it’s probably not in your best interests to be a catalyst for change

That is, if your best interests are to be happy everyday, to be content with life and free from conflict… being a catalyst for change, initiating change and leading that change is not in your best interests because affecting change comes at a price.

It’ll demand radical responsibility and accountability like you’ve never known it before. You will be criticised, crucified (in public and in private), betrayed and let down by even the most unlikely of suspects… it’s hard work on alllll the layers,

why would anyone want to do it?

Why would you volunteer yourself to be in that position? Why would you pursue change when you could just carry on with how things are? Relationship-wise, work-wise, health-wise, community well being-wise etc. I mean our situation may not be great and we probably deserve better, but we should be grateful for what we have, right?!

If you’re making moves, what you’re doing exposes to others what they’re not doing and where they are inadequate. Depending on the person, they might take that out on you and make it your problem to deal with. It even exposes you and gives others the license to sift through your life and find any fault to justify why you’re not ‘the right fit’. Maybe some fake ID’s in there ha but ya know what I mean.

So whyyyyy do we still pursue change? Even if we never take action, there’s still a thought, a curiosity that won’t let up,

a seed that true to its nature — continuously reaches for the light.

That is our nature. To seek out the light. “Mai i Te Kore ki Te Pō ki Te Ao Mārama,” from the potential and infinite darkness to the world of light.

We’re only here today because our tupuna (ancestors), te ira atua (the gods), dared be agents of change and separate the old world they knew in favour of an unknown one they did not; because our tupuna dared venture further than any others before them; because individuals who decided collective advancement was a worthy price to pay and so made a decision to dedicate their lives to it, come what may.

So yeah, it’s probably not in your best interests to be a catalyst for change. You’ll meet resistance internally and externally, it’ll test your capacity and commitment to the vision, it’ll test relationships and character and you will feel isolated at times. Probably a lot of the time…

and still, I encourage you to be that catalyst.

“You have come too far, not to go further. You have done too much, not to do more.” — Tā Hemi Henare. Keep in mind, the ‘you’ in this whakatauāki isn’t just referring to you as the individual either…

Tēnā tātou,

Hana.