I am an activist

         I am an activist.  Originally I was going to go through the list of the "I am" project from top to bottom, but then my teammates started posting about leadership, and that really sparked conversations in my head about that and other things.  I was also going to write about leadership too, but then I saw the "I am an activist" and knew I had to write about that.

        Being an activist is also to be a leader, but it is more specific to a cause, hopefully a righteous and just one.  What got me thinking about this is what has been going on in our country with the protests.  Now I'm not going to dwell on that, because honestly it just frustrates me.  It did get me thinking of the type of activist I want to be, and this goes for leadership as well, which is someone who is fighting to bring more kindness into the world.  As someone who wasn't shown a lot of kindness when I was younger, I want to be that change in the world for others.  What strikes me about these protests going on now, and many others that have taken place over the course of this pandemic, is that for many of these groups, the changes they are supposedly striving for, like "freedom", isn't equal.  It's related to their cause and what they think is right only, and they neglect those with differing opinions.  As an activist for kindness, I strive for equality, because everyone deserves some empathy.  As much as these protesters frustrate and anger me, I can still find a way to be empathetic towards them, and still wish the best.  

        I'm not an activist in the way that I'll go out with my picket sign and march.  No, much like my leadership style, my approach is quieter and softer.  I'm achieving my goal one act of kindness at a time, in the hopes that those acts will ripple out into the community and beyond time.  Even if my activism of kindness only impacts one person, then it has been a success; because hopefully I have planted a seed that will continue to nurture others for years to come.