What are you doing to "be the change you want to see in the world"?

Question

I've had the Gandhi quote roaming through my mind today, & have been asking myself this question. It seems like we spend so much time complaining about the problems of the world & how we wished things were different rather than than focusing on what we can do to make it better. Like how you can't personally make the entire world literate, but you can become a teacher, or volunteer at a reading clinic and help a few people learn how to read; and you can't solve the global warming problem on you own, but you can recycle, walk or bike instead of drive, and bring your own bag to the grocery store rather than using plastic or paper. And you can't end religious feuding, but you can be tolerant and respectful to people belonging to a faith other than your own.

You know..... things along those lines.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

: )

Answer 1

I worked for Barry Goldwater and worked against George Bush.

If God gives you a gift and you don't use it for good he takes it away, so I volunteer my art for civic, church and societal causes that help the world in positive ways.

I serve on boards.

Tithing means giving your money for God, not necessarily just to the Church. I give money to worthy people, like once a year I give a hundred dollar tip to some server with the suggestion that they pass the tip on to another server someday when they are financially able.

I support young people of promise (like Skylark) with feedback.

I gives workshops internationally for prison inmates, treatment and rehabilitation staff, and parents and teachers of children with severe emotional problems.

I have taught college and currently teach at a medical school.

I have a minor in psychology and seven years of analysis under my belt so I play the role of junior analyst and friends know they can call anytime of night. I live life so that I don't have trouble falling asleep and actually relish the process of falling asleep, so I don't mind being awakened by people in need that need someone to listen to them and mirror back what they have just said.

Answer 2

I recycle. I don't flip people off unless they really deserve it. I think one of the problems of America is that we're becoming too fat so I watch what I eat. I clean up after my dog at the park. I don't litter. I wash my hands so i don't spread the germs. I'm gonna vote for Obama.

This is a really good, Stanfordy question Lark. I dont think i'm gonna change the world but i'm starting to think you might one day!  You defanately make Y!A a better place coz i'm never bored when i read something you wrote.

xoxoxo

Answer 3

i was once one of those people who whine and complain about every little negative thing in life. i kept frowning and cursing, at the same time secretly hoping that there would be a superhero, someone who could change the world and save me from the S****y life i was living.

after bleeding my throat dry, nothing seemed to change.

it was then that i realized that no would come. and that i would only disappoint myself if i wait.

then i started to change. no, i didn't turn into Wonder Woman.i merely changed the way i looked at things, and diverted my attention from the craps of life to the positive and beautiful things, like waking up in the morning, still alive and breathing.

many people die frustrated and disappointed, because no one came.

they missed their chance.

i hope nobody else would.

hope i helped!

Answer 4

I'm going to write down what you just wrote and then do those things!!!!!

Answer 5

I like how you're hinting at doing the smaller things that everyone is capable of doing and not so much advocating that one person be a superhero and do unrealistic, large scale things. Most people who pose these kind of questions adhere to the notion that one person can change the world, but it really needs to be a "group" effort.

I personally believe one of the most important ways to make the world better is by generally raising awareness on a number of different topics, though more specifically people-focused, to lessen the extent of things like ignorance, hate, prejudice.

Reading the quote "you must be the change you want to see in the world" really made me ask myself if I was doing that. Most people I normally come into contact with through work and such, are pretty closeminded. Some to the point that they won't tolerate your viewpoint, though there are others are capable of at least listening. I realise a lot of people barely stand a chance to be accepting of others when they've been so conditioned to certain ideas basically from birth.

The most recent example of "being the change"; barely a week ago I was talking to a Palestinian girl I work with, and I had just asked her if she had watched the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. She eventually got around to saying that her entire family, herself included, began booing and shouting when the Israeli's came out.. she seemed pretty happy about this. I took it as an opportunity to ask her about why she felt proud of this, why she hated these people etc. I could see the influence from her upbringing in all that said, and in some instances, she didn't even know why she felt the way she did. I really stressed to her that despite her background or what her family thought/told her, it was essential to think for herself and not judge people based on stereotypes/generalisations or purely for their culture/beliefs, or because "her people" are against another people. I also personalised it a bit by mentioning how people in another environment could perhaps be prejudice towards her, being a scarved, muslim, Palestinian girl --somewhat surprisingly, she really took on what I was saying. Despite it being one person, that was one person who's mind was a little more open now, so i'm pretty glad about that.

Great question.

Answer 6

Just helping and being peoples friends....

Answer please!

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?...

