Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a man of great passion. He was a political and spiritual leader in India during the India independence movement. He was a pioneer, social and political activist, and his name was Gandhi. I'm sure many of you have heard of him.
Gandhi was once asked by a reporter, "What is your message?" He responded by jotting down on a piece of paper, "My life is my message."
This is true of all of us. Our lives are our message. We can shout protests about clear-cutting forests from rooftops and think that is our message, but really it's what we do the rest of the the time that makes a difference. Gandhi could have sat in an easychair and told his friends and family about his beliefs, but if he had, what change would he have inspired? None of us would know who he is today. He wouldn't have inspired radical change during his life and the lives of many afterwards. He understood, the way most of us need to understand, the fact that without positive action towards change, our beliefs mean nothing. If we're not willing to take the time to live what we believe, to work towards social, political and environmental change, our lives and our potential is wasted.
This can be as simple as knowing it's wrong to eat animals and therefore not eating them. It could mean wanting more compassion and kindness in the world, and volunteering at a homeless shelter, donating food to a soup kitchen or simply getting to know your neighbours. Our beliefs can become manifest in our lives only by combining those beliefs with action.
Julia Butterfly Hill said "No matter the diversity of beliefs, we all know we live in a world full of problems. Yet, one of the biggest problems is that not enough of us realize that we also live in a world full of solutions- and then live our lives as these solutions in action." Basically, instead of sitting around feeling depressed, discouraged and helpless about the state of the world, we should acknowledge that our choices can make a difference, that our lives can make a difference, and get out there and make a difference! Knowing that one person has the potential to inspire radical change, what are we waiting for?
The way you live your life can be an incredible inspiration to others. Seeing someone who is living a healthy, active life usually makes people think about their own habits of eating and exercising. Seeing someone who is kind and generous makes people think about how they treat and react to others. Seeing someone donate their time or money to a worthy cause makes people wonder what they could be doing, or why they aren't doing anything!
Look at your life. How many hours a week do you spend watching television or doing something similarly sedentary? What if you used just one hour of that time trying to make a positive change in someone else's life. What if you baked cookies for your local soup kitchen, visited someone in a retirement home or volunteered at your local humane society or homeless shelter? What if you went for a walk and smiled at everyone you passed? One hour a week could make a big difference in the lives of many. I guarantee you will quickly notice that the wonderful thing about helping others is that you are also helping yourself. People who are generous with their time and resources are happier as a whole than people who don't because it feels good!
Our world is suffering and action is the antidote. What kind of action will you take? What message will you send out to the world?
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