One Question

"Always do what you are afraid to do."— Ralph Waldo Emerson

I worked with a girl once, her name is Annika. I have no idea where she is now, what she is doing, but I know one thing... She asked me the right question. "Sarah, do you ever live in your risk zone?"

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."— Shel Silverstein

What the heck kind of question is that! It really pissed me off at first. My "risk zone"? Really? No I don't live in my risk zone, I do what I am supposed to do when I am supposed to do it! Poor sweet Annika, encouraging me to "live out side of my box". Risks are for some people, but certainly not for me. I like my comfortable predicatable life. Or did I?

Were you paying attention to what I said up there? Her question "pissed me off". Questions do not generate such a passionate emotion if they are not good questions. I was angry because Annika was right. I was so worried about what the world thought of me that I never stepped out of my box. (Funny isn't it to think the WORLD really would be paying that much attention to ME, to think that what I did or did not do really makes that much of a difference? This seems to be developmental stage of a toddler) But I digress (Always wanted to use that phrase, YES!)

I was 20 years old, doing what I thought I was SUPPOSED to do. I never asked myself the question of what did I WANT to do, What SHOULD I do, What can I CHALLENGE myself to do.

Now I am 33 years old. It has been 13 years since that question and I ask it daily. I started small, but I did a few things here and there and then a few bigger things. It turns out that there are a LOT of risks worth taking, and there are a LOT of things that I am passionate about and that I can do something about, little old me, changing the world. Pretty cool huh?!?!

You don't have to be passionate about what I am, although I am glad to have you on board... You don't have to go to Albania or China or Ethiopia to do your work, it does not have to be about HIV or orphans or women's rights or social justice, but the rule is, it has to be a risk, it has to take some work, some research, some reading, some fear.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."— Margaret Mead

I watched a great documentar tonight: 180 Degrees South. It is about a guy, Jeff Johnson, who wanted to climb a mountain, and not the easy way, with airplane rides and sherpas. This guys was going to do it HIMSELF. Here is a quote from the movie that inspired me: "It doesn't matter if you reach the Holy Grail, the transformation is within your self, that is waht matters."

Will I acheive social justice for oppressed women in the world? Doubtful. Will I take away all of the stigma for all of those suffering from HIV in the world? Not likely. Will I find a home for every orphan? Chances are slim. So why do I do this? Why do I show up at work every day? Because I can do something. So can you.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."— J.K. Rowling

I want passion. I want every person in every corner of this earth to want to make a difference in some way, some how. I want education, I want non conformity, (unless of course you are conforming to my revolution), I want protests, I want discontentment, I want people coming together, I want to hold hands from coast to coast and sing "We are the World"... o.k. maybe that last one is a little too corney...

Another quote that got me thinking (from this same movie) is a Buddish idea..."Before self enlightenment, one has to end suffering int he world". Whether are motives are selfish, or aultruistic (and I think it is good to have a little of both) I truly believe we can not truly feel enlightened or satisfied or joy or contentment until we have touched the lives of another, or until someone else has touched our life.

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."— Anne Frank

I think of my taxi cab driver Danny. He lives in the back room of his brother's store in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. He has a mattress, a plate and a tiny one burner propane "stove". You ask Danny what he wants in life and he will answer "I want to always be challenged. I want to always do better, I want to always have joy in what I have". He does. His life is true to his belief. This taxi driver became one of my biggest teachers, one of my best friends and my brother in spirit.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Please faithful readers, find your Danny, your Jeff, and in doing this you will become Danny, or Jeff. There are Ghandi's and Mother Therea's and (forgive me republicans) FDR's of the world. We don't need to be leaders of nations, authors of classics or revolutionaries of the world. But by starting somewhere, we can be... Maybe not in our lifetime, but our spirit, our faith, our beliefs will live on.

And if this post was not long enough, I am going to end with one last quote:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
— Mark Twain