Last month I had lunch with Jim, an old
friend I hadn’t seen in many years. We spent some time catching up
on each others’ lives. Then our conversation drifted to the state
of the world today and what we can do about it, individually and in
groups. How much responsibility do each of us have to make the world
a better place?
John Cali
Jim is successful in his work, which he loves. It requires him to
interact often with the public. He’s great with people of all
kinds, and sincerely cares about them.
In the restaurant, throughout our lunch, folks Jim knew passed by
our table. He invariably asked each of them "How are you?"
It wasn’t an empty, meaningless question, as it often is when
people greet one another. Jim really wanted to know how that
person was doing. And they responded warmly.
Jim didn’t talk about himself, only them. He offered them words
of comfort if they were going through a tough time. Or words of
congratulation if they were doing well. All of them walked away from
our table with a lighter, more joyful step. Jim was amazing -- what
a gift!
After the first flurry of folks had passed, we resumed our lunch
and conversation. And we batted around the question, "How can
we make the world a better place?"
Jim felt he wasn’t doing enough. He said he needed to do
something more meaningful in addition to his current work.
I disagreed with him. I pointed out how much he’d uplifted and
inspired the people who’d passed by our table. I pointed out how
they smiled and glowed after their brief conversations with him. He,
obviously, didn’t see that as clearly as I did.
I told Jim he was already making a huge difference
in the world, simply by being himself. The inspiration and
upliftment he gave those folks they would give to others. And it
would ripple out from there to the world around them, as a stone
thrown into a still pond creates ripples through the entire pond.
There’s a saying, "Bloom where you are planted." Jim
was doing that, and doing it extremely well. But I couldn’t
convince him he was already making a positive difference in the
world. "There must be more I can do," he said. "I --
we all -- have a responsibility to do more."
Does this sound like you?
Here’s Chief Joseph.
Chief Joseph
Responsibility -- what a "loaded" word that is
for many humans. It’s often loaded with a sense of heaviness, even
dread.
Think about it. How do you feel in your gut when you use
or hear the word "responsibility?"
Many of you feel that sense of heaviness and dread. There’s
little or no joy attached to your responsibilities. It’s as if you
came here to this lifetime to take on all those burdensome
responsibilities. Fun and joy went out the window.
Today your so-called "authorities" (i.e., governments,
teachers, churches, environmental groups, family even) are urging
you to accept your "responsibility."
What responsibility? Well, to begin with, your responsibility to them.
And your responsibility to make the world a better place. It’s
your duty. You must do it -- or else.
Or else what? Well, often "they" say if you don’t do
something, the world is doomed to decay and destruction.
We respond to that with one word: Nonsense!
Your world is not on a path to hell. Your human race is not
on a path to hell. You individually are not on a path to
hell.
If there is one sure path to what you might consider hell, it’s
this incessant overuse, misuse, and downright wrong use of
the whole idea of responsibility. Your primary responsibility --
first, last, and always -- is to yourselves. No exceptions.
We can hear the words of protest rising up -- "But, Joseph,
how can we make the world a better place if we put ourselves
first?"
Friends, putting yourselves first is the only way you can
make the world a better place.
When you follow your passion, do what you love, genuinely care
about people (including you) -- as John’s friend Jim is
doing -- you are making the world a better place.
You cannot make the world a better place by protesting and
resisting whatever -- war, drugs, sex, crime, governments -- you
name it.
You can make the world a better place only by working for good,
whatever you believe that to be. As your beloved Mother Teresa said,
she would not protest against war, but she would march for peace.
You can all march for peace by first creating that peace within
yourselves. Then every human life you touch, from your inner place
of peace, will be transformed, even if only a little. That little
transformation will ripple out, as in John’s analogy, like a stone
thrown into a still pond. Until it becomes a huge global and
universal tidal wave of transformation.
That is the power -- the vast, incredible power -- each of you,
standing alone, possess.
If you want to make the world a better place, first make your
world a better place. Bloom where you are planted. Then the whole
world will bloom into a truly new age of peace and joy.
Chief Joseph talks about related subjects here:
Being
Human, Being Spiritual
Conquer
and Convert
Does
Spirit Really Care?
Fighting
For Peace
God
Does Not Take Sides
God
Does Not Take Sides Revisited
Going
Against the Wind
