Building a Better Me

We’ve been talking a lot about raising our children to help them become efficacious adults. We’ve talked about handling conflict and adversity, and the need for perseverance and resiliency as we face challenges. We’ve talked about self-esteem and self-respect, and how important they are to each of us releasing our untapped potential. These are individual pursuits and can easily be applied to any organization of people. But how can we build a better world?

This is a great question to ask, and now is a particularly good time to answer it – or at least, try to. The answer is easy to write, but in some cases, more difficult to do. It will take our focus, reflection, and action. If we want a world with more intelligence, more clear thinking and honesty, more goodwill and brotherhood, what we need to do is cultivate these qualities in ourselves first.

There is a natural progression in social advancement from the individual to the family, then out to the community, the nation and the world. The line of progress can move in no other direction. Every time we show tolerance and understanding, all of us live in a more tolerant world. Every time you do something for no other reason than to lighten the load another person is carrying, you improve at least two lives – yours and theirs.

Every time you reach out to help someone in need or show kindness to another, with no thought of personal gain, you improve the quality of society in general. Every time you grow as a person, as a parent, as a co-worker, as a human being in community with others around you, you change the delicate balance of life on earth.

The most important thing you can do, to make a better world, is make a better you. Each and every one of us makes a better world when we step up, raise our game, and become more than we were yesterday. We don’t need to wait until the weekend, or next Monday. There is no time like the present. There is no line, no queue, no waiting – just you and your commitment to be more.

If you want to make a better world, make a better you. Starting now.