Our world is such that it is as great as it is tragic. For every incredible part of our existence there is another part that causes us to feel deep despair. The difficulty is in challenging ourselves not to turn a blind eye, to stop believing that there is not enough that can be achieved on an individual level and to start formulating ideas that will take us away from feelings of helplessness and towards the gratification and excitement of creating a positive impact.

Whenever you are faced with a situation that tugs on your heart strings and causes you to feel a sense of despair, the best way to channel these sorts of emotions is to consider actionables. In the same way we can plan our dream future by brainstorming and taking actionable points to formulate a plan to get us where we would like to be, we can do so too for stepping up in other areas.

Asking why social justice issues exist is simply the first step in taking action, we need to move beyond asking why and start considering how we can make things better.



Don't ask what your government / corporation / [insert other authority figure, larger group or institution here] can do - ask yourself what you can do:

• Can I donate money?
• Can I volunteer time to a local charity or combine an interest in travelling with that of being charitable, eg. teach ESL abroad or use profession in a third world country?
• Can I organise an event to spread awareness?
• Can I make myself more aware?
• Can I purchase cosmetics that do not test on animals?
• Can I buy ethically manufactured clothing?
• If I need to fly, can I off-set my carbon levels?
• Can I encourage my corporation to recycle / donate unused goods to charities?
• Can I write an article for my school / college / university / work newspaper about events that broaden the knowledge of those around me?
• Can I give my old clothes to charity stores instead of selling them on eBay?
• Can I give the $70 I was to spend on a new pair of heels to the Red Cross/Salvation Army/[insert charity of choice here] instead?

Maybe there is only one or two things on that list that you can practically commit to doing, and that is fine! The key here is to recognise that making change starts with the individual, it starts with us, and all change starts small.

It is also important to realise that we don't need to completely reconcile each part of our life. For a practical example: we may work for a huge corporation but be super passionate about the environment. This does not mean that we should quit our job because the company doesn't recycle as best it should and sends senior management on frequent long and short haul flights. It simply means we should do what we can in our personal life to make as big of an impact as possible and when it comes to work, we should see if there is any practical solutions to the ethical clash you may be experiencing - again, taking action is about creating workable plans. If an opportunity exists for you to bring about some level of change at your corporation, perhaps you have found that your reconciliation is not that you should be shunning this un-eco friendly corporation but rather that you should be gently giving them a nudge in the right direction. You are where you are meant to be.



Another example could be of how to make socially responsible consumer choices. While it would be rather difficult to show our disdain towards an increasingly consumeristic society by halting all purchasing, being aware of the great ecological or social justice issues will allow you to make smarter every day choices: fair trade coffee, non-sweatshop clothing, free range egg and meat products.

The same goes for those of us who love our Starbucks, a corporation that has become the poster child for our consumerist society. We don't need to give up our caffeine fix to believe in greater equality, but how about giving as much as you'd spend on your coffee to a charity box. Making change doesn't have to be about sacrificing all of your mini life luxuries but rather about allowing your gratification to ensure you take action to see that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the sort of lifestyle you are able to.

We don't need to commit all of our time to every cause, but we can let a charitable awareness be the underlying basis for how we carry out our lives; we don't need to change our entire lifestyle to be eco-friendly, but small adjustments and smarter choices will help; we do not need to quit our job and volunteer all of our time to make a difference, but if we can sacrifice a few hours a week, that's awesome. You have to first learn to crawl before you can walk and even when you can walk, it takes practise to become a runner.

Consider the barriers to your creating actionable change and make your first plan around how to break down these barriers. If, for instance, we allow ourselves the excuse of being 'too busy', we give ourselves permission to feel indifferent. We all have weeks where we are fully booked - however, to be constantly 'too busy' to do something for someone else is all too indicative of the societal norm and we should embrace challenging this fast paced distracted reaction to charity and replace it with passion for a cause, despite our other commitments, in conjunction with our other commitments.

It's all about prioritising - we are not too busy to care. Doing something charitable might just be the perspective we all need.

What do you care about and what do you do to turn despair into action and action into change?