Waiting on the World to Change

Awhile ago I bought the song "Waiting on the World to Change" because I liked the sound and I think John Mayer is an awesome guitarist. I didn't pay close attention to the lyrics until after I had already purchased it, and I have to say I was disappointed. It starts like this:

Me and all my friends
We're all misunderstood
They say we stand for nothing and
There's no way we ever could

Now we see everything that's going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don't have the means
To rise above and beat it

This attitude is so disappointing but one I think a lot of us in the rising generation share. The problem is that if all of us wait, nothing will ever change. And if the world is moving in a direction we don't like, it's not going to stop on its own.

It's important to remember that problems aren't new. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Theresa, Rosa Parks, and thousands of others had problems with their world. The difference is that they didn't wait for those problems to fix themselves. Whether leading an army into battle or simply sitting in a different seat, people who are brave and selfless enough to act solve problems.

I think a big part of our problem is that we think the benefits of our efforts will be less than the efforts themselves. In other words we won't be able to make an impact. It's possible, even likely that many of those in our world who have already fought for civil liberties, religious freedom, and economic prosperity gave more than they received. But these benefits are enjoyed by millions of people and most would agree the difficult journey society took to get here was well worth the costs.

Let's internalize the benefits our friends, family, and millions of others now and in future generations will receive from our efforts for good as we weigh the costs of this work. It may not be a fair fight, but it's not going to get any easier.