Amaze Yourself!

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When you’re young, you think you can change the world.  As you get older, you realize that you can’t do that, but you’re still convinced that you can change the town in which you live. Then, there reaches a point where you realize you can’t do that either. But you’re still sure that you can change your family. Finally, you become aware that the most you can do is change yourself.”

Rabbi Israel Salantar (Rabbi Yisroel ben Z’ev Lipkin, who founded the Mussar movement)

Believe it or not, Michael Jackson picked up this theme- in one of the songs he sang that still hits me between the eyes every time I hear it…

“I’m looking at the man in the mirror.  I’m asking him to change his ways. And, no message could’ve been any clearer.  If you want to make the world a better place- then, look at yourself and make that change.”

Of course, that is generally true- but, every once in a while, we really can change our whole world.   I wrote on Christmas Day that a Holocaust survivor was the founder of Unicef.  Which, except when it plays politics (mostly Anti-Semitic politics),  has changed the world for little children who had no hope.  From one man- with plenty of help.

Tikun Olam

The same can be said of Dr. Jonas Salk or Dr. Albert Sabin.  Oh, they had others around them, but these two doctors managed to change the world.

Those involved in freeing the Jews from the Soviet Union.  It was mostly younger folks- all of whom were “dissed” by the establishment.  Until it started to make a difference. And, to be honest, it was more the release of Jews from the Soviet Union than anything Reagan ever conceived that led to the country’s downfall.

The Civil Rights movement- no, it wasn’t just Martin Luther King- but it was. I could go on- but you get the idea.

The gist of it is- and something my children learned since they were small- since they saw it each time they opened the fridge (it’s also one of my eMail signatures):

To the world, you are but one person– But, to one person, you are the world.

We need to recognize that individuals- that’s you and me- we impact society.  And, we can change it.  And, we must.

Happy 2015.  It’s time to change the world- one day at a time.

(Today is Martin Luther King’s Birthday.  The 16th was one Suzanne and today the other Suzanne that have been among those who made a difference in my life.)

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7 thoughts on “Amaze Yourself!”

  1. Nice post. Lots of great thoughts. Ironically enough, I’ve been giving a lot of thought lately to change and how infrequently we are able to change the world around us. Be it a friend who always complains about the same thing but does nothing to change their circumstances, to anything else of greater importance. Changing oneself can make all the difference sometimes. When a person makes a personal, positive change, it ends up affecting others. For the good or the bad, the world changes around us. Just don’t step on any butterflies.

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