Don't Let the Kids Have All the Fun - You Can Be the Change Too!

Last week, alive had the chance to check out We Day—an inspiring initiative developed by Craig and Marc Kielburger, co-founders of Free the Children, aimed at celebrating young people for their amazing charity involvement, and empowering them to be the change they wish to see in the world.

My fellow editors Colleen, Ellen, and I had a fantastic time at the event, rocking out to the musical guests and getting a little teary-eyed at some of (or almost all of) the speakers—or, maybe that was just me. Check out Ellen’s blog post, and Colleen’s blog post for their experiences at the event.

For my blog post today, I’ll be discussing what we can do to help create positive change in our communities—even if we’re not part of the new generation. After all, why should we let kids have all the fun?

Volunteer

For our 12 Months of Wellness August theme, our challenge was to become involved in our communities, to create positive change. Check out that article for your step-by-step guide to getting out there and volunteering. No matter what your passion, skill set, and schedule, there’s a way to make a difference.

Take pride in what you do—and do it well!

One of my favourite moments from We Day was Martin Luther King III’s speech, in which he gave a very powerful message—one that, I would argue, is quite surprising, and often overlooked: “If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper,” he said, “sweep streets like Raphael painted pictures; sweep streets like Michelangelo carved marble; sweep streets like Beethoven composed music; sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry.”

What he meant by this, of course, is that whatever we do in life, it’s important to take pride in it and do it to the best of our ability, every day. Not everyone can be rock stars and pro athletes, and let’s be honest—society probably wouldn’t function too well if that were the case. Every job, no matter how small, is important.

Take action with We Day and Free the Children

If you’d like to get involved with We Day and Free the Children, there are plenty of ways to do so, and you don’t need to be a student to get on board. Check out We Day’s Take Action page for options for families, individuals, and companies, or visit the Free the Children Get Involved page for five ways to take action.

You can also download the We365 App, a new We Day initiative that connects you to a digital community helping to make a difference 365 days a year.