Think Globally, Act Locally

In the past 10 years, activism and civic engagement has changed. I can remember that in the 2000 election, the youth vote was sadly sparse. From an initial outgrowth beginning in the 80's, technology was near it's peak and young people didn't have time to worry about politics, they were too focused on all the gadgets and gizmo's that caught their eye. Consumerism too was on the rise and we all had too much "stuff." Back to the initial question and a tie in to prevention and health. 

How you interpret this phrase I'm taking a closer look at, within your knowledge of the past, the present and your daily life, can impact the way you conduct yourself and engage with your environment. To effectively act as change agents and promoters of overall good health, we must start locally, beginning with ourselves. To do good in our communities in a way that can be lasting, we must understand what is of most importance to our friends and neighbors. We'll never have all the answers, but if we choose to broaden our frame of mind, we just might come up with some great ideas or connect with an effort that's participating in something really exciting and beneficial to our world. 

There are many ways to spark a new flame for social change and healthy communities that support this phrase. The slow food movement, which promotes production, consumption and distribution of locally grown and raised food sources that we as consumers can promote through a conscious effort to buy and eat local. When considering the choice to adopt a child, remember the large number of children here in the US, who may not have parents, are in foster care and are in need of a home, just as those in an orphanage somewhere else outside of our borders. Reducing waste, through simple methods of saving paper, water, electricity and as we've all heard over and over, being aware of our carbon footprint. What's a good way to most importantly start with ourselves? Think big and come up with a set of first steps that we know are realistic personal goals. Start with buying local products based on what you can afford and become a loyal customer. Decide on one area of your every day life that you can begin reducing waste. The most essential in my eyes, is to find out about ways that you can be a role model for young people in your personal sphere and around the community. The most powerful tool for making a difference is when the life lessons you've gained for health and prosperity can be used to reach out and are given as a gift to someone else.