So much of what is happening in the world comes down to making decisions, whether right or wrong. Too often people blame their upbringing, their boss or other things in their life.
A quote by Stephen Covey really struck home this week with all the tragedies, especially in Colorado and Toronto:
"I am not a product of my circumstances, I am a product of my decisions. "
Albert Camus said: " Life is the sum of all your choices."
To pick up a gun and carry it is a decision. To take it out and fire it in public is a decision. And those decisions have huge ramifications.
The mayor of Toronto made the decision to cut funding for social programmes that affect young people. He also made the decision to push for greater police presence and stricter laws.
We too have choices and decisions to make in the face of such evil. The people of Colorado are facing their fears and standing up for all the victims.
There are so many places in the world where injustice rules and the value of each person is diminished. We need to raise our voices in justice, hope and anger as well.
As Jane Goodall has said:
"We have a choice to use the gift of our life to make the world a better place - or not to bother."
It comes down to choice, to making decisions that are for the greater good. We all must work towards:
granting dignity for everyone;
to reducing poverty and violence against women and especially children;
to closing the gap between rich and poor;
to allowing everyone to live life with all their needs met.
"Each activity of daily life in which we stretch ourselves on behalf of others is a prayer of action."
(Richard J. Foster
Be sure to visit "Two Writing Teachers" for other slices of life.
16 comments:
I guess at least a part of it is on all of our minds, Beverley. Thanks for your thoughts here, too. I love the Goodall quote, & that poster you found. I think you said things well. It is about choice, every time.
I appreciate how you tried to refocus us all after the horrific events of last weekend. Your quotes are perfect - and keepers.
I so agree... it is a choice not because of the way a person is brought up! Great quotes!
I noticed that others already said it, but I also really enjoyed the quotes intermixed with your words. It was a nice balance to draw out different dimensions of thought.
I like Covey's idea of being responsible for my own decisions. :)
Thank you for making the choice to share your thoughts. I agree and love the quotes you found as well.
I agree so much with what you said. Thanks.
So very true. We are the sum total of our choices - how we CHOOSE to interact with what has happened to us.
I love the quotes you sprinkled throughout... very well chosen.
Your writing is very thought provoking. I am going to take a couple of your quotes and post them in my classroom. You stated your thoughts with great clarity.
When I think of the human wreckage I am saddened. Then I hear that he was a gifted student who had recently experienced some defeats. My thoughts circled - we need to teach kids at a young age how to cope with disappointment and frustration.
I have seen kids stop working or become aggressive when things don't go their way. I am reminded that they have often been protected from dealing with disappointment.
Protecting kids from these experiences damage and weaken our kids. Just as a chick must struggle to get out of the egg. So must humans deal with frustration and disappointment.
Thank you for writing a very thought provoking piece.
This Denver gal has been trying to make sense of the horrific events of the last week for the past five days. I wrote about them in my slice-- but not nearly as eloquently as you did. I love the quotes, especially Jane Goodall's and Richard Foster's. And I would love to hang one of those posters on the door of my office at school!
Thank you for reminding us that in the face of such horrific events, what we choose to do can make a real difference.
It is about choices, values and actions. Why anyone needs access to this kind of weaponry and such an obscene amount of bullets is beyond my understanding.
Thanks for this very thoughtful post. I love the Richard Foster quote. I'm copying it for my quote book.
I really have been touched and honoured by all of your thoughtful and heartfelt comments.
Ramona mentioned her quote book - I have been collecting quotes for years - I Mam on my 6 th bokk. These quotews came from my most recent one - all seemed to be connected.
Great post! We do have a responsibility to ourselves and others to make good decisions and to have a purpose for our life. Patsy from
HeARTworks and
papemelroti
Love the combination of quotes and the poster. Love even more that you write from the heart!
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