Open your eyes

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

You do not have to, this very day, rescue the entire world. In fact, you won't be able to do it (alone) and that also is not your calling.

However, do every day a little bit, in your own way, and invite others to do the same, in their own way. Small acts - together - can and do have a great impact and together - all of us in our little space - we can change the world for the better and make it a better place for all of Earth's children.

All too often people think that they are called upon to change the entire world in a solo trip, like a single-handed yachtsman or yachtswoman crossing the high seas. This is not what any of us are called upon to do, for it is an impossibility. The changing of the world that is, not the crossing of the oceans though that is not something that everyone of us would want to do or could do.

Gandhi said “be the change that you want to see in the world” and that is what we are to be and what we can be. We can be and must be the change. It is not going to work in any other way. No one is going to do it for us and without us again there will be no (real) change. But it takes some effort on our part. It does not happen by itself.

Only we, ourselves, together with others of like mind and spirit, can make thins change happen, on which ever level and in which ever area.

On your own you do your own little bit. Not trying to change the world single-handed but by small steps in your own life you can do a great deal and if everyone would do the same in his life things would look quite different in a very short space of time.

It also requires the teaching of others and this teaching is best done through our own (personal) example and not through preaching. Actions, as we know, speak louder than any words and rhetoric is not what is called for here and is only counterproductive if not backed up by positive actions that can be emulated by others. In fact, rhetoric of then is counterproductive in any case and only a positive example often will change people's perception and encourage them to step out on that path themselves.

Open your eyes to see what can be done and when you learn to look then you will see how much you, even as a single individual, can do and how much impact you can have.

Too many of us when looking at the problem only see the entirety and the complexity and immediately react with a “nothing I can do there” without looking even further and closer and by doing so see not the changes that they can effect.

So, let's open our eyes and see what we can do where and join our open hands and hearts with others to effect even greater changes.

© 2015