Profound Change
June 15, 2020
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” –Socrates
This twenty-five-hundred-year-old bit of wisdom found me a few days ago and kindled a light at a time when civil unrest and racial injustice roil the airwaves, stirring every feeling of rebellion, clamoring for change—real change, now.
Despite the plague wreaking havoc (BTW, I’m getting my COVID-19 test results sometime today) and our country’s historical ugly underbelly being exposed, I feel optimistic. I hear a definite beat resonating through the planet, leading toward a reform of all that has been broken for centuries.
Change is unpleasant and it is grueling, our writhing underbelly is evidence of that. If a wave of change rose over me, threatening what I know, I might lash out in fear too, but fear of change must be overcome, history must be acknowledged and learned from—amends must be made so the healing can begin and forward motion can resume. We can’t expect it to happen overnight because such a profound change starts at the individual level and spreads from there, and although it is not a one-size-fits-all, I do believe there is a fits-most alternative.
Toward the end of a favorite movie, the main character gives a brilliant speech. One of the many highlights of that speech is when he says of the United States,
Despite the plague wreaking havoc (BTW, I’m getting my COVID-19 test results sometime today) and our country’s historical ugly underbelly being exposed, I feel optimistic. I hear a definite beat resonating through the planet, leading toward a reform of all that has been broken for centuries.
Change is unpleasant and it is grueling, our writhing underbelly is evidence of that. If a wave of change rose over me, threatening what I know, I might lash out in fear too, but fear of change must be overcome, history must be acknowledged and learned from—amends must be made so the healing can begin and forward motion can resume. We can’t expect it to happen overnight because such a profound change starts at the individual level and spreads from there, and although it is not a one-size-fits-all, I do believe there is a fits-most alternative.
Toward the end of a favorite movie, the main character gives a brilliant speech. One of the many highlights of that speech is when he says of the United States,
“…America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship…”
I agree with that distinction, and in this pivotal moment in history—as a citizen of this country—I mean to recollect myself. I don’t have a platform, I haven’t won the Powerball, I’m not an influencer, and I’m sheltering-in-place to boot, but my utopian goals call for a breakthrough rather than entrenching myself in my comfort zone.
So here is what I can do; I can listen and learn; I can go high when others go low; I can share and amplify positivity; I can vote and make contributions of time and money; I can focus on improving at all levels, knowing that my efforts mean supporting and elevating myself and by extension, my family, community, city, state, the country, and the planet.
Until next time, and as always,
Happy Reading!
Stay Safe & Stay Positive
#BlackLivesMatter #NoJusticeNoPeace
Stay Safe & Stay Positive
#BlackLivesMatter #NoJusticeNoPeace