Prince Ea, Kerri Kelly, and Seane Corn are all Wanderlust Festival presenters. Don’t miss them and many other inspiring movers and shakers at an upcoming Wanderlust festival! For more information, click here.
In a world so big, it can sometimes be hard to wrap our heads around the concept that we—as individuals—can really make a difference and have an impact. We ask ourselves: “What can my vote, my voice, my money, and my actions really do?” Well, a lot, actually. Once you begin to recognize and understand the power that each of those things have, you’ll start to see yourself, and your values, in a whole new light. You are capable of change—read: YOU can make a difference.
Prince Ea reflects on quotes that inspire him, and remind him of how an individual can have an impact. One such quote is by the Dalai Lama: “If you don’t think that one person, or one being, can make a difference, go to sleep with a mosquito.” This reminds us that even tiny, singular beings can be hugely impactful. Once we develop an awareness of the power we have within us, our line of thinking can begin to change.
“I deeply lean on relationship and community. Both to remind me of who I am and what I’m capable of—but also to amplify our voices, and our impact so that we can really be a force for change.” – Kerri Kelly
While your personal values are the catalyst—your motivation to make a difference when and where you can—it is your value that makes change occur. For instance, you’ve decided to stop supporting and buying from companies that don’t use an eco-friendly form of production for their products. Perhaps that one less dollar of yours, and one less dollar from those with like-minded views, will be the catalyst for their change.
Seane Corn explains this theory from her point of view in the video below. She says: “If I’m not spending with them because I refuse to participate in the way in which they manufacture, or what it is they’re manufacturing, perhaps they’ll change what they do. Not necessarily because they care about my values, but because they care about my dollar. There’s an enormous amount of power in that dollar, there’s an enormous amount of power in my vote.”
Teaming up with others who share your same values can help you make a difference on a larger scale. Coming together with shared values and ideals will magnify your collective voice. Not only that, surrounding yourself with people who strongly care about the same things that you care about can be motivational, as you form a sort of support group, in a way.
Kerri Kelly understands this idea, working with others—and working together—to make a difference. As she says, she rarely does anything in “isolation.” She explains in the video below: “I deeply lean on relationships and community. Both to remind me of who I am and what I’m capable of—but also to amplify our voices, and our impact so that we can really be a force for change. An aggregate powerful force in numbers, in voices, in votes, in money.”
Prince Ea is an artist, activist, and founder of Make SMART Cool, an initiative to promote positive social change.
Seane Corn is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher known for her impassioned activism, unique self-expression, and inspirational style of teaching.
Kerri Kelly is the founder of CTZNWELL, a movement to mobilize the wellbeing community into a powerful force for change.
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Maggie Peikon is a New York native, writer, and sufferer of insatiable wanderlust. An avid endorphin seeker she has a constant need to be moving, seeking adventure in all she does. She is a lover of travel, daydreaming, fitness, thunderstorms, and her dog, Finley. Despite the fact that she has to take medication daily due to a thyroidectomy, Maggie still believes that laughter will always be the best medicine. Follow her musings on Instagram and Twitter.