Answer 7

What a fantastic quote! It's quite inspiring, isn't it? I agree that we must do our part to help society and that the even the smaller things we do matter.

I've been the Choir Director for my church for nine years and several of the  children have become quite  successful with their singing!

I volunteer at my daughters school every week and help children other than just my girls.

I also volunteer with a charity league.

I recycle and only use recyclable products.

My husband is a volunteer fire fighter and  support them by bringing goods, ect.

Most importantly I'm teaching my girls to be loving, compassionate people and to take pride in their work and themselves and to treat others with respect.

As others have written here you are special girl, Skylark and you are going to do really wonderful things in your life. You have a good heart and your generous. You took the time to help me write  the eulogy for my gran and you did such a great job teaching me how to do it! You would be a marvelous teacher! Most people in this world couldn't be bothered to take the time to help out a stranger like that and you did. I cannot tell you enough how thankful I am. I would have been hopeless at it without your help! Thank you for sharing the eulogies you wrote as well. They were very helpfull in writing the one for Gran and they were incredible to read. They were just astonishing! My breath was taken away by how beautifull they were! I loved the photo of you and your Nana as well. You could see the love between you two.

Your a beautifull girl inside and out and you already are making the world a better place. You definitely made it better for me at a very tough time.

God bless you!

Answer 8

im big on the whole 'live and let live'. its not necessarily about letting something live as in alive or dead, its more just letting things be and contributing to how the world works by accepting other peoples ways. acceptance is a big part in changing the world, so thats my 2 cents :)

Answer 9

I studied and continue to study/work in philosophy, science, psychology and applied ethics at a higher/tertiary educational institute... if only everyone would do so or at least have access to that kind of education, then there would be much less... MUCH LESS ignorance, stupidity and irrationality and delusion. It's a pity that a lot of people prefer to resort to their bibles and/or guns than to try to get an education and be better suited to deal with the real issues.

Such a pity that many of the so called most intelligent and evolved creatures on Earth are no more than glorified chimpanzees. But I say this with slight hesitation because it is a bit of an insult to chimpanzees who are a lot more intelligent and moral than the chimps from the USA....

Sky you are too smart to be a monkey and you will realize this when you finish your studies at Stanford. There is so much going for the USA but that is only the case within the ivory towers of secular universities. Something has drastically changed over there. I would never dare venture out onto the tainted soil of that "land of the blind",... lest I be persecuted for using my eyes, my brains and expressing my opinion. These days the lynching and prejudice just occurs in more subtle ways, dressed up as the "right" thing to do because you don't wanna hurt their feelings, because after all Chimpanzees have feelings too don't they?

But having said all of that I have enjoyed watching Michael Phelps lead by example and Team USA try to "redeem" themselves... You see when chimpanzees put their minds to it and face reality (i.e. the rest of the world, which does actually exist!) they can achieve anything... So look to the rest of the world... and be ready to compete amongst them otherwise any "dream team" may have to settle for Bronze!! "One World One Dream"???

It is not the scorn for the USA that I want to see in the world (cos that already exists!)... it is the scorn for themselves that I want to see...

Us Kids Know!

btw... i did tell you to not take anything i say seriously and if you want to live a happy life then you best ignore everything I say because i will unravel the fabric of reality in front of your eyes and reveal every stain, every scar, every hidden shame... That's what I do for a living! I work in the mental garbage disposal industry!... but most people refuse to take out their trash... they keep on reusing it and poisoning their home.

Answer 10

U r like the beauty pagent who wants world peace except u r smart and u actually have a plan...U should write 1 of those motivating self help books.

ok I

don't hate on people

use as fair trade products when they r available

walk everywhere

am a vegetarian (yey us!)

donate stuff to goodwill

recycle

am a Big Sister to a 8th grade girl and make sure preppy beyotches dont mess with her

help people on ya with their homework and give the best answers ever

give Skylark updates on Project Runway while shes living the life i want in london!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (OMG. Last night was OSM)

What the f*ck is the problem with the guy posting above me? Arrogant prick defantely isnt making the world a better place. Ignore him girl u r the smartest girl I know and he is just being an a*****e.

Answer 11

Hi you though provoking Skylark!

What u mentioned above are indeed the little things that mater.

We as citizens can change the world, by being conscient and pro-actve about the way we live!

By incorporating good habits such as taking a bag from home when we go shooping, turning of the light if you do not need it, walking a little more rather then using the car and simply by adoptin an attiitude that takes into consideration that we as individuals do have an impact on the world.

