“You must be the change 
you want to see in the world.” 
Gandhi

There is much in life over which we have no control. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that most things in life are out of our control. Does this leave us helpless to change the world? Absolutely not!

One of the root causes of injustice in our world is greed — a lack of concern for the welfare of others despite our overabundance of goods and resources. Greed is an excessive desire to accumulate more stuff, specifically money and possessions, and often at the expense of those incapable of providing for themselves. Some see this as a significant issue in society today, and rightly so. Are we helpless to change things? Every one of us, despite our economic status, is capable of compassionate generosity. The decision to help others, by sharing some of what we have, may not make a global impact, but it can certainly make a positive difference in the lives of those we help.

I like to believe that people are basically good, but we all know a few individuals who are downright mean. They treat those around them with disrespect, and even disdain. It’s possible that we have experienced their nastiness personally, or, perhaps, we’ve only observed others victimized by the person’s contempt. My life experience tells me that these people make up just a small percentage of our population. What can we do when we encounter such a surly individual? Responding in kind is counterproductive. Responding to contempt with kindness, however, accomplishes three important goals: (1) it demonstrates that we will not allow others to dictate our response; (2) it provides an example for others who may struggle with how to deal with such a difficult person; and (3) it demonstrates that we have the emotional maturity to treat others as we would want them to treat us. 

Personal debt is another issue adversely affecting many Americans today. The most common types of debt are mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit cards. Without getting into a lengthy discussion of all of these, I’ll focus only on credit cards. According to the website valuepenguin.com, the average American family credit card debt in 2022 was $6,270. That’s just credit cards! Spending today has become so convenient that we don’t even need money to purchase things. We can simply swipe the plastic card. While this is a major problem in our country, it is possible to avoid the burden of credit card debt, and it’s quite simple to do so: purchase only those items you can afford. For more than forty years, I have paid-off my total credit card balance — in full — every month. In order to do so, I must avoid purchasing items I simply cannot afford. In most cases, it’s really just a matter of self-discipline and deferred gratification. We have control over these things.

Yes, WE must be the change we wish to see in the world, and yes, it does begin with us.