Are You a Change-Maker?
How great is it that girls from Afghanistan now have access to education?
Or that families in Africa have access to clean water?
This is possible because someone became inspired to change something and then made it happen by making it easier for others to participate.
The term, “Change-maker” was coined by the social entrepreneur organization, Ashoka. Essentially, it means one who desires change in the world and, by gathering knowledge and resources, makes that change happen.
So, what is it that inspires someone to want to change something?
Fundamentally, it may be due to a particular problem that an individual is experiencing in their life. Sure, many of us have experienced some kind of problem in our lives. But what takes us from merely complaining about the problem to becoming a change-maker?
According to Asoka, Change-makers have a deep-rooted sense of empathy for others, identify a specific problem or opportunity to tackle, and give themselves permission to do something about it. But it doesn’t stop there. Changemakers are relentless. Using a combination of knowledge, resources, and determination, they push through until their dream becomes truth, and then push some more. Changemakers share the same basic motives as business entrepreneurs: achieving a change that will not only help the state of man, but reach as many people as possible. Changemakers are the force of social evolution; and anyone can become one.
For example, they can be school children in Haiti creating new traffic safety systems, American truckers preventing human trafficking, women in Nigeria who are incorporating technology to build wealth beyond subsistence farming, or even everyday people like you, who choose to use your money as a force for good.
In fact, if you are inspired to be a change-maker in some way, a great place to start is by becoming more mindful of who and what you are supporting with your money. From your everyday spending to your Superannuation, your money is being used either as a force for creation or a force for destruction.
You have a bigger impact in this world than you may realize.
