By McKenna Larson
Many students at Mines want to change the world in some way, but that is a daunting task full of pitfalls at every turn. We are bombarded by terrible news of Earth-shattering events daily which make thoughts of saving the world utterly unattainable. These overwhelming goals can also lead to the neglect of local communities and individuals themselves as we focus on the bigger picture instead of looking around ourselves. Change doesn’t come from huge actions taken in one fell swoop like Superman spinning the Earth back through time or Thanos snapping his fingers. To truly be a hero, change must start from within before expanding to the local environment and creating a better world from there.
How can I be my own hero?
Putting yourself first and making your wants, needs, desires, and goals a priority in life are the biggest steps in being your own hero. To be a self-hero one should figure out what kind of person they want to be and move towards that goal with selflove and positive, motivating energy. Be nice to yourself as you move through life and allow yourself to make mistakes on the way to your goals. At the end of the day, you are the only one who can live your life and you should be there in support of yourself.
Other ways to be a hero to yourself are seeking help when you need it, bringing joy to your life, and thinking about your value in the world. Saving the world can wait until you have discovered what you want and have learned the value of your life in the world.
How can I be a hero to my community?
Donating time, money, food, and resources to charitable organizations in the area is always a good place to start, but there are endless ways to improve the local environment. Mines students are a big part of Golden and have several resources at our disposal, meaning we have lots of opportunities for community outreach. Students can volunteer themselves or create a whole club around making Golden and the Front Range better. Clean up a park, a street, or just a yard. Volunteer at a school, an animal shelter, a hotline– anything that aligns with your values and can benefit society. Taking care of your health, both mental and physical, can also help protect others in the community just as we have been doing around campus during the pandemic. Simply being kind to others is another free way of improving the world around you on a daily basis. You can also be a local hero by using your voice to stand for those without one. Find a group that fits your goals as a contributing member of society and jump in with both feet to do something good.
How does this apply to larger change?
The world is built of thousands of communities that fit within each other in a global network made of billions of individuals. If people across the state of Colorado start to focus on helping themselves and helping those around them that could have a huge impact on our region. This change can spread across the United States and eventual reach the edges of the globe as more people discover their capacity to be heroes.
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