I’m pretty sure you’ve heard the famous Ghandi quote:  “BE the change you wish to see in the world”.

I – for one – have not BEEN the change.  Well… at least not to the degree that I want to… or that I’m capable of.

Actually, I’ve been pretty lazy in the BE-the-change department.   There’s lots of change I want to see in the world… but if it requires any kind of discomfort or effort on MY part – I’m prone to grumble complacently from the sidelines – instead of put my money (or my time… or my energy) where my mouth is.

I think most of us have become very adept at whinging and bitching about The-Way-Things-Are… but few of us are prepared for the discomfort of getting off our bums and DOING something about the very things we bleat about.  For example…

  • We whinge and complain about the huge, corrupt multi-national corporations – but we’ll continue buying their products – thereby perpetuating the cycle.
  • Or we’ll nod in agreement with the “Occupy Wallstreet” folk and the plight of the 98%… whilst paying our own staff the least amount of money we can possibly get away with.
  • We’ll agree that the world needs a Food Revolution… and then pacify our nagging kids with McDonalds’ dodgy nuggets and the accompanying plastic trinket.
  • We’ll complain about our governments’ lack of interest in our community – whilst demonstrating the ‘zact same lack of interest by suggesting that it’s *their* job to fix-it (while we passively do nothing).
  • We claim to hate racism… but when somebody in our family tells a racist joke around the dinner table, we don’t speak up.
  • We talk about how advertising campaigns and over-photoshopping contribute towards the low self-esteem of young girls… but then we gossip with our friends about “how fat” a relative has become.

Of course… I could give many other examples (and I’m sure you can too).

I dream of a better world – and a better way of living.

I think we can do better.

I think I can do better.

So… as a New Year’s Revolution… I’ve decided to start a little Facebook & Instagram Campaign with the hashtag #babysteps2BEthechange

It’s more of a Pet Personal Project… a way to keep myself accountable to YOU out there… (but feel free to join in!)

Every day, I’ll post a little photo… and a story… of various Baby Steps that I’m taking… or contemplating… or aiming towards… or struggling with:  steps towards BEING the change I wish to see – or, to coin a phrase by a new friend, Georgina – to invest in the world (and the life) I believe in.

Because I’m not perfect… and because I’m painfully aware of my weaknesses, my laziness, my addiction-to-comfort… I’m calling it Baby Steps because I deeply believe that small steps count!  Teeny-tiny baby steps in the right direction is better than no steps at all!  Tiny increments of change are better than complacent whinging-from-the-couch.   One less teaspoon of sugar in my coffee is better than 2-spoons-forever.

I don’t think an All-or-Nothing mentality is going to serve us.  In fact, I think it shoots us in the foot.

Nobody is “perfect”… nobody is “all”… nobody is getting everything right.

But – if a whole bunch of us could just take weeny little steps in the right direction – and truly began to INVEST in the world that we dream of (idealistic though it may seem)…

Well… THAT’s where change happens.

“Let no one be discouraged by the belief that there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills – against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence… Few will have the greatness to bend history itself;  but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.  It is from the numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped.  Each time a man stands up for an idea, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance” – Robert Kennedy

To make things interesting (and because I’m the type with a very short attention span)… you can expect to see #babysteps2BEthechange themes and photos covering a very wide range of topics – roughly broken down into 3 main themes:

  • Changing my mind
  • Changing my life
  • Changing the world

I’m not going to post the Baby Steps on this blog everyday (because I don’t want those of you on the e-mail subscription thingy to be overwhelmed by e-mails!)…  but, if this kind of thing floats your boat, feel free to join in on Facebook and Instagram – and post some inspiring ideas of your own!  🙂

Yay!

And Happy New Year to all!  🙂