You voted. You rallied. So now what?
Finding the fire to fight in ways both big and small
A huge thanks to for first publishing this piece on her Substack. If you aren’t already subscribed to Emily in Your Phone, take a second to sign up now.
(I write at length about many of the ideas below in my new book, “Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age,” out now. Order this week get enrolled for free in Firestarter University, a year-long, online course starting in the Fall.)
You may not feel like your individual actions can make a difference, but transformative change often starts with a surprisingly small group of committed individuals. Political scientist Erica Chenoweth's research reveals what she calls the 3.5 percent rule: no government has successfully withstood a challenge from 3.5 percent of its population mobilized in sustained, nonviolent resistance.
Consider the mathematics of hope: in a nation of over 330 million people, that's only about 11.5 million people. In a mid-sized city of 500,000, it's just 17,500 people. These are significant numbers, but far from a majority.
We don't need to convince everyone to join us. Everyone doesn’t need to be a martyr. What we need is a critical mass of courageous people.
My political journey started the morning after twenty children and six educators were slaughtered inside Sandy Hook Elementary School. I sat at my kitchen table, scrolling through news coverage, waiting for someone—anyone—to announce they were going to fix this.
No one did.
I had watched shooting tragedy after shooting tragedy unfold across America, each time thinking that this time, surely someone would act. But that December morning in 2012, staring at photos of first-graders who would never come home, I had a devastating epiphany: if I wanted change, I would have to step off the sidelines myself.
As an introvert wrestling with severe ADHD and a debilitating fear of public speaking, I knew virtually nothing about politics, organizing, or gun violence policy. I didn’t have the résumé of someone destined to challenge the most powerful, wealthy special interest group in American history.
And yet.
Despite my imperfections and lack of preparedness, I stepped forward. In the face of obstacles that seemed insurmountable I knew that if you want a job done, you ask a mom.
And it turns out this mom from the Midwest was exactly the right person for the job.
The result? I led an army of fed-up Americans into battle against the gun industry for over a decade. Together, we passed hundreds of gun safety laws, stopped the gun lobby's agenda in statehouses 90 percent of the time, elected thousands of candidates who supported common-sense reform, and secured passage of the first federal gun legislation in a generation.
Right now in America, we're not navigating mere policy disagreements or partisan differences. We're confronting a fundamental test of who we are as a democracy and as human beings. The rising tide of authoritarianism, the systematic erosion of democratic norms, the willingness of leaders to abandon truth for power are threats that demand something different from us.
For everyday Americans, moral courage doesn't require running for office or leading a national movement. It looks like:
Speaking out in your own circles.
Challenge the conspiracy theories poisoning your family dinner table. Refuse to laugh at the "joke" that dehumanizes others. Correct misinformation when you encounter it, even when it's uncomfortable.
Protecting the vulnerable in your community.
Stand up for the immigrant family facing harassment. Support the teachers under attack for doing their jobs. Defend the election workers receiving death threats for counting votes. Ask yourself what issues make your blood boil. What injustice insults your soul? That fire in your belly isn't an accident, it's your moral compass pointing you toward your power.
Living your values publicly.
Don't just vote in silence. Talk about why you vote the way you do. Don't just donate privately. Explain why certain causes matter to you. Make your moral positions visible so others know they're not alone in this fight.
Let me be clear: acting courageously will result in blowback. You'll face anger, rejection, disrespect and ridicule. That's why it's crucial to remember that all criticism you receive when you act audaciously is predictable, and none of it is personal. In fact, it's proof that you're doing something right.
Ultimately, the degree to which you can grow your courage is directly proportional to the amount of blowback you're willing and able to withstand.
There is no perfect way to resist. Some people's courage looks like speaking up to family members who've embraced harmful ideologies. Others are willing to be arrested for peacefully protesting. Some organize their communities. Others run for office. There is no one right way to take action.
Yes, you'll face intimidation. Powerful interests will try to silence you. People you respect may question your judgment. But somewhere out there, 11.4 million other Americans are waiting. They're waiting for someone like you to take that first step, to speak that first uncomfortable truth, to show up to that first meeting. They're waiting for permission to stop being bystanders and start being agents of change.
Here's what I've learned through a decade of being underestimated, dismissed, and attacked: courage isn't the absence of fear. It’s the decision to act despite it. The world doesn't need you to be perfect, prepared, or even particularly qualified. It needs you to be brave enough to start where you are, with what you have, right now.
The question isn't whether you have what it takes to change the world. History shows us that ordinary people with extraordinary courage have always been the ones to bend the arc of justice.
The question is: Do you have the courage to try?
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Every step we take, small or large, makes a differnece. We have to believe in ourselves, and once we do, others will believe in us too. You can be afraid, but also be courageous at the same time. Sometimes it is the fear, along with the courage, that leads us to the destiny of making those differences in our lives that we have always wanted to make. We can, if we put our minds to it, overcome our fears if we let our courageous side in a little more than the fearful side. If I, as an extreme introvert can do it, anyone can.
How do we organize a national strike? I think that’s the next logical move. Organized labor may be the key.