How to change the world.

Finding your voice, changing the narrative and realising you are, in fact, the superhero you always dreamed of being.

Photo by Elias Morr on Unsplash

When I was ten years old, I wrote a letter to the Queen.

I didn’t tell anyone about it. I remember casually asking my mum over tea one evening: “if someone WERE to write a letter to Her Majesty, how and where would they address it?”

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I wrote down my words, perhaps I drew a picture, I can’t quite remember, and posted it all by myself without telling a single soul. I wasn’t expecting anything to happen; I just had these strong emotions bubbling up inside of me and I wanted someone to hear them. And by someone, I obviously meant the most important person in the country, or even the world.

A few weeks later, to my complete surprise, I received a reply. The letter came in the post addressed to Bethanie Nisbet. (My name before I married. ) I believe my parents were a little bewildered by the postage stamp and so was I to be honest. I hadn’t been expecting to hear anything back.

I tore open the envelope while I explained to my mum what I had done. Together we read the letter. It went something along the lines of “Dear Bethanie, Thank you for your letter. We have passed it on to the Right Honourable Jack Straw. Blah, blah, blah… signed by the lady in waiting on behalf of Her Majesty.”

I was gobsmacked. I proudly took the letter into school and was immediately disappointed when my teacher didn’t show the same excitement as I had. I never understood why. But that was my first experience of voicing my opinions, building myself up to be something great, to have them tore down by my teacher. She put me back in my place.

What was in the letter?

The contents of my letter to the Queen, read something along the lines of how I wanted to be able to stop wars from happening. (Remember I was just ten, and to a ten year old, there is a small possibility you have the power to make this happen. In my head, I had the powers of a superhero and could control the bad guys and save everyone else.) I always wanted to be someone who could change the world. Riding on a wave bringing peace and harmony from my naive, young mind.

One day I WOULD change the world. I had the backing of a letter from Buckingham Palace to support me.

Fast forward a little over twenty years, and as you probably guessed, I feel a million miles away from saving the world. As I watch the morning news in despair, I feel as helpless towards those suffering, than I ever have.

I am now an adult. Working as a writer. Writing for Prosecco brands and travel companies. Hardly ground breaking stuff and unless a sudden united love of Prosecco is going to change the world, I seem to be slipping further and further away from my young, childish ambition.

But…

I am a mother.

And suddenly that makes me sit up a little.

Let’s just assess the situation here.

I may not be swinging my cape over my shoulders as I fly over two thousand miles across the world to save people from falling buildings.

I may not be leaping into rivers or fighting fires.

I may not be standing with world leaders, pledging support in the form of fighter jets and army tanks.

But I do hold the key to something very powerful indeed.

I have three small children, whom I can raise in a way that I choose. Freedom is the key.

I can teach my children, as best I can, to be compassionate, kind and thoughtful. I can show them as much of the world as I possibly can, teach them about different cultures and communities. And offer them a chance to go on and do amazing things.

We start small.

Raising money for charity. Helping a friend. Caring for family members. Recycling.

We read together every day. We talk over family tea times. My heart and mind is open and I want my children to learn this too. We all have healing powers within ourselves. It isn’t anything grand or mighty. It is about doing what is right for ourselves and others. It is learning to be resilient and confident when we stand up for what we believe in, whilst keeping an open mind to others.

So, how to change the world?

When we say we want to change the world, perhaps we need to reassess what the world means to us?

My world, cheesily, is my family.

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

If something isn’t working, for example the mad rush every morning to get out the house in time for the school bus, we can change it. I have created a “get ready” chart and will start to implement it to help our routine and stop me from becoming shouty mum. (Will report back on that.)

I was worried the kids were having too much screen time so we made a conscious effort to reduce it.

I cooked a particular meal that no-one ate and it left me feeling cross because I spent so long cooking it. I learnt not to cook that meal again.

Unfortunately, my dream of saving the BIG world hasn’t come true (yet ;) ) but I AM changing my little snippet of the world, right here within our own four walls.

And I suspect, you are perhaps too. Without even realising it.