That’s a thought that I’ve had for a long time.

I’ve met several people who were on a campaign to save the world but were themselves a mess, or at least hypocritical. It’s easy to tell someone what else to do, but not so easy to make the changes yourself. Somehow people often forget that. They complain about all the things that are wrong with the world but never do anything positive or proactive to change what they don’t like.

Complaining about problems without offering solutions is pretty much just nagging. And it’s annoying.

I received an email the other day from a list I subscribe to. The guy’s name is Will Marre. I saw him on a PBS special several months ago talking about reclaiming the American dream. His premise is that the things that most people want and value–safety, a home, healthcare, a decent job, time for loved ones, etc–you know, American dream type stuff– is becoming more and more non-existent these days and that people are becoming more and more unhappy with the state of the world and the state of their lives. So he’s created an organization called The American Dream Project to try to address these issue and actually help people to change their world. It’s a very inspiring site and I encourage you to check it out.

Here’s an excerpt from the email he sent: (also posted on his blog)

Our research partner, DYG, reports that since 9/11 our societies’ psychological self-confidence has continued to decline and that our individual response is to face the truth that in the end we are responsible. Responsible for our own lives, our own future, the quality of our relationships, and the moral culture of our circle of influence. This is not the time to throw up our hands, nor to exhaust ourselves over- defining our problems. It is time to choose our lives. In so doing, we’ll have a rippling impact that will make all the difference.

Consider this:
If we are sick of foreign wars, make peace with our personal enemies.
If we are concerned with our nation’s debt, save our own money.
If we are sickened by materialism, buy only what we really value.
If we are concerned with global warming, conserve, walk, telecommute.
If we are worried about the environment, recycle, plant trees, grow something.
If we are angry with our leaders, propose and post real solutions.
If we are worried about health care costs, eat right, exercise, and sleep.
If we are worried about crime, drugs, and violence, participate in a neighborhood watch.
If we are sad about the decline of marriage, make ours the best example of commitment and fulfillment we can.
If we are worried about terrorists, put some boundaries between ourselves and those who use or abuse us.

I hope you can see what I’m trying to get at. These suggestions are simply metaphors for thinking about our lives. They are not meant to be absolute or literal statements. These are simply reminders that for every big overwhelming problem in the world, there is a version of it in our lives. If we focus on what we can control, our own lives will bloom and our influence will spread.

read the entire post here

I’m not much of a complainer by nature; I either put up with it or change it. Those are the only two options that I know. Bitching, complaining, nagging, and worrying about things don’t do any good at all. They’re not real. They’re not solutions. They don’t do anything except make you feel bad and annoy others around you.

That’s why I think Will’s words are so refreshing. All the talking heads on TV and radio don’t amount to a hill of beans because all they do is talk. There’s no action. There’s no solutions. There’s only negativity and anger and that doesn’t help anyone or anything.

So like my title says…If you want to save the world, then save yourself! It’s the one thing in this world that we all have control over—our thoughts and actions. The world would be in so much better shape if we all did just one thing to improve the things we don’t like.

Most of us don’t do that. Most of us don’t even take a first step to changing anything. We work, watch TV, play video games, eat, and sleep. It’s such a base existence. It’s not the American dream as far as I’m concerned.

I always try to make the world a better place with both my thoughts and actions. I know there is more that I can do and I’m always trying to. I really hope that the quoted message strikes a chord with the people of the world. I hope Will and his organization will be able to get that message out to the masses.

I know that most people in the world are not happy with their lives. I believe that Thoreau hit the nail on the head when he said:

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation…."

It’s sad but it’s largely true in my obervations. However, we all have the power to change the situation if we want to. Let’s hope more of us choose to.

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4 Responses to “Want To Save The World? Save Yourself!”

1. fairlane, on June 14th, 2007 at 7:29 pm, said:
   

   Glad to you see you’re back.

   I was making the same kind of comment on another blog today, “save yourself” and I almost got called a “racist” because of it. Yep, that’s me the Grand Wizard.

   What is wrong with people? Maybe those lunatic Christians are right and the “End is Nigh”! I hope not.

