Day Eight

Day 8: The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who stand idly by and watch them to do it. - Albert Einstein

This quote caught my eye as it perfectly describes my feelings towards the recent Penn State sex scandal. I'm sure by now you've heard this horrific story, but if not HERE is a link to it. 


There is a lot of evil in this world, rapists, murders, child abusers, hate crimes, human trafficking, slavery, etc, so if you had the chance to stop it wouldn't you? Ask yourself would you stand up for the little guy? Would you step in when someone is getting viciously attacked if it meant you might become the victim? If your answer is no, shame on you. I'll admit it takes a whole heck of a lot of courage to stand up to someone, especially when that someone is bigger, stronger, faster, and probably more ruthless than you are. But what if you were in the victims place, would you not pray that someone would step in to help you? What if you were the difference between life and death for a victim and did nothing, how would that weigh on your conscious? At some point in our lives, we all need help. It is one thing if there's no one there to offer a helping hand; it is completely another if someone is there, but refuses to offer assistance.


Next time you see someone being abused or harmed I want you to stop and think about something before you turn a blind eye: It takes a truly evil person to harm another, but if you see if happening and don't try to stop it doesn't that make you just as evil? Is your offense any less heinous?

Se7en

I told you I was going to try my best. As you see, I'm no good at remembering to blog everyday, but I'm not giving up on my project. It may take me more than 365 consecutive days to finish, but I WILL finish. That's a promise. Here's day 7.

Day 7: "We must become the change we want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

As young professionals and as humans we all want to leave our mark on the world. We want to make a difference. But before we can affect those around us, we first have to understand change begins within ourselves. Would you be an advocate for living "green" and still leave lights on when you leave a room or drive a gas guzzling vehicle? No, you wouldn't. You'd practice what you preach.

I've always loved this saying by Gandhi, but recently one of my best friends made me view it in a new light. She said, " I don't agree with it. Gandhi implies that you can't have faith in those around you, that you must only believe in yourself and then trust everyone to follow you." While I see her point I disagree with her. I believe Gandhi is saying people must be inspired to change and that we each need take that step to be an inspiration. No one changes just because they feel like it. Something or someone comes along that propels us toward change and growth. And in the end someone has to make that first move, so why shouldn't it be you...or me? You see a need in the world, so you take a stand to meet it. It's what we do. It's how we affect change. Where would we be if people didn't stand up everyday for causes like Aids, child slavery, or world hunger?

So I say, live as you hope others will live. Be an inspiration, to yourself and to those around you. In the end, what harm could possibly from changing yourself for the better?

A Month Later Comes Day 6

Day 6: "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

I like this quote because it reminds me of someone I once knew. He had endured some of the most ghastly and traumatizing events I have ever heard of anyone experiencing. Any one these experiences would dishearten a persons outlook on life. Yet, this individual survived multiple traumas and was still the most optimistic person I have known. You would never guess by meeting him how dire some of his life experiences have been because his attitude was so positive. You couldn't help but be inspired by him. He said something to me once that has stuck with me all these years. "What's the purpose of being sad and depressed or even angry and volatile? In the end, that won't change the past or your current circumstances. You have to just take the hand you've been dealt, learn from it, and move on. There are too many reasons to be happy to waste one moment on despair."

You know what? I agree with him. I'd like to call myself an optimist, but  being an optimist isn't easy. It takes constant work and there are moments when you just want to throw in the towel and give in to pessimism. But you can't and you shouldn't.

Funf

Day 5: Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

I think this speaks for itself. Never underestimate the things you can accomplish especially when you are driven. There are no limits to the goals you can reach when you believe in yourself. Fear is an instrument used to lure us away from our potential and towards self-doubt, uncertainty, and a life full of anxiety. Don’t give in. Look up. With faith and perseverance you will succeed. :)

Oh Fo

Day 4: Learn not only to find what you like, learn to like what you find.

If you spend your life concentrating on seeking only the things you like, in the end you’ll be missing out. How can one broaden their horizons or develop new interests without trying new things? My advice? Keep an open kind, give everything a try at least once. This goes for people too. You never know when you’re going to meet someone who will change your life. So, be kind to your neighbors. Go bungee jumping. Learn a new language. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as you are experiencing this crazy beautiful thing we call life.

II and III

DAY 2: A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.

Gods glory is not something we can ever take from Him whether we choose to admit it or not. Just because we don’t recognize his sovereignty doesn’t make him any less sovereign. Saying that it does is saying we have something to do with His Glory. His glory is not because of us it is in spite of us. We are His children, His sin ridden children whom He chose to redeem through the blood of His only son. Does He not deserve everything we are, everything we do? He will forever be glorious and magnificent whether we choose to worship Him or not. Just because we wish something so, does not make it so.

Day 3: You cant romance success without also courting disaster.

In order to achieve the greatest success we must step out on the ledge, push boundaries, and attempt what others may view as unachievable. Nothing worth achieving is easily achievable and some amount of failure is to be expected to reach the ultimate success. You cannot have one without the other. The fine line between what is already done and what can not be done is successful innovation. So go, do, succeed. Change the world. :)

And It Begins

Ok so here’s the deal. Everyone is hyped up on the 365 days of photos project. You know one photo taken for everyday over the course of one year. Well I’m going do something along those lines, something with a twist. Since I spend most of my free time reading and writing I want to propose something a little different. Instead of 365 days of photos I’m embarking on 365 days of quotes. One quote for everyday for the next year. I’ll blog the quote, may jot down a few thoughts about it, who knows. Nothing fancy. Just something to think on. I like the idea. May even help my writers block. :) Kind of reminds me of my sophomore year of high school when we had to journal daily. Let’s see how this goes. I’ll do my darnedest to blog daily but in case I do miss a day…or two…which I most likely will (What can i say? Life can get down right crazy sometimes) I will make up for with extra quotes. :) So here goes.

DAY 1: Goodness is not the absence of badness. You can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right.

I think this quote pretty much speaks for itself. It’s so simple that it’s insightful and that’s why I like it. We often think of the world in black and white, right and wrong—-if you’re not doing the wrong thing you must be doing the right thing, right? Not so much. The world is tinted in shades of gray. And in order to be truly “good” we have to set out to do good, to change the world, to leave our own mark.