Blog - A Thought to Ponder
A Thought to Ponder
LET’S Make the world a BETTER place…
When I read the news some days it’s very discouraging and disheartening to even just look at the headlines. There is a lot of sadness and injustice in the world today. It can consume your spirit and give off a sense of hopelessness. Ignorance is bliss sometimes when you don’t want the world's problems to drag you down, however, it doesn’t change the facts and ignoring things won’t make them better. It’s all in how you view our world today and in how you exercise your own power that makes the difference.
At one point in my life, I chose not to read the news at all because I couldn’t stand to hear about another disappointing truth, another sad story, or another unfair act for political gain. For a while when I was younger, this served me well and kept anxiety at bay. Now I have come to realize that we all play a daily role in making the world a better place and that the news only holds so much bearing on the truth and the world we are and live in.
Do sad headlines bring you down? Does injustice anger you? Does the unfair suffering in the world confuse you? Do you often wonder why bad things are happening to good people?
Does it all make you feel powerless?
Worrying about all this, toiling over what you have no power over and angering yourself at the unfairness in the world will not bring about change. That kind of attitude only contributes to it and leads to a personal suffering. Complaining or worrying does not equal change. Action equals change and we all play a role every single day in this world. We have choices. We can do nothing. We can ignore it all and pretend it doesn’t exist. We can judge and criticize and complain about it. We can be angered by it. We can be saddened by it. Or we can take action by looking at our own lives and the power we do have.
What role can you play in making the world a better place?
It starts with YOU!
Here are some world changing things you DO have power over every single day:
- Your positive or negative influence on others.
- Your ability to be selfless and giving to others – giving of your time, your resources and your love.
- Your belief systems – believing the best in people first and foremost. Having faith and believing in a higher power and divine guidance.
- Your OWN actions.
- How you behave towards the people you love most.
- Your WORDS! – words are powerful – they can build people up or tear them down – it’s your choice!
- Your choice to forgive others.
- Your choice to grow spiritually.
- Your choice in friendships or who you associate with.
- Your choice in the legacy you leave on this earth. . .
How can you leave this earth a better place?
What gifts could you leave the generations that follow?
How will people say you made them feel in your presence?
- The value you place on the pursuit of money, self recognition and worldly possessions versus relationships and happiness.
- Whether you are willing to change for the better.
- How you want to "BE" in the world – happy, generous, kind, inspiring, forgiving, loving, stable, positive or angry, edgy, self absorbed, resentful, blaming, unpredictable, unhappy, unsatisfied. It’s all your choice!
- How you raise your children if you are parent – or what kind of relationship you have with your grandchildren or how you influence young people.
- How you spend your time. . .
Do you spend your time on fruitless works? (I need not explain!)
Do you spend your time on building good solid relationships with those around you?
Do you spend your time blessing others or waiting to see what others will do for you?
- Your ATTITUDE! – Feelings come and go and sometimes it seems like we don’t have much control over them, but we always have control over our own attitude. Even when we are going through trials or things aren’t going our way!
- Your ability to include others in your life, be considerate and take the wise counsel of others in tough times and to grow in wisdom.
- Your ability to be compassionate and empathetic.
- How you treat yourself! How you take care of your body, physically and mentally.
- How you handle your own problems. . .
Do you give up easily?
Do you blame others?
Are you always trying to figure it out on your own?
OR. . .
Do you press on with faith in difficult times and with a good attitude?
Do you own your problems and recognize them as opportunities for growth?
Do you ask for help and allow help?
This list is truly endless. We all have so much more power than we think. The things we do have power over can be life changing which in turn can have a trickle effect and impact the world around us in either a negative or positive way.
We can feel sad, angered or indifferent by news headlines and think the world’s problems will never end or we can see our own role each day that contributes to making the world a better place for all. It starts with ourselves; our choices, our own behavior within our own families, our own communities and our own little worlds. These little choices are what will have a BIG impact in the world around us.
Mahatma Ghandi said it best when he said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”. And this change starts with YOU and the things you DO have power over every single day!
Making yourself BETTER will make the world BETTER!
Sheri