BE A CHANGE MAKER!

When I met my friend Karina Miotto, author of the book “Changemakers: The Courage to Change the World”, I was overcome by a wave of reflection. The conversation with Karina, a free-spirited woman, made me revisit my trajectory and my identity as a changemaker.

The desire to transform the world doesn't arise by chance. It's an internal call that resonates deep within us. It's a yearning for a fairer, more connected and more conscious world. But what is this change that I want to see in the world? And, more importantly, how do we identify ourselves as changemakers?

Being a changemaker is, first and foremost, a journey of self-knowledge. Facilitating processes of self-recognition is an arduous but vital task, a choice I made definitively in 2019, but which, when I look at my life today, I see has always been there. When we look inwards, we confront our shadows, our doubts and our fears. But it is in this introspection that we find the truth of being, the authenticity that allows us to see the world clearly and act with integrity.

Through my experience with therapeutic photography, I have come to understand that the way we see ourselves can, in fact, influence how we see the world around us. By coming into contact with images, it is possible to reveal not just an appearance, but a state of mind, a personal narrative that echoes in interpersonal relationships and interaction with the environment.

True transformation begins when we allow ourselves to exist in our truth, when we embrace our complexities and surrender to our freedom. In doing so, we not only change our perspective, but also inspire others to do the same. This is the essence of true impact: the ability to be a mirror to the world, reflecting possibilities, hopes and realities that may be hidden.

Being a facilitator of this process of self-recognition is an immense responsibility. It requires the courage to challenge established norms, to question conventions and to navigate uncharted waters. It's not about self-help, but about an internal revolution that reverberates beyond, that goes through the soul.

When we ask ourselves what change we want to see in the world, we are actually asking ourselves what change we want to see in ourselves. It is an incessant search for meaning, for purpose and for an existence that is aligned with the deepest values of our soul.

This search is often controversial and challenging. It confronts our comfort zones, challenges our ingrained beliefs and pushes us beyond the limits of the known. However, it is precisely in this space of discomfort that true transformation takes place. It's where we find our strength, our resilience and our ability to transform not only our lives, but the environment in which we live.

Therefore, being a changemaker is a choice. A choice to live truthfully, to act courageously and to positively influence the world. It's a commitment to your story, to justice and to the possibility of a better future. And that change always starts within us.

Fernanda Preto