Be the change>> Volunteer!
Have you ever thought about ways you can change the world?
I do. A lot!
Here’s a great one for you. Volunteering. Yep. Volunteering.
I’m not talking about the sporadic bits and pieces, here and there. I’ve done that over the years. I didn’t really feel like they made much of an impact. Not even a dint really. They felt more tokenistic and while good to support a cause, they kind of lacked meaning for me. You might now what I mean?
So I finally decided to bite the bullet and make more of an effort. I asked around for organisations and found Community First Development who partner with First Nations communities, whose focus is on self-determination, empowering communities to shape their own futures.
Currently, I'm collaborating with the remarkable Deborah Mellett at Nairm Marr Djambana. Their dedication to fostering community connections, healing, and inclusivity is truly inspiring. It’s been a game-changer for me. I feel like I am now making a small dint to give back to th
Volunteering is defintiely about giving back. But it’s so much more than that. It’s also about personal growth and connection. Here's what my take on it:
1. Learn First-Hand: Volunteering gives us invaluable insights into different and diverse communities, such as our First Nations communities, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of their challenges and strengths.
2. Develop Skills: We grow ourselves. We get to hone our existing skills and pick up new ones in an authentic environment.
3. Meaningful Contributions: Every effort we make, no matter how small, contributes to positive change. Whatever our skill set, we all have something valuable to offer and our actions matter. We can make a difference.
4. Expand Your Network: We get to meet some awesome people, doing awesome work for their community. Expanding the people we interact with naturally expands our professional and personal network. You never know what doors are going to open to new opportunities and collaborations.
5. Emotional Fulfilment: The satisfaction of making a difference is HUGE. Knowing that our efforts are improving lives brings a profound sense of fulfilment and purpose.
After recent events, like the disappointing outcomes of certain campaigns (The Voice) and concerning statistics highlighted in the Closing the Gap Report, the urgency of collective action has never been greater.
As volunteers, we have a unique opportunity to drive meaningful change and address pressing issues facing our communities, especially when it comes to children and overall health and wellbeing.
Together, we can help bridge gaps, foster better understanding, and create a more inclusive society. One where we genuinely care about each other as human beings.
The choice is yours and yours alone. You can wait for things to change or you can initiate the change yourself.
As Mahatma Ghandi said, we need to #bethechange we wish to see in the world.
#bethechange #changecoach #changeyourmindset #changeleadership
