The wonder years of our life were filled with a priceless innocence. When we were too young to stop and think before rushing in. When we just went by the calling of a guileless outlook. When we chased after butterflies and simple joys.
The inflection point of change is when we start acting in a measured, considered, cautious way. This makes us mere spectators of social disparity rather than prime movers of change. This leads to a follower approach rather than a leadership role. And makes us even less of a force for good.
This would be an unfortunate reverse of the wheel of progress. But today, self-starters have built movements and organisations – too many to name, many of them friends I admire – that counter this. Pioneering solutions that address issues of diversity, equality and inclusion. Creating opportunities, redressing injustices and championing rights. There are so many powerful hashtags that red-flag issues and spearhead advocacy drives. Isn’t it time then to kickstart the internal activist within each one of us?
The dichotomy lies in how much you will tolerate before you realise this is not acceptable for you or your view of the social ecosystem. By relenting, we encourage bias. By succumbing, we curtail freedom. Because there are some who take silence for weakness and dignity for diffidence.
Being a self-starter is in all of us. It begins with a sense of how we as individuals can express ourselves. It goes further to see how we can impact dialogues in a progressive society. It then spreads to how our voices can reach across the world. But when you have a point to make, you need not shout to be heard, just live by example. Be you…