2. mike, on June 29th, 2008 at 9:14 pm, said:
   

   I was ask in a hunderd words or less how too change things? My answer was. To stop drugs you give every one that has a problem a prescription for the drug of their chose with the clear understanding they don’t share their drugs with no one. This will stop drugs for the next generation and stop all drug crimes. In the future most all crime will be stop with cameras and that means no more dead ladies will be found in the trunks of their cars with out us knowing who put them there. Any one willing to work will be giving a brotherhood card that will pay all your bills. Im good at this. Then I was ask how that would stop people in suits with good jobs from robbing people? And my answer was. My approach to any problem is I will ask my self how I would want to be treated if I was in the position of people that needs help. This need for help is the main drive behind crime. So you will need to take away the cause of crime which in my mind is that people for the most part have no helper when they are in need. fix this and you will stop more crimes than all the cameras in the world. My true answer to crime is unity. There is three ways to do this, my way or the way it is now or if you have a better way I will support you. At no point in time think we will be perfect just know we can be much better. Many men have many talents this just happen to be mine. And that is I will give you words of power that will work even if I am dead. Time will prove me. Your question was crime? My answer is if you are willing to work you will be given a brotherhood card that has no spending limit. That is what I would have men do unto me. And then if there is people in pretty suits robbing one another it wont bother me. The problem is no one will serve these people because we will be serving one another. Because you have show interest I will send you more words and give you more power. Your brother. If I am going to dream, I am going to dream big. So I will send the words, why not?

3. mike, on June 29th, 2008 at 9:16 pm, said:
   
4. mike, on June 29th, 2008 at 9:17 pm, said:
   

