we're all here to do what we're all here to do
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One of the byproducts of spending eight months writing a book on joy and activism is … well, thinking a lot about joy and activism. It means I talk about it a lot as well. And a surprising number of friends of mine have shared that activism is something that they’ve never felt comfortable with — I suspect because activism is often contentious. But activism isn't just about getting tear-gassed, or standing in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square (although it certainly includes both). Activism can be quieter.
Like letter-writing. Or volunteering. Or starting a nonprofit. Or even making art.
After interviewing all the people and doing all the research I did to write the book, I came up with a new definition of who gets to call themselves an activist:
an activist is anyone whose values lead them to purposeful action, in the hopes of making the world brighter for others.
All of the elements of this definition are important, I think: to be called activism, there needs to be an action, of course, but it needs to be one that’s propelled by your values — it’s not merely a small act done without much thought that happens to help someone, but rather one that you have no choice but do, because to do otherwise would mean failing to stand in your integrity. And any act of activism, I think, must be on behalf of more than just yourself, or your immediate family: what you’re working toward needs to be for the benefit of others who you may not even know.
When we think of activism in this way, suddenly it doesn’t seem as intimidating, right? And the idea of doing something full of purpose and meaning to help others — well, that’s got to feel good. Figure out a way to use your gifts or passions as part of that purposeful act, now that sounds an awful lot like fun.
A couple of days ago, I was watching a video on Dr. Bertice Berry’s Instagram account, and she talked about a game she used to play at her kids’ school, where she would tell them, “we’re all here to do what we’re all here to do.” She challenged them to come up with their superpowers, and how they can help people. You can watch the video here, or by clicking the image below:
As we start the new year — a year where there’s so much work to do, and it will take all of our voices to do it — I’ll invite you to consider, what are you here to do? How can you practice some activism this year?
don't forget to mark the milestones.