October 1, 2008

We've all heard the phrase "be the change you want to see" or something similar. It's very touching and we all get it. There's not a whole lot to interpret there. You want something done, you're going to have to do it yourself, right? So, ideally, for a world change, you need to do what you can so that if we all are doing what we can, then we'll see the effects of those changes. Simple.

Problem is, there's just so many of us that don't know where to begin. Someone with interests in the environment may want to recycle, but the area they live in might as well be anti-recycle for all the help they are. For example, in my current city, there's no bins set up in any convenient location. The city doesn't offer any sort of recycle plan. You can go through private organizations, that cost a lot of money, require you to have your own bins to separate everything, and a spot to place said bins for pickup. However, people, such as myself, in apartment complexes more than likely will never get this option. Now, a solution could be petitioning and fighting for something. If nothing else, you may find a way to deliver it yourself to a recycling facility, but that could be miles and miles out of the way (and let's face it, gas costs so much now that that option could still be a non-option for some people). But you do what you can. Knock a couple minutes off shower time. Add a brick to your toilet tank so that it uses less water on each flush. Read your news online instead of in the paper or a magazine.

Bottom-line, there's always going to be something we can do to make a difference. Yeah, maybe we're limited. Maybe we can't recycle every little thing. Maybe we can't spend day after day cleaning up local parks. But we can make little changes in our own lives that can have a huge impact.

That's the point that I'm trying to make here. We don't have to make some big and wonderful organization that petitions for human/animal/younameit rights (there's plenty as is, see the links page for ideas and support one today!). But you can still do something to help. A friend of mine, who's currently in Kuwait, shared a story about a national that was working as a janitor. This man, who obviously did his work with pride and did it very well, probably never receives any gratitude for all his efforts (well, except for a paycheck, of course). My friend told him it looked good and thanked him. The man lit up and was happy. This story is the inspiration for this rant.

It's not the big things, but the little things. Ever hear "every life is sacred"? This is what they're talking about. We can't all invent some great innovation that will reshape mankind. We can't all cure a deadly disease. We can't all reach the minds and intellects of as many people through TV or books or the internet. But, we can change one person's life one at a time. When you pass someone one the street, offer them a smile (yes, even if they look like they might pull a gun on you). When you go through a line (whether it be the grocery/department store, fast food, etc.), say thank you and tell them to have a nice day even if they forget to say it to you. If you see the man or woman responsible for keeping a place tidy and habitable, let them know you appreciate what they've done. Any number of small, little, seemingly insignificant gestures can be the one little thing that can completely reshape that person's world.

We all know we've had our days where all we need is someone to tell us we're beautiful or smart or nice or whatever the case may be. If a total stranger would just be polite, our whole day could shift for the better. No, we may not think of these specific things happening. Instead, it's usually getting into negative mindsets of "I'm ugly/fat" or "I must be so stupid" or "Am I a bad person?" or "Why is everyone around here so rude!?" But if someone were to answer these questions with the above statements, those negative mindsets could be completely eradicated. True, we could go back to them later on, but at least for that day, that moment, our lives are brighter, which carries us on for another day. It's a little difference, but for someone, that could be the one major difference that makes all the difference.