A woman pounds on her keyboard at the speed of light. Her earphones do the talking for her: Don’t talk to me, I’m busy. In the next room are three young professionals. One of them sorts out office supplies and cuts up pieces of paper. The second counts condoms. I'm the third, and I take a step back and observe everyone. I tell myself, This is change. This is where it starts, this is where it all happens. It's been going on long before we had the most divisive, meme-fuelled national elections. More than one person being expected to bring change, thousands of tireless, hardworking people have been in the business of bringing positive change to a country that badly needs it. None of us had to wear Spandex and capes; none of us had to wield weapons chasing bad guys around town. And neither do you, if you want to go down the path of changing the world.

Three years ago, I decided to move to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, to work for a non-government organization (NGO) called Roots of Health, locally known as Ugat ng Kalusugan. My job description entailed teaching young girls and boys about sexual and reproductive health, in response to the high teen pregnancy rates and the growing number of cases of sexually transmitted infections in the area. Whatever cause you wish to champion, working for it can be fulfilling yet frustrating, challenging yet sometimes mind-numbing, inspiring yet disillusioning. Here are a few lessons I learned while trying to be a full-time modern-day rank-andfile superhero.

CHANGE IS BORING… UNLESS YOU CAN SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE.