What does a change agent look like?

I love the title: "Change Agent" it sounds so official.  That some government department has a force of agents who are hired to make change.  The even better part is the reality that ANYONE can be a change agent.  Change agents are those who have taken it upon themselves to change their own behaviors, actions, or thoughts and are inspiration to help guide others.

I have to write about two change agents who recently inspired my life.  The first is an old colleague of mine from a past company.  I saw her after 18 months of not being in touch while I was skiing in Salt Lake City last weekend.  We were talking about plastics and she told me of her commitment to no longer using disposable plastic in her life.  I thought about it for a minute, looked around the lunch table, and responded - HOW on earth are you able to do this?  He answer was thoughtful and motivating.  She just chooses to live her life differently and go that extra step to not rely on the quick fixes of plastic.  She brings her own bamboo utensils with her for eating out.  She brings her own water bottle, she opts out of what is available if it is only plastic.  And she has become resourceful - finding a refillable store for her shampoos, detergents, and soaps.  I was so impressed, I thought how can I take this passion for change and implement it in my life?  I definitely think twice about my purchases and options in a different way now, trying to reduce my dependency on plastic.

My second change agent is a colleague at work who went for a run at lunch the other day.  While this might not be a big deal, it was the motivation I needed to say - exercise is that important and I should take the time to go out for that run despite what I might have on my plate at work. The best part was that when I came back from my run the next day, someone else commented on how inspired they were to see my running, that they went running later that week.

These random acts of sustainability from change agents everywhere are those motivating pieces of inspiration that influence others to tap into that part of them that wants to make the change, but for some reason is not pulling the trigger on the action.  This is why each of us must live our values in a public and passionate way.  This is the strength of human connection and the desire of being and doing more with our lives.

I wonder what I will select to commit to?  Thoughts?