Boxing gloves? Check. Mouthpiece? Check. Head gear? Check. Boxing shoes with superior ankle support (light and preferably hot pink)? Check. Dentist with impeccable health insurance? Shoot, I knew I forgot something!

DING! Uh-oh, too late. The match has started and there's 400 pounds of pure muscle eyeing your every move waiting to pulverize you to a pulp.

So you think you want to be an advocate, huh? A strong advocate at that!? Well you better start beefing up and packing on the muscle because you're going to need it. It's a tough world out there with a lot of issues that need fighting for.

Advocacy doesn't have to be a boxing match if you know how to navigate around the ring though. Here are a couple of tips on how to successfully advocate for your issues:

• First and foremost, you must choose an issue and decide if advocacy on this topic serves your current mission and value. What will your level of involvement with the issue be? You want to advocate for what you believe in and what correlates with your other views.

• Develop a plan. Decide on a goal or wanted outcome. What will your strategy be and how are you going to achieve this? Have short term goals and long term goals that will lead to your desired outcome.

• Make allies and build a team that will support your efforts. Contacts are vital in making change that is progressive and permanent. Know who the other key players in the community are, whether its local agencies, businesses, law enforcement, media, and policy makers. There is power in numbers. Advocate together.

• Communicate effectively! Know who the key players are on your team. They won't be able to help you if you can't communicate your need to them. Be a good listener. Ask lots of questions. Do your research. Bring your issue to the table with supported facts and information. Prove your need for change with concrete data and information. This is vital in gaining support for your issue.

• Be mindful of your advocacy style. You may have all the research in the world. Gandhi and Mother Theresa may be on your team. But if you burn your bridges with negative remarks, rude behavior, abusive language, and more shakes than a level 5 earthquake you most likely won't get very far. When advocating you should be firm, strong, trustworthy, and respectful. If you aren't receiving feedback for your efforts change your game plan and attack with more force, not meanness. When necessary, take your issue to a higher level of command.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Follow these tips and you won't have to worry about your contender knocking your two front teeth out with an uppercut. Advocating for change is necessary. The world will always need advocates because the world is always changing. Don't get upset. Get involved. Make an impact.

Quote of the week:

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

- Confucius

Amanda Derby is the housing advocate for Options for Independence, located at 75 Genesee St., Auburn.