JoinaTeam
So,youwanttochangetheworld.Chancesareyouprobablycan’tdoitalone—norwouldyouwantto.Afterall,mostthingsaremorefunwhenyoudothemwithotherpeople.Thebestwaytopracticeworkingtogetherisbyjoiningateam.You’llmakenewfriends,feelpartofthegroup,andhavesomefun.You’lllearnhowtobeagraciouswinnerorloser,sharewithothers,handleitwhenyoudon’tgetyourway,bethereforotherswhentheyneedit,andgetalongwithpeoplewhoyoumightnotnormallyhangout with.
Therearemanysportsteamsyoucouldtryout,butdon’tgetdownonyourselfifyou’renottheathletictype.Therearealsodanceteams,academicteams,studentgovernments,newspapers,choirs,volunteerorganizations,andmanyothers.Or,startyourown club!
StandUpforJustice
Haveyouevergottenintotroubleforsomethingyoudidn’tdo?Thenyou’veexperiencedinjustice,orsomethingthatisn’tfair.Injusticehappenseveryday,insmallwaysandinbigways,likewhenentiregroupsofpeoplearetreatedunfairlyorunequallyduetothingsliketheirrace,gender,or religion.
Ittakesrealcouragetospeakupwhenyouseeinjustice,whenthatlittlevoiceinsideyousays,“Hey,that’snotright.”So,ifyouseesomeonebeingpickedonortreatedlikethey’redifferentorlessthanotherpeople,findasafewaytosayordosomething.Thatmightmeanspeakingtoateacher,coach,parent,orschoolcounselor.Oritmightmeansayingtowhoever’sbeingmistreated,“I’msorrythathappened.Youdidn’tdeserveit.
Isupport you.”
“Bethechangethatyou
wishtoseeintheworld.”
— Mahatma Gandhi, social activist
AskQuestions
Thinkofyourselfasaninvestigator—someonewhosejobitistofigureouthowstuffworksandwhythingsarethewaytheyare.Alwaysbeonthelookoutfornewleads,newexplanations,andnew information.
Curiosityisaseed,whichwhenwateredwithresearch,bloomsintodiscovery.Letyourselfwonderandaskallthequestionsyouhave—like“How?”“Why?”“Who?”“What?”—untilyoufindtheanswersyou’relooking for.
WalktheTalk
Thisissimple.Avoidsayingonethinganddoinganother.Forexample,haveyoueverbeenkindtosomeone’sface,butthentalkedaboutthembehindtheirback?Doyouknowanyonewhosaysthey’reafriendtotheenvironmentbutthenthrowsgumwrappersontheground?Ifyousaysomething,makesureyouractionsbackitup,andvice versa.
Wantmoresuggestionsonhowtochangetheworld?Read“100WaystoMaketheWorldBetter!”byLisaM. Gerry
