Over the past week and throughout our lives we have all seen things which made us think “that’s wrong. That should not be allowed to happen.” But have we done something about it? Have we tried to change it?
The attitude of “what’s the point?” “What difference can I make?” is quite common.
Why?
I think it’s partly because people feel they are on their own when they want to change something or make a difference in the world. Truth is (as I’ve learnt though my SIP experience) there are probably a lot of people who would like to get involved in the some way but don’t know how to go about doing it.
Maybe it’s of being rejected by society for not conforming. Let me explain; Sometimes when you try to start something that doesn’t quite conform to societal norms you can see people thinking “That’s never going to work.” Or “He’s crazy”. For my project I was running interactive sessions exploring Hinduism through books and films, initially the vibe I got from some people was “He’s young, what is he going to know about Hinduism that I don’t already know”. I hope through the quality of my content and the manner in which I conducted the discussions I have largely laid this matter to rest but more importantly, so what? So what if I knew less about Hinduism than others? So what if my sessions were not the most mind-blowing hours of their lives? The point is to have conviction and see things through. If you truly believe that something is wrong and needs to be changed or improved, then “just do it” ignore what others think. The people who have really made a difference in society have rarely conformed to societal norms.
The other major fear is a fear of failing, of putting your utmost into something and still not succeeding. A fear of not being good enough.
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. - Edward Everett Hale
Secondly once you start something you’ll often find that more people are willing to help than you’d have thought possible. Often people you wouldn’t even think are interested will emerge out of the woodwork to offer a helping hand. It only takes one person to come up with an idea, to start something to have a huge impact. It’s up to you.
"Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. " - Barack Obama
It is always easier to sit back and do nothing, to go with the flow. At times during my 7 week experience this is exactly what I have felt like doing. Pushing myself to do as much as possible made me realise that ultimately it is up to you what you do with your life. It is easy to blame external factors but when you have an idea or you think to yourself “I should change this”. In that moment, it is your decision to make.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
The attitude of “what’s the point?” “What difference can I make?” is quite common.
Why?
I think it’s partly because people feel they are on their own when they want to change something or make a difference in the world. Truth is (as I’ve learnt though my SIP experience) there are probably a lot of people who would like to get involved in the some way but don’t know how to go about doing it.
Maybe it’s of being rejected by society for not conforming. Let me explain; Sometimes when you try to start something that doesn’t quite conform to societal norms you can see people thinking “That’s never going to work.” Or “He’s crazy”. For my project I was running interactive sessions exploring Hinduism through books and films, initially the vibe I got from some people was “He’s young, what is he going to know about Hinduism that I don’t already know”. I hope through the quality of my content and the manner in which I conducted the discussions I have largely laid this matter to rest but more importantly, so what? So what if I knew less about Hinduism than others? So what if my sessions were not the most mind-blowing hours of their lives? The point is to have conviction and see things through. If you truly believe that something is wrong and needs to be changed or improved, then “just do it” ignore what others think. The people who have really made a difference in society have rarely conformed to societal norms.
The other major fear is a fear of failing, of putting your utmost into something and still not succeeding. A fear of not being good enough.
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. - Edward Everett Hale
Secondly once you start something you’ll often find that more people are willing to help than you’d have thought possible. Often people you wouldn’t even think are interested will emerge out of the woodwork to offer a helping hand. It only takes one person to come up with an idea, to start something to have a huge impact. It’s up to you.
"Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. " - Barack Obama
It is always easier to sit back and do nothing, to go with the flow. At times during my 7 week experience this is exactly what I have felt like doing. Pushing myself to do as much as possible made me realise that ultimately it is up to you what you do with your life. It is easy to blame external factors but when you have an idea or you think to yourself “I should change this”. In that moment, it is your decision to make.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Fantastic blog. A real positive, can do attitude is what is required in society
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