The headlines are unforgiving. The scrolling text underneath talking heads paints a bleak picture. Social media is filled with doom and gloom. Most feel that we are stuck in man’s darkest hour. They can’t find hope in anything; even the simple things. Cynicism is ripe and crawls across our electorate, citizens and those with whom we share this planet. It is getting harder and harder to find ourselves in the darkness of the night we call modern day society.
I see those headlines. I read the same scrolling text. I breathe deep breaths when logging onto social media. In spite of all this, I am still filled with hope, optimism and the willingness to work. I challenge myself to retire cynicism and assume the best of intentions. I believe the dawn we seek lies within our reach. I also realize what is required of us.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who talk of things needing to be done and those who go about the business of doing. The first group gets all the attention. They fill our magazines and newspapers. They write the scrolling text. They are quick to share doom and gloom. They are “so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.” The second group is aware of the realities before the human race. These people don’t see these realities as problems, but rather opportunities. They see racist chants on buses as opportunities to have a bigger conversation. They lead those conversations. They see deteriorating relationships between cops and communities of color. They hold forums to bridge those gaps. They see little girls and women trafficked across borders and see an opportunity to volunteer. These people are doers. There are millions, if not billions of people like them. This world of ours needs more of them.
The doing is the hard part. It requires more of us. It requires us to shake off our passive nature. It screams for sleeves to be rolled up, phone calls to be made, petitions to be signed, marches to be led, meetings to be attended… It requires us to try and fail and try and fail and try and fail. Every day, those who dedicate themselves to a higher purpose fail. When they do, they reveal their humanity. The also move society forward. They serve as beacons of hope; something we should aspire to be.
I try daily to be one of those people. I fail and fail often. My ego and cynicism often get in the way. I worry about embarrassing myself or I get too concerned with getting the proper credit. With everything I do though, I try to remind myself of something simple; it is not about me. I do the things I do and focus on the work that is important to me, because I so badly desire to be a doer. The impact I make may be small. I have no illusions about my ability to change the world. I long ago retired such aspirations. My goal is simple; change someone’s world. Be a doer. Move society forward.
Thanks for entering my world,
-Natha