How to be part of this change

There is a revolution going on, gathering pace, made up of revolutionaries who have had enough of mass marketing, consumption, bad food, being told they're not enough, being driven by money alone, ruining our planet, ignoring poverty and of working in jobs that turn them into lifeless drones. They are voting with their actions. Tired of waiting for change, they are making their own changes. They are designers, entrepreneurs, developers, farmers, managers, company owners, mothers, fathers, gardeners, artists, carpenters, medical professionals, architects...Many are becoming inspired by the actions of others and are changing the way they live, the way they shop, and work. Patagonia have embraced William McDonough's "Cradle to cradle principle" with their Common Threads initiative. The Boisset Winery in France is returning to horse drawn plows and using sheep to keep the grass short, so that they can restore the depleted topsoil. Volkswagen is selling 85% recyclable and 95% reusable cars. General Electric is spending 1 million dollars a year to be able to desalinate water and reduce dependency on fossil fuels. People are increasingly shopping local and the New Economics Foundation published stats that show that when people purchase produce at a local farmer’s market instead of at a chain supermarket, up to twice the money stays in the community. Soapwalla make organic products for your body by hand and from natural ingredients, voicing a clear "No" to bad chemicals. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution has inspired people to eat healthier and more varied foods. Kaiser Permanente has changed the way that it provides healthcare to patients by using a human-centered design approach to its services. Aravind Eye hospital in India has re-imagined the hospital to be able to provide eye care to the poor and put an end to needless blindness. TOMS shoes donates a pair of shoes to a child in the 3rd world every time you buy a pair. More in the software industry are following these practices too, and turning their eye to doing social good. This respect for the world around us is reaching more and more industries and people all the time.

What you can do in your day to day life to join in:

• Be responsible for your belongings (don't throw away electrical items, clothes, pens, shoes, toys...recycle and donate)
• Be a minimalist (don't buy things that you don't need and donate the things you have and don't need)
• Shop locally (avoid buying things online when you can get them close by)
• Make wise food choices (favour organic when you can, eat things that are in season, know where your food comes from)
• Put you talents to good use (volunteer, work for an ethical company, decide how your talents will be used)
• Grow things  (learn to grow your own food)
• Slow down (learn to undo the negative effects of modern living by meditating, practicing Yoga, playing the piano,...whatever floats your boat)
• Switch off (turn off your devices, leave home without them sometimes)
• Initiate change (If you're not happy with something, find ways to change it yourself)
• Make choices (do things with awareness of why you are doing them)
• Get out into nature a lot more (walk, bike, run, stroll...)
• Make something (software, jewellery, art, music...feel empowered)
• Know that you are enough (Explore yourself, discover yourself, enjoy!)
• Educate yourself (read books, listen, ask questions)
• Meet real people (Get out and say hello)
• Be a part of your local community

May you also enjoy taking part and seeing how the little things start to change everything around you. Voltaire once said "You have to cultivate your own garden". Start with yourself and see how changing small things changes the world.