This postI want to change the world. Is it okay to say that? :) But there’s more to it than that — I want to change it in a big way. Somehow. I don’t mean that I want to be famous for changing it; in fact, I’d rather not be. But I do want to make huge ripples for good in the pond of life, as close to anonymously as possible. (Throw the stone from a distance, a voice is whispering in my ear. But what on earth does that mean? Never mind, it’s just a metaphor.)
As I see it, there are two main ways to change the world. The first is in the day-to-day interactions you have with other people, in being kind, honest, courageous, compassionate, thoughtful, selfless, and so on. It’s by doing your duty and doing it well, no matter how small it may be. And these small things do matter. I don’t intend to neglect them while I’m working away at the larger picture. We must attend to both the forest and the trees.
And there’s the second way: not just the individual trees, but also the forest. “Make no little plans,” said Daniel Burnham, for “they have no magic to stir men’s blood.” Dream big. Aim for the sky. Don’t be afraid to make those big plans, because the world needs people who have the courage (and, heck, the insanity :)) to make huge changes for good. The trick is knowing how to make those changes, or even what they ought to be. I don’t know.
But what I do know is this: I can’t just sit around idle, wasting my time while people are dying in other countries (or even in my own country, for that matter), living in squalor, barely eking out an existence, or while others live in relative wealth but drained of all that’s truly good in life, void of happiness and hope and peace. I want to make life better for everyone. I want to do my part to wipe out war and poverty and hate and disease. I want to build Zion. And there’s a lot of work to do, so let’s roll up our sleeves and get to it.
