I was having a conversation with friends the other day about their frustrations over environmental issues: how some youngsters are campaigning hard because of the knowledge they’ve gained about our collective direction, whilst others are still more interested in partying and enjoying themselves.
This phenomenon isn’t unique to this issue: there will always be those who care about a certain subject and those for whom it doesn’t hold as much import. My interest on this occasion, though was why this made my friends so annoyed.
We will never be able to change another’s actions or opinions – or at least we shouldn’t force change on another. Long-lasting change can only happen out of choice by the individual. So instead of focussing on what others aren’t doing, I suggested a better solution might be to ask what more, as individuals, they might do.
I’ve always considered the most powerful voice of change comes from those who don’t point fingers, but simply become the change they want to see.
I once sat in a room full of people holding candles. Only one was lit. For that one person to go round and persuade everyone else to light their candle would have taken quite a while. Instead, that one person simply allowed another to light theirs out of choice. Then two others lit theirs from them. Then four more. Within minutes, the entire room was bursting with light.
This, for me, is the essence of real change and the root of all I try to do today when I’m passionate about any subject. Make the changes I’m passionate about and leave others to follow freely if they’re inspired to do so.