“Deeds not words”

As we continue the year-long celebration of the suffragettes and their ground-breaking achievements, their movement’s motto ‘Deeds not words’ seems more pertinent than ever. The need to take decisive action in order to bring about lasting change isn’t just a collective responsibility, it’s one that individuals must also adopt. In fact, until we take individual responsibility for our lives we are often left to flounder as events pull us in all directions.

Recruitment is all action. Words form an important prelude to taking action but without doing something - that all important first step - future deeds remain but today’s day-dreams. And it’s easy to feel as if we are all drowning in a universal sea of words. We’re close to being overwhelmed with words of caution, words of fear and words of negativity. Yet, history shows us what’s possible with ‘deeds not words’. Action is the precursor of achievement. Words may describe the destination but action gets us there.

As we saw with the suffragettes, the deeds of individuals, repeated thousands of times, is powerful enough to bring about collective change. And everyday, I engage with people for whom action is now their only option or - to better frame their intentions - their best option. Standing still and doing nothing is no longer the ‘right thing to do’. To be convinced by the ‘rightness’ of your actions is to back yourself and proclaim your readiness to take on the next challenge.