Want better? Be better.

     Many people are speaking out very vocally about some things which they see as problems, and they seem to want others to fix them. It's Obama's fault, it's Trump's fault, my unruly neighbors, my lazy coworkers, the list goes on and on ad nauseam. I've begun to question what these people are doing directly to address these various situations. Invariably, they have little to offer. 

     I've also been doing a lot of reading, looking into ways I myself can effect change in the areas I feel could stand to be improved. I'm also trying to be a more informed citizen of the republic while at the same time trying to filter out the cacophony of utter nonsense and BS that is hurled at us on a daily basis. That said, I'm going to great lengths to not just dig into that which supports my preconceived notions, but to also try to find out where those with opposing viewpoints are coming from. Only in understanding one another can we begin to come to terms with our differences and start to find some sort of compromise to each of the major issues we face in this country. Here's the thing, we first have to realize one universal fact: None of us will get everything we want in all of the issues. There are no winners, there are no losers, we either all get a little something or we all get nothing. 

     One of the people I have been following is Jim Wright and one of the things he has said, more than once, is that if we want better government we need to be better citizens. I couldn't agree with anything more. I also believe that this sentiment applies to many other aspects of our lives. for example:

Want a better neighborhood? Be better neighbors.
Want better friends? Be a better friend.
Want a better church? Be a better congregant.
Want a better marriage? Be a better spouse.

     In all of these, and likely many more that I can't think of off the top of my head, I believe this formula holds true. At the very least, even if things don't work out, you will know you did the absolute best you could in whatever capacity. In the end, that's really all we can expect of one another. Furthermore, there's a level of acceptance in knowing that you put everything you had into these scenarios. Just imagine what your marriage (or other relationship), your neighborhood, church, city, county, state, republic, and even the world might be like if we approached things in such a way. 

     Being a better spouse/partner doesn't mean doing for them only after they start doing for you. Being a better neighbor doesn't mean never getting to know your neighbors and giving them their privacy, while in the next breath bemoaning their lawn maintenance skills or the volume and style of their music. Being a better citizen doesn't mean complaining loudly to those who already agree with you about the "other party" or deleting that friend or relative from your social media because you disagree with them, it means getting more engaged. What, you don't have time? I submit that if you have time to complain about those with opposing views then you have time to sit down and listen to them, to get to know them, understand them, and to see where they're coming from. Part of being a better anything, in fact I'd argue it's the largest part, is listening. We all want to be heard. All of us. Yet how often are we willing to just listen? 

     Bottom line, if no one is willing to take the first step, we ain't goin' nowhere...

     So, if you want better, BE better.