An odd statement I know, but there is a lot of truth behind it.
Take the climate for instance. It is changing due to human induced greenhouse gas emissions, which are now forcing natural tipping points. The science doesn’t care if you believe in it or not.
It is happening, and no amount of denial from crackpot Prime Ministers can stop individuals from taking personal action to address it.
That change is also happening. Many individuals and entire communities are taking action on climate change.
Let me repeat a short factual story that my daughter Amy told me tonight which proves my point.
Her friend and flatmate Kate went on a trip to Tasmania a little while ago, and stayed with some nice people. They asked her where she worked, and she told them Melton.
Perchance, they asked Kate if she knew a guy called Gavin Webber. Not only did she know this guy, but she shared a house with Gavin’s daughter, Amy.
They then asked if Kate was the naughty flatmate from the podcast that didn’t recycle properly and who Amy was grumpy at! (TGoG podcast 053).
They introduced themselves as Stewart and his partner and then went on to tell Kate that this Gavin bloke was their inspiration for living a more sustainable lifestyle and reducing their own impact on climate change.
Cool story, even cooler that it is true. This is just one example of the positive outcomes of individual actions, which are making change happen right here, right now.
There are probably many stories like it. There are thousands of individuals that demonstrate in their daily lives that change can and does happen, and they demonstrate that one person can make a difference, even when they don’t think they are.
Just like you. By being here, reading this blog or many like it, you want change.
And if you are like most of my blog readers that I have met, you make change happen every single day, probably without realising it.
Every action you take is noticed by others, and it creates a domino effect that cascades and tumbles over and over. One person changes, then another, then another. People are often inspired into action by noticing the small actions of others.
It just makes me wonder how many people each of us have motivated or touched by our daily actions.
It is probably many, many more than you think. This change is happening quickly before our very eyes.
We may shake our heads in disbelief at the shallow and short-sighted thinking of our political leaders, but it never ceases to amaze me to witness the green groundswell that is occurring all around us. I for one am proud to be a part of it.
Just remember this statement the next time you hear some crazy anti-environmental statement spew from the mouths of our well-loved PM and his cronies.
“We are the change we are looking for. Don’t wait for things to happen. Do it for yourself. Do it for your kids. Most of all, do it now!”