Activism For Beginners: 5 Ways to "Be The Change," NOW
We're three weeks in: a new American presidency, and a swiftly changing world.
For some, it has felt thrilling, for others, complete chaos. For all, I think it is safe to say, things feel different.
I haven't known how to write about it. I've shied away from my Instagram account, and had trouble even brainstorming ideas for this blog. I don't want to share anything that might contribute to the division. I only want to share what's helpful and healing.
BUT.
I can't just write about my handstand practice, and how pretty the beach is, when we are facing so much uncertainty in our nation, and in our world.
Things are different, and so am I. The events in the last year--the ugly campaign, and even uglier election; the devastation at Standing Rock; the beautiful resistance at the Women's March; the so-called "Travel Ban", ordered by our new leader--have all contributed to awakening a sleeping beast in my soul: a call to activism.
This is a profound moment in our world. Every action we take in the coming days, weeks, and months will mean something. This is new territory for me, this activism, and I am still trying to find my place in it. I know I am not alone, so I've compiled a working list of actions and habits I'm trying to implement in my own life, in the hopes that it may prove useful to you.
Please feel welcome to add your ideas and suggestions in the Comments below.
start here: 5 Ways spark change NOW
1. Start Where You Are
One of the best writings I've found thus far post-election, is a piece by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. She writes,
Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely. It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good.
Perhaps the most profound way to impact the world, is to focus on healing and growing your own community, one good deed at a time. Every healthy decision we make, every smile we share, every time we put down our phone to look our neighbor in the eye, every moment we spend listening to, assisting, feeding, clothing, communing with those around us MATTERS. Kindness, helpfulness, and generosity are powerful tools when you are working to eliminate feelings of fear, isolation, and scarcity.
TRY: Committing to one act of kindness a day.
It doesn't have to be a big deal, it only needs to arise from the intention to nourish your community. Here are some ideas:
Invite your neighbors over for dinner. Be like Dorinda and "make it nice!" Hold space for sharing, for fun, for connection.
Offer to babysit. Give a new mama an hour to do...whatever she wants.
Send the thank-you note you've been meaning to send.
Keep your neighborhood clean: go for a walk, and pick up trash along the way.
Leave an extra generous tip for your server.
Give up your seat/parking space/place in line, for someone else.
Listen. Think of someone in your life who you know is going through a rough patch. Take them out for a cup of coffee, and let them share what's going on. Or not. They might prefer to talk about anything but what's going on. Either way, let them know they're not alone by listening.
Volunteer. A few hours of your time may not seem very significant, but could make a big difference to a non-profit organization in your community. VolunteerMatch is a great resource for finding local opportunities to be of service.
Smile. This is potentially the most powerful tool you've got. And it's free, and it feels good.
Please add your ideas below, in the Comments!
2. Stay Updated: Join the Resistance.
If you haven't already heard about the Daily Action movement, please check it out. All you have to do is click this link and submit your phone number to receive one text, every day, that will suggest one simple call to action--something you can do within minutes (make a call, send an email, etc.)--to make a difference. I signed up to receive alerts last week, and I highly recommend!
3. Contact Your Representatives.
In order for a democracy to work for the people, the people must speak out! It is your representative's job to represent you. SO let your representatives get to know you!
TRY: Committing to writing one letter + one phone call a week.
This may seem daunting, I know. It's much more comfortable to just stay on the couch, scrolling through the news, fuming and/or panicking, and not doing anything about it. But you will feel better after you make that phone call. You will feel empowered, hopeful, and lighter. I promise. Here are some ideas for keeping motivated to stay in contact:
Host a letter-writing party. This idea came from a friend of mine, who has hosted a few already. Invite your friends over, open a bottle of wine, and write your hearts out.
Write yourself a script. If you're phone-shy like I am, the thought of calling a total stranger and giving your opinion on anything may have you shaking your your boots. This short script from Lifehacker has been helpful for me:
“Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [PLACE]. I’m calling to ask [REPRESENTATIVE’S NAME] to vote [YES/NO] on [BILL].”
4. Donate.
Money is a tricky subject. It's burdened by so many dirty associations, especially when it comes to politics.
But.
Money can be a an empowering force for good, and as an activists, we must nurture a healthy relationship with it.
In The Soul of Money, Lynne Twist writes,
In philanthropic interactions, we can return to the soul of money: money as a carrier of our intentions, money as energy, and money as a currency for love, commitment, and service; money as an opportunity to nourish those things we care about.
Your donation doesn't have to be big to redirect the flow of money toward healing, growth, and love. The intention, the choice, and the act of giving, are much more powerful than the number.
TRY: Committing to making a $10+ donation, once a month.
Click here for a list of organizations that could use any amount of dollars you have to share.
5. Take Care of the World by Taking Care of Yourself
Self-care is a revolutionary act. This may not be the bullet point you wanted to see. It may seem irrelevant, weak, ineffective, or straight-up boring, but you must take care of yourself if you want to be of any use to everyone else.
The world needs you to be healthy, clear-headed, well-rested, and high in stamina. Setting aside time for yourself to regroup, reconnect, and relax is not selfish. If you are serious about activism, self-care is not an "option," it's a necessity. Can you nourish and protect your own health and happiness, while fighting for the rights of others?
TRY: Committing 20 minutes of your day towards actively pursuing self-care.
Here are a few ideas:
Just do it: Meditate. This doesn't have to be a big deal to make big waves in your life. I'm not going to use this post to list all the benefits of meditation, but consider: with all the noise, all the clutter of information passing through your mind at all hours of the day, how much more effective might you be in your activism, if you've cultivated a consistent practice of clearing it all out, and starting again with a focused, energized mind? Tara Brach's free podcast for guided meditations and reflections is an excellent resource.
Eat like you care. No preaching here. Just consider where your food is coming from, where it's going, and what effects it has--on the environment, the producers, the sellers, and your body--along the way. How do your food choices make you feel? You may find that the more attention you pay to what you eat and where it comes from, the less inclined you are to choose certain foods. This isn't about going on some extreme diet, this is activism. Netflix has a plethora of food documentaries. Consider watching Cowspiracy, and Fed Up.
Work it out. Warriors gotta train. It doesn't have to be brutal, but find a physical activity that motivates you to keep going--running, kick-boxing, yoga, cycling, team sports, dance. The style of movement doesn't matter. The point is to provide an outlet for your body to channel any excess energy and aggression, and keep you healthy.
Give yourself permission to check out. It's ok to disappear for a while. It's ok to put your phone down. It's ok to go to bed early, and it's ok to sleep in. It's ok to turn all the noise off--the TV, the laptop, the news. It's ok to play, and have fun, and laugh about something silly and completely unrelated to re-world problems. Let yourself unwind. Let yourself continue on with your miraculous and light life.
Remember that more than any phone-call, or any sacrifice of your time and money, what the world needs most is YOU, HAPPY + FREE.