   H O P E . book one 1994 Peace. Poor, poor pitifully poor job we are doing as human beings. I’m no better than anyone else and don’t know why I’ve been given this burden. The burden is feeding the hungry, ending wars, prisons, drugs, child abuse and so on. These words were given for such a time as this, no greater love hath a man than this, to lay down his life for another. If a man wont work neither shall he eat. When you go to battle, spare not your enemy, but kill his wife, child, ox and ass. If your enemy will hear you then he becomes you brother to be as one. Forgiveness is the first key to peace. First things first, war. Our soldiers are all over the world standing guard on border lines, protecting governments from their wars of stupidity, and dying in the process for the rich mans economy. We send the poor to die and sacrifice for our peace it’s their children who suffer torn lives, for your freedom .In your mind if this is right, you are going to hell! These soldiers need to go home to their families. If any country wanting our support will become a state of the U.S.A. and live by the same laws, they will receive help. Any countries that don’t except these rules will defend their own lives in their own battles.
   No more poor people have to die for the stupidity of other countries wars. We say the poor because rich men do not join the armed forces.
   24th Chapter, book of Matthew: two shall be in the field, one taken and the other left; two shall be grinding at the mill, one taken and the other left. All the nuclear warheads of the world cannot change this, accept the fact that the one taken is going to Heaven, and the one left is going to Hell. Jesus ends time when he returns. The difference is with this law of war, the only result can be peace!
   So where do we go from here? Any individual willing to work will be given a Brotherhood card, with this card you can buy anything that is for sale. It has no spending limit. Anyone who doesn’t like this law can go to hell, because it works like this. You are not working for a company or a country, but you are working for goodwill towards all men. Will you accept this rule and not break rank? We need the carpenter, the electrician and somebody has to farm the land, but at any rate, it has to be a body of people that serve one another and not $$$!
   With our serving money people starve to death, the elderly freeze to death and die from the heat. To make a long story short, serving money (the beast) violence and wickedness rules. Can we change our love of money and learn to love one another? Our future depends on it. We have to be willing to die for one another and quit serving self. Our # 1 law is no hunger! Any person with a Brotherhood card would have spending power to feed the world. This is because we should not allow even our enemy to starve. We also pray for them that they may pray for us.
   Drugs. Anyone with a problem will be given the drug of their choice with the clear understanding that they will not share their drugs with anyone else. Therefore stopping drugs for the following generations and helping those with serious drug problems and not locking them up where lies no answers anyway.
   Prisons are a sad thing.35th chapter, book of Numbers teaches: build cities of refuge, not prisons. It is said that you judge a society according to their prisons. In the U.S.A. we lock up people in antique zoo cages and stick them in electric chairs. We justify this by following others. Exodus 23 says: thou shall not follow a multitude to do evil. Here is understanding, if you execute a man, if he is innocent, you should say I will be willing to go to hell if I’m wrong. The problem is that many times evidence and witnesses have been manipulated. So if you did not see the crime how can you justify killing a human being?
   To stay on the safe side, you let GOD do the separating on judgment day. Furthermore, the last enemy that CHRIST will overcome is death. So who are we to defy CHRIST? Not contradicting the law on war. You simply cannot lock-up a whole nation when they cross borderlines to do war, you can only exterminate. There will be no question of their guilt. They will be rising up against a tired and weary nation that just wants a little peace before we die. In addition, we have concluded there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
   Anyone convicted of violent crimes will be sent to the cities of refuge to live a normal life as possible. Those convicted of other crimes willing to accept a Brotherhood card, and go to work, will be released. They, just like our soldiers, are victims of circumstance. Give most men a dump truck full of money and see if they will join the army or feel the need to steal. We think not. So once more the poor pay for our freedoms, sad thing.
   Let us not forget the big picture, GOD rules. Moving along, any child suspected or confessing to be abused, will be removed from their situation. Its like the prisons, you do not know the odds of the truth and some things you cannot leave to chance. GOD makes the wise things simple to those who love him.
   We make the simple things hard so many times in the war with money. Yes, our battle is to see who can get the most. Where, without some kind of brotherhood, we will not have any kind of unity, and we call ourselves the “United States” one nation under GOD in vain. Money divides people.
   CHRIST said you are not supposed to love your life until the end, but lay it down for your brother. We have to be willing to sacrifice our lives together and not except those in poverty to die for our freedom. We walk this world for one reason. To separate good from evil, to test our souls.
   So do not be afraid. GOD loves a brave warrior, for the Bible tells us so.
   All men are not the same. So for the Brotherhood to work the strong have to carry the burden of the weak. Some men are suited for building homes and some for brain surgery. At any time a man feels burned out on what he is doing, he would be able to change jobs. Yet, to have a Brotherhood card, you will be required to work. Acts 4 teaches: they had all things in common and lacked for nothing. This is not communism, certainly not capitalism this is Christianity. GOD could send his angels to fix these problems, but then how could he test your spirit? After receiving this word you have the power to stop teenage children from having to prostitute their body’s to survive. You have the power to stop world hunger lest you continue in apathy what will be your excuse for not helping when you face God? Will he except I was to busy, the big lie, you have plenty of time for (Self, Self, Self, I, I, I, Me, Me, Me). You cannot say it won’t work without an intelligent reason. Now what is your intelligent reason? It certainly seems easier to do nothing and let evil abound. So wake up, true peace is only found with God and happiness is allowed when you help others. Some day we will stop most crimes with cameras and oil dependents (hydrogencar.com) and ect. ect. ect.. If we pray God’s will, be done, what should we expect to happen? According to the Declaration of Independence and the Holy Bible, it is our duty to change wrong. In 125 years from now will your life have counted, and where will you be? If this seems too simple blame God, with him all things are possible. If you say, as an American, you don’t kill children, you are living an illusion delusion in fantasy land. Mothers around the world swear we have killed there children. In the U.S.A. we have killed over 40 million in abortion slaughter houses and put them in incendiary ovens with malice. Exodus 21:22. This number of babies would make a large nation of people and we kill them in apathy and tolerance. We go to movies and ball games while children starve So spare the joke about surgical war that God never called for. God’s word is clear on war. Maybe you should read it and learn the word oxymoron, cruel only to be kind. In our wars munitions factory owners ride yachts while true warriors die in deception, the fall guy. We could sit here until we die while evil comes down like rain. God, father in heaven, have mercy on us!
   Your servant,
   Teacher/ 4180621
   God Bless!
   Vote Joseph/7777777 at michaelsmith1963@yahoo.com
   P.S. Help wanted, backbone required. PASS THE WORD? ????

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