Let’s face it. We are all selfish and would like things to go our way all the time. That’s where this “do my bidding cartoon” came from.
Nobody like selfish people, do we? Of course, if we’re honest, we don’t like selfish people because we want to be the selfish person. All of us want to be king of the world and have everyone do their bidding.
There are seven billion potential dictators in the world, and I am just as selfish as the rest of them. There! I said it! confession is good for the soul, this morning.
The problem with improvement programs is that we really need assisted self-help. We need others to help us see our blind spots and improve. I drew this cartoon when I thought about this quandary. How do we get the help we need while still taking responsibility for our own actions?
It isn’t easy! It takes humility to admit we need help. If we could have solved the problem before, we would have done so by now. Yet, we need determination and commitment from ourselves to improve any situation.
This week has been full of international turmoil. We see images of war and destruction coming out of Ukraine and wonder how people can be so cruel to others. It reminds me of a quote Aleksander Solzhenitsyn said about the line between good and evil.
“The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either — but right through every human heart —and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained.”
Each day, we have a choice on which side of the line we cross.
Do we waver to the side of good or evil?
Do we make our own world better or worse?
Are we part of the problem or solution?
Good is worth fighting for! Throughout history, we have seen violence and barbarism directed against others. And unfortunately, we have seen individuals hide behind the actions of their country and claim they were only doing what their leaders told them to do.
Yet, all nations are made of individuals. Each of us has the choice between good and evil every day. While we can justify any actions, in the end, we are all accountable for our individual actions.
Too often, we ask, “What can I do? I’m just one person.” Indeed, what can we do when there is so much evil in the world?
When each of us chooses to do good towards others, we sow seeds of goodness. Consequently, when we sow seeds of evil, we reap what we sow.
Solzhenitsyn paid a price for choosing good and standing up against evil. We too can be part of the problem or the solution. Each one of us is required to make the choice as we stand on the line between good and evil.
It’s so easy when things aren’t going the way we would like to make excuses, isn’t it? Our past experiences start to color our view. We don’t want to believe we are the problem. But if we realize we are at fault, we like to conclude the problem is out of our control.
A lot of creativity goes into excuse-making. Unfortunately, when all our energy goes into rationalizations, there isn’t much left for a solution. Benjamin Franklin alludes to this in the following quote.
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
Alibis take the responsibility off of us. If we reason our problem is because of our upbringing, society, or company culture, then we don’t have to make things better.
Instead, we can say it is someone else’s problem. Our rationalizations are our attempts to place responsibility on others. But what if they are doing the same thing? The cycle never ends. We end up pointing fingers at each other and asking, “Why can’t they get their act together?”
Stop making excuses! It doesn’t help us. Rather, our alibis just weaken us. They put the power onto someone else who may not realize what our expectations are. Even if they did, we may discover they may have limited control over the situation as well. What if the solution came from both parties taking responsibility?
Instead, let’s do our part. Ask what we can do to make things right, or at least better. Let’s put our creativity into finding a solution instead of an excuse.
Have you had a dream lately? Has it been a dream you have held onto for years? Is it one of these dreams?
Someday, my ship will come in
Someday, my prince will come
This lottery ticket is going to make all my dreams come true
When everyone gets their act together, I am going to rock this world!
This post ties into yesterday’s quote. Until you take responsibility for your dreams, it is unlikely they will go anywhere. If you are relying on someone else or something else to make your dreams come true, you may be waiting a long time.
We all have God-given dreams. What are you doing today to make those dreams closer to reality?
If your dream is to simply have the best sundae ever. That’s all good. Let me know when you’re ready and we can share some divine dairy delectables.
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