Thursday, February 3, 2011

First thoughts


By Davi Kallman

I am a firm believer that a picture is more than a thousand words, but taking that a step further, a single positive act can then is worth more than even a picture. The notion of positive deviance it’s centered on acting rather than simply thinking, hence its foundation focuses on “acting into a new way of thinking”. While the concept of positive deviance is merely words in itself, the meaning that we put behind those words is what brings about certain actions that have positive effects on us and our immediate communities. 

Often we are concerned with changing everything around us to make it a more positive environment, when in reality the change we wish to see needs to start from within. This reminds me of a story I heard in my Healthy Communities class, which focuses on how change comes from within.
                “When I was 20 years old, I wanted to change the world. But then I learned that the world is too big a place to change. So, when I was 20 years old, I wanted to change my country. But then I learned that my country is too big a place to change. So, when I was 40 years old, I decided to change my city. But then I learned that my city is too big to change. So, when I was 50 years old, I decided I would change my neighborhood. But my neighborhood is full of people I’ve known my whole life; they are too difficult to change. So, when I was 60 years old, I decided I would change my family. But my family is made up of people who love me and whom I love. They are the hardest to change of all! So when I was 70 years old I decided I would change myself… and then I thought that if I had learned to change myself when I was 20 years old then perhaps by the time I was 30 I could have changed my family. And if I had changed my family then by the time I was 40 I could have changed my neighborhood. And if I had changed my neighborhood then by the time I was 50 I could have changed my city. And if I had changed my city then by the time I was 60 I could have changed my country. And if I had changed all of those people then maybe by the time I was 70 years old, like I am now I would have learned how to change the world.”
This story resonates with many of us that believe our purpose in life is to help others change, but as the 70 year old man learned and as many of us learn later on in life, in order to make a change, the change has to begin with us. More importantly, as leaders and changemakers we must learn how to listen.


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