It's not very often that I consciously think about making profound changes in my community or in the world. Don't get me wrong- it's not like I'm not actively looking for ways to pad my resume... CLEARLY I would love to be able to say,
"Sure, I found the cure for cancer. I CHANGED the course of modern medicine as we know it. Oh, yeah and I also solved the socio-economic disparity problems that plague our country and I found a way to make higher education more affordable for people in my generation. On top of that I run marathons, maintain a 4.0 cumulative grade point average and teach immigrants english while communicating with them through their native tongues of Farsi, Portuguese and Mandarin Chinese..."
But that's just not realistic. I like to think of myself however, as someone who can make change happen. Not to toot my own horn or anything [toot toot], but I view myself as having a contagious enthusiasm and mass appeal, which makes it possible for me to articulate my ideas and cultivate change by fostering momentum on terms that people can understand.
In order to be a change agent, I think that self-awareness and awareness of others is absolutely vital. It's imperative that you ask yourself, "how can I portray this idea/aspiration/cause in a way that will make others believe in it and want to consciously work towards it, as a means of achieving something different?" For me, that is what change is all about--- being new and different, not for difference's sake, but as a means of growth and continuous improvement.
Now is the time to ask ourselves what we as engaged citizens can do to change the world.
As a group we have the opportunity to foster change in our community, through our presence in it, and through the work of our able minds, as well as our kind hearts.
Tracy, I really liked what you said about how being a change agent requires self-awareness and awareness of others. I couldn't agree more. In order to be a change agent, you have to present an appealing (and convincing) case to those around you. Striving to be a change agent in and of itself is great, but a little unrealistic if you don't take into consideration whether or not you have the necessary support and willingness of those around you. In order for change to take on its true role ("a means of growth and continuous improvement") you have to be conscious of your capabilities/abilities and the motivations of those around you. Ultimately, change is a group effort- and certainly not always an easy one to fulfill! But by acknowledging a group's purpose and values, it's much easier to appeal to their wants and hopes for the community in which they are participating.
ReplyDeleteTracy,
ReplyDeleteI really agree that you need to incorporate others in the change you want to make. Usually, the change will involve others even more than yourself so you need to have them on board as well as participating! I also like how you defined change in your eyes, "continuous improvement" because realistically, we all are continuously changing, it just needs to be for the better! Seeee youuuu Wednesdayyyy!
Whitney