We can bring environemntal little changes by adopting good habits. Unfortunately they are not as impactful as can state actiong in forms of rules and regulation be (checking the figures can really be depresing, but never demotivating).

What is important is that the Government will only take action if there is enough political currency or reward for them in doing so.

Meaning, if there is enough awareness, then the Gov reps will benefit by introducing those laws, if they are just a few like us  and maybe some business man who would lose out from such action then things would not happen.

So we are left with ourself, as in communities of people who seek to bring about change.

We as such tend to organise our work in NGO's and pressurise Governments to bring about such change.

What we can do, what I do is:

1- Raise awareness about imprant issues

2- Research information. The media is not allways interested in telling it all. Especially if it is not politically convenient to do so.

3- Group with lik minded individuals . Join NGO's.

4- Stop and think. With all the large amounts of information, sometimes you have to find the most important bit burried like a needle in the haystack. That is because interests of some groups are better rapresented.

5- Learn how to write and reach out for people.

6- Share your experiences.

7- Understand politics, strategy of Governments.

8- Partecipate in the running of your country.

9- Generate buzz, positive ideas!

10- Be supportive and listen to those who come with such ideas, add to them (like in wikipedia, so do people add to the formation of cultures).

11. Attend a UN simulation. I attended one 3 years ago and I felt so saden that even the youth at that time fresh from school could ot come with anything better then just "You people from poor countries only want money from us" (I rapresented Zimbawe's Health Authorities who had about 20% of its people dying from Aids). I though the system was just innapropriate and there is so much to be done. And there is no system in lace to get anything done.

Under the wrong system, its just a waste of time and resources.

12. Help create better systems, research, communicate and propose innovative and creative ideas on how to do better things.

E.G, have a plan for sharing the World resources (Look a World CIA country profile. It is a wealthy nation by definition the World, with about $10,000 GDP ppp per capita, but because it is not share some in Burindy only have about $90 per capita and in Ireland is about $45,000 ). Why not how could France and Germany invent the Eu and share reources of coal and all the mines they went to war for centuries (must not forget mans superego!) How about the Wars for oil, we got one coming in Georgia, we got no idea where the world will go this way! If we continue.

For any change to be posible we need to reach a "critical mass" in public opinion.

This can be reached by  raising awareenes, which in iteself can only be reached if people care, which is even harder to reach because we have become dehumanised form the media and the politics to not really care (otherwise why would we still look at bombs falling in pther peoples countries and think that's justified somewhat, when our countries do ti, and when other do it we obvioulsy do not agree, and when its our own countrys who get bombed we go balistic!

It is tough out there but by living in one world that is becoming more and more interdependent, we will have to increase our sensitivity.

Unfortunately what I have noticed lately is that people have learend ways to not feel, and become desesitised. Instead of having more civilians from the World in say multi cultural and multiracial London we get a culture of tribes. where some races ally themself and act rude, dehumanised, racist towards others, who at tiems do the same.



Because we all live together, and there is so much competition which allways gives room for more issues such as emerging racism in order to outcompete those from certain backgrounds and say get their job.

There is so much workd to be done, to improve societies and the environement and improve the economy!  

And I think, its is all in the mind. its in the way we percive.

We must improve our perception, of our potential of doing the little things, and then advance to actually make the difference that matters!

For the little things, I recomend the book below! it is a book of action and there are so many little thing you can do from the comfort of your own home!

Maybe you can become the great writer who can create the best though provoking proposal, considering all the implications that wil open the eyesto many people and get a movement started! Those are not new ideas, we all know them, we only do not appply them , or can not manage to fit them all in a system that establish the best relationships betwen variables! Allowing more space and room for action and improvement to bring about the best synergetic result.

I mean that we want to do something, but its got to be easy and not conflict  with other interests we value!

Thumbs up BigBen, Dy, and Sass! I enjoyed reading your answers!

and yes we ought to harness new talent and encourage and support them whenever we can!

Sky we are the change we want in the world and that is what we get!

For every people deserves their governments and so do we deserve our worl in its present state because that is how much we have done! or how little!

Answer 12

I am attempting to get into public education, because I think that raising the general level of education will have most positive effect on this world.

Answer 13

ummm yeah i totally voted against bush... twice.  I tried to help change the world and make it a better place.  It just so happens that the rednecks outnumbered my vote and we got a moronic cowboy for a president.  So i can complain all i want because i tried to change the world for the better, and its still a c**p hole.... because of Bush.   Oh and i love gandhi.  He is awesome.

Answer 14

You have to be a catalyst for change or it will never happen.

Constructive thinking can cure a lot of the worlds problems.