet realistic fashion to bring about your envisioned, worthwhile, much needed change.
Thank God there are people like you!
Written By: Tom Retterbush