"The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation." -Martin Luther King, Jr
I recently read a local article that said that MLK's dream had not yet been completed. Yes, we have ended segregation but racism and inequality still sadly exist around the world. Not only that, but Dr. King also envisioned a world where our nation would not spend more money on weapons of mass destruction than it does on fighting social inequities. He dreamed of a life where the poor stood a chance and we used nonviolent measures to make life better for all. He believed that love was stronger than hate and only light could drive out darkness. So then, why do we attempt to put out fire with fire? That only leads to a major explosion with innocent lives lost. Why not put fire out with water and not kill a single soul? Are we not all people? Human beings with hearts and brains, a nose and toes, ears and eyes, hips and thighs? Is it really necessary to destroy one another because of our fear and anger? That makes us no better than those we seek to overcome. We become just like the thing which we fight against. It seems to me that love really is the answer. MLK believed that was the only way to change things. I challenge you to consider respecting the vision that was the great Dr. King's as you move forward in your life. Seek to live with integrity, respect, and understanding of one another. That's how we change the world. Love your enemies, don't become them.
"The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation." -Martin Luther King, Jr
0 Comments
2011 was a year I'll never forget. I launched this website 1 year ago in hopes that it would be a portal for world changing. I wanted folks to stumble upon this website dedicated to making a difference and be inspired to join in the worldwide mega movement to make the world a better place together! It all started with a daydream. Let me take you back and tell you the true story of Project Change The World. My upbringing was challenging at times due to financial crisis, family drama, unstableness, and other personal issues. I turned on TV and saw the faces of sadness and suffering staring back at me. I went through cities and witnessed people sleeping on the streets and sacrificing their dignity for the sake of getting to eat that day. I listened to songs filled with lyrics of truth and heartache. I had my own heart hurt. Badly. I turned on the computer and saw news stories filled with death, destruction, and devastation. I watched friends and acquaintances fall down and walk down a path of desperation. I went out and saw people do really careless, stupid things which I know are based off of their own personal insecurities. I watched someone I cared for deeply hurt over and over and over. All around me was a world full of needs. Lives were being shattered because the world seemed to have forgotten about them. I knew myself what it felt like to feel alone and invisible. Not good enough to matter. But I also knew that there were ways to change that. Every blue moon, I met a person that restored my faith in humanity. Every once in a while, I heard a positive news story of some incredible human being doing an extraordinary act of kindness, unusual in this day and age. The show, The Buried Life aired on MTV and I was inspired. The movie Pay it Forward touched me just as the Pursuit of Happyness did. And as I sat in my college class learning about children with special needs back in May 2010, it all clicked. Both every bad and every good situation came rushing into my mind as I felt sorry for the children left behind because of something they have no control over. I'll change the world I thought. Someone has to. Why should an innocent child have to spend their whole life fighting for acceptance in a greedy world? Why should any life be treated as if it is unimportant? Why must we hurt ourselves and hurt one another so much? It all has to change, and I called it "Project Change The World."
2010 left me inspired to take action as I began to do my research, educate myself on the statistics, pay attention more, find causes that were making an impact, do some own self analyzing, and more. I filled up notebooks with ideas, gathered facts, useful resources, reflections, and so forth. December of 2010 I built this website. I launched it for the world to see officially on January 11th. Then, I began student teaching and had to put my whole life on hold as that took up every moment of every day. Fast forward to May 2011 and I began the next phase of the kindness movement: living it myself. I was inspired by volunteering for an annual walk for Cystic Fibrosis to form my own team of world changers to go out into the community and create the good that I dreamed about. The World Changers were then born and we spent every week over the summer volunteering for Hands On Charlotte, as well as collecting donations for a family in need, attending annual walks, and on and on. The rest of 2011 flew by as we organized our own fall festival, "Project Change The World Day," participated in a food drive, did more annual walks, recruited new members, did a Facebook month of gratitude, continued volunteering for nonprofits, attended special events, and even organized a Flash Mob for the homeless! 2011 was a year of discovery both of myself and my own passions but also, perhaps more importantly, of the things we too often close our eyes to and take for granted. 2011 was about becoming a better person for a world that deserves better and working alongside incredible individuals that understand that. It's not my world. It's OUR world. 2011 was the best year of my life. I can only imagine the wonderful things that 2012 may have to offer. If 2011 is any indicator of the doors that can be opened when you give more than you take, then 2012 won't see hardly a door closed. So here's to you 2012. I can't wait to see what you will bring! |