What does it mean to be a change maker?
Shaping cultural waters through the way we choose to swim
When I think about the word “change maker” a certain image and feeling initially comes to mind. I see a fire-y activist on the frontlines giving her all to fight for what she believes in. Or a Mother Theresa type who sacrifices all worldly needs to be in solidarity with the poor. Or an advocate-turned-policy maker negotiating deals on Capitol Hill.
Because of this, the word tends to feel inaccessible. Or that you have to pass a lot of tests to be able to identify with. I had a colleague at the Presencing Institute once say, “It’s taken me a long time to see myself as a change maker…”
To me, though, being a change maker is something different than what I described above. It’s much more commonplace and subtle at times.
And is something that I think a lot of us are already doing, whether we identify with the term or not. Especially in response to our changing world.
My personal definition
My personal definition of a change maker is anyone who is consciously aware that the way they live their life impacts the world around them, therefore choose to do so in intentional ways.
They understand that they actively shape the cultural waters around them by the way they choose to swim. Therefore they choose to swim in a way that’s conscious and aligned with their values.
This can manifest in big gestures for some people, such as moving to an eco-village or starting a co-op. And it can manifest in more common, even subtle ways: through the food they eat, how they spend money, the way they treat each themselves or others, how they build family or career.
Ultimately I see change makers as those of us who use our lives to lovingly guide and shape our cultural landscape. This looks different for each of us. But within it all, there’s a shared experience of figuring out what is means to be a human in this day and age, and how to put what we discover into practice.
What I’m currently chewing on…
Below I share some things I’m currently chewing on when it comes to what it means to be a change maker. These thoughts are bubbling up for me right now in light of my upcoming book, thinking about things like ’target audience’ (for lack of a more authentic, human term), and who the invitation of my book is being extended to.
The three things I’m thinking about in particular these days are that change makers are:
→ Cultural edge workers—engaged in an ongoing practice of reflection and contemplation about the edge they’re working at
→Pioneers and guinea pigs—experimenting and using their lives as a sandbox to do so
→ Of service to the world through their presence—through the way they practice living, and therefore embodying, their values
Invitation ~
I’d love to hear what you’re currently experimenting with as a change maker (again, whether you identify with that term of not): new things that you’re trying out, solutions to problems you’re troubleshooting, internal practices you’re engaged in.
Maybe we can even generate a little resource list in the comments? Offer each other inspiration or support on certain topics.
Here are things I can share about; ones I’ve done recently or are currently doing:
Birth and pregnancy - I had a home birth last year, approaching birth as a natural process as opposed to a medical intervention. I also approach(ed) pregnancy and birth like a job, and am aallll about support—meaning surrounding myself with a lot of support, and the belief that women and families deserve so much support when it comes to this blessed, intense, life-changing work. Happy to share my birth story or talk with anyone about this stuff!
Terracycle zero waste box - We’re currently trying this out in our home to reduce soul-crushing waste, especially now with more baby products. So far, pretty good. Just pricey. Also there’s a lack of transparency in their process, which sucks as a consumer. That said, I see my purchase as an investment in these kind of technologies; signaling to the market that there’s a demand for this.
George Kao’s Authentic Marketing teachings - Such a breath of fresh air! Alternative marketing perspective and tools that go against mainstream practices that tend to be manipulative and numbers-over-people focused. I just started my first course with him, happy to share about my experience!
Alright, change maker reflections. Let’s go:
We are cultural edge workers
I heard the term “cultural edge workers” from Vera Luísa Franco, Possibility Management trainer and coach a while back and really liked it.
It gives me great imagery for how change makers are people who work at the edge of culture through the way they live their lives. A core part of doing this, in my experience, is by being in an ongoing practice of reflection and contemplation about the world and their place in it.
There is a cultural default setting offered to us by society. This setting isn’t inherently bad; there are things about it that work. But there are also things about it that don’t work. Not for everyone (or, in some cases, anyone—looking at you, forever chemicals!), and not for the times we live in.
Therefore, there is an invitation that change makers say yes to to grapple with and figure out what works and what doesn’t within society and translate that into their lives. What within the traditional way of doing things is of service? What isn’t? What new things need to be tried out? What things are tried and true that I should build on? It is an ongoing process of questioning the status quo, unlearning inherited patterns, and trying on new ways of being that give us an opportunity to do things differently.
