Change What You Can

I feel it is the responsibility of man to be aware of the events going on around them, so to keep up with the world, I watch a lot of news. The downside of watching a lot of news is that it doesn’t take long to get overwhelmed by the amount of violence, negativity, fear and, unfortunately, hatred the news depicts.

Many people, including myself, often express that if everyone who thinks and acts differently would just change, the world would be a better place, and all would be well. So, at first thought, our rationale is that the future of the world lies within the powers of others and their inability to think and/or act as we believe they should.

Unfortunately, this view is naïve and only deflects the responsibility from us to others. It is easier to blame others for all the world’s problems, and while we might be individually powerless to change the broader world, we are solely responsible for our personal space in it.

You see, the choice as to whether your world is going to be a good place or a bad place lies with one person and one person only, and that is you. If we focus our attention on the bad things and how others are to blame, that is what we will find. On the other hand, if we focus on what we can control and on our own lives, and be appreciative for the things we have, we will conclude the world is a good place.

Please don’t get me wrong; no matter how optimistic or appreciative you are, there are going to be bad things that happen around the world, to you, and to your loved ones. That is just a consequence of life.

The challenge lies in deciding what you are going to do to make the world a better place.