The Personal Path to Making a Difference

When wanting to make a difference, a great place to start is to look at yourself. The way you act and think will have a ripple effect, making a difference in 1000s of ways

Here are some ideas on how you can make a difference more consciously

• Watch how you spend your money. Does your money go to companies with different values from your own, maybe through the use of sweatshop, animal testing or environmental destruction
• Pretend that everyone has good intentions, even if the methods they use may have serious additional consequences
• Join the organisations that stand for your beliefs, even if only through regular sponsorship. You will probably receive their publication which will help to keep you informed. And your support will help the organisations to make a difference in your name
• Imagine how you would ideally live. Maybe you'd only eat organic home-cooked food, live in an eco-home in a great location, have an ethical mortgage and work for your favourite charity. Now see how you can make it a little bit more true everyday
• Be very well informed, to give you the confidence to talk about your convictions
• Question everything (if only in your own mind). Pretend you're about to show a group of Martians your country. Can you explain how everything works? This will help to free your thinking and open you up to other possibilities (and if you do ever meet some Martians you'll be ready to show them 'round)
• Become a volunteer for an organisation you believe in. You'll make a practical difference and meet like-minded people