We are pioneers and guinea pigs
I like the perspective that change makers are both pioneers and guinea pigs of these times, who shepherd in culture change through the way we live our lives. We are pioneers–trekking out into new terrain–and guinea pigs–using ourselves as a place to try things out and experiment.
For me personally, the guinea pig metaphor rings more true than the pioneer many days. The pioneer metaphor gives me the fire I need to feel emboldened and energized to chart a new path. And the guinea pig metaphor feels grounded and humble to me. It is the permission—and reality—that this is all experimentation and play. That there isn’t a set path for me to follow. But instead, this is about using life as a sand box to build castles that are a perfect fit for today and that wash away with the rain tomorrow; eventually finding the right toys and tools that I bring with me for the long haul.
This view of being a change maker feels softer and more exploratory to me than the images I described at the beginning of this piece (ie. the fire-y activist, Mother Theresa type, etc). It is a way of being that is in response to the emergent nature of our times. That approaches things with curiosity and a willingness (and need) to learn by doing. Which includes honoring all of the slip ups and backslides and disorientation and discomfort as part of a larger dance. And that allows me to change my mind and pivot and dissolve and re-emerge as need be.
Our presence becomes of service to the world
Emotions reveal us to ourselves. ←This is one of my favorite descriptions of emotions.
From my perspective on collective healing, the emotional energy that we feel about what’s going on in the world and towards specific issues reveal our values to us. While we're not going to be able to necessarily take action, in a traditional sense, on every single issue out there, we can process what we feel about these issues in order to uncover our values, which can then inform how we live our lives.
There’s a form of leadership I see within this, a subtle one. By coming into greater contact with our values—getting clearer about what they are—we can learn to live them in strong, steady ways that have ripple effects. This practice circles me back to the previous two points—that doing so requires contemplation + experimentation—which I believe collective healing is the perfect tool to help support.
By being in this ongoing dance of reflection and play, change makers practice embodying their values and being the change they wish to see in the world. Their presence becomes of service in this way. And is an antidote to the onslaught of ego-filled opinions out there on how to be. Instead offering a subtle integrity-filled presence that speaks below the surface of it all.
Grateful to you for reading this and connecting with me in this way!
If you enjoy this, a nice way to show it is by liking, sharing, or restacking this post so others can enjoy it too.
Much love, be well
I really like the arc of this piece: going from the quite inaccessible models of change makers that we have like mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, fiery protesters who chain themselves to trees, etc. It reminds me of a quote I saw in a zero waste store in Buffalo: that it's better if millions of people did zero waste imperfectly then if a few did it perfectly. I like the guinea pig metaphor. This is all a playful experiment! I sometimes wonder what benefits my practice of clowning has? And then I have an experience like I did the other day when I was in the hospital elevator dressed as a clown and this guy told me "thank you! I needed that. My son's in their emergency room and you brightened my day." So yeah, for me, being a change maker is putting on a red nose sometimes or just wearing a bright article of clothing like my rainbow fanny pack to remind myself not to take things so seriously. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Also, doing some gardening and being a good parent to our dog. Doing a dog training class right now that's quite involved. But I realize that having a well behaved and well-trained dog is overall a good thing for society and our household. I guess meditation/journaling would be another thing I'm doing that's subtle activism. Your discussion of values and emotions is interesting. I would add that sometimes I discover crappy values that I have, that I think would be good to change. For example I might have a negative reaction based in prejudice. So I discover that I do have a deeply internalized bias and this is something I want to at least be more aware of so I'm not driven by it unconsciously. Love your piece Liz! Keep going!
Two ways I'm experimenting with being a change maker are gardening and using technology.
With gardening, I'm trying out methods that are low effort. People usually describe gardening and especially farming as something that's inherently a lot of work. I'm not convinced that has to be case. I'm using the Ruth Stout method (lots of mulch) and am having decent success. I don't water my plants and rarely mess with my garden at all. Yet radishes, beans, and squashes have been growing. My plan is to expand my plot and see what other plants work with this method.
With technology, I've been trying to find ways to use the internet, streaming and video games in the right amounts for me. It's still an experiment and it's led me to try out a lot of niche services from Google alternatives to going back to DVDs.
This was inspiring! Small actions and talking about our personal experiences can make a real difference.