What You Can Do

Often am I saddened by my powerlessness in the face of the empire, my inability to protect the weak and defend those who have been wronged; what adds to this dilemma is the fact that, although everyday people’s efforts may seem irrelevant, they still manage to slow down the empire, and although slowing down the inevitable seems necessary for some, it is in fact harmful on the long run; how? Because the more we postpone the global meltdown, the more catastrophic its repercussions will be, the harder we will fall and the hardest it will be to stand up again.

This is a very fundamental premise which puts into context the perpetual planned idleness, chaos and unrest which world affairs seem to be dwelling in. So often do I wonder, what is the most relevant form of resistance? This is both a very personal yet universal issue; but what comes to mind when you ask yourself that question? I ask this because I feel that many intelligent and conscious people get so zealous about the injustices in the world that they constantly dwell in a cloud of despair and negativity, they carry the grief of the world on their shoulders because they feel so guilty about the inefficiency of their efforts and their powerlessness in the face of injustice. Don’t get me wrong, it is compulsory to feel compassion with our brothers and sisters who are suffering throughout the world, but one should not purposefully make themselves just as miserable as them so one can feel better about themselves. Remember that everywhere in this world there are always two human conditions, Patience and Endurance vs. Gratefulness, Hard times vs. Good times. It is as hard to be grateful in good times as it is hard to be patient and enduring in hard times; it is as hard to be grateful in a prosperous war free country as it is hard to endure war, famine and disease in a poverty stricken country. It is notable that those given the test of patience and endurance are much more successful than those given the gratefulness test, they manage to endure the greatest hardships while those in the west fail to appreciate most of their blessings (or curses depending on how you look at it); this becomes obvious once one understands what being grateful entails. If you truly understood and acted on gratefulness, you would never live another day in despair, you would never waste your time on being negative, you will never feel disappointment.

“A famous Sufi Sheikh once visited the great Caliph Harun al-Rashid, the caliph asked him if he wanted anything. The Sheikh said that he only desired a simple cup of water. When the cup of water was given to the sheikh he asked the Caliph, "what would you give if no water was available to you and you are forced to trade for this one cup of water?"

Harun al-Rashid replied, "I most certainly would give at the very least half of my kingdom"

The Sheikh then said, "and what would you give if you were not able to release the waste of that water from your body unless you traded something for it?"

The Caliph said, "I would certainly give the other half of my kingdom"

The Sheikh smiled and told the Caliph, "It is God that controls both these things, so what is the worth of all your kingdom if it can be so easily traded for a simple cup of water".

You must truly value and appreciate your health by taking care of your body, you must appreciate your youth by spending your energy in fruitful pursuits, you must value your family and friends by being there for them, by making them feel positive and good, by taking care of your parents even if you resent them, find the forgiveness within yourself, it will count as a priceless charity, you must value hard times as a precious lesson by enduring and staying positive, you must appreciate your intellect by seeking knowledge and truth, you must value time by not wasting it, you must truly value and appreciate your provisions, food and shelter, freedom and the countless other blessings bestowed upon you.

Become grateful my friends, accept what is given to you, become the best you can, do what you do best, commit to justice, seek truth, know what you’re talking about, don’t add up to the already insatiable confusion, think simple, think small scale, don’t try to change the world, don’t try to help people 2000 miles away, help yourself, then help those around you, they are in as much need for help as those in Africa and India, do you worry about far away countries just because you know you can’t do much to help them? Be honest with yourself, anything you can change, anybody you can help, do it, that is the revolution, you don’t have to be a charismatic leader or an activist or a civil rights advocate or an environmentalist to feel good about yourself, as long as you’re doing everything you are aware you should be doing, there will be no guilt, the absence of guilt is happiness and peace of mind.

Don’t focus on how big you could be, there are a billion opportunities at your fingertips every day, but your eyes are on a bigger prize; as far as I am concerned, being a mom and raising a child to be a decent human being is by far the greatest revolutionary act, being a dad who provides for his family is pretty up there too, teaching something beneficial to someone, struggling against the ego or simply smiling and being kind, being positive, not complicating things, not focusing on what you can’t do, being capable and efficient, striving and loving and revering everyday as a great lesson waiting to unfold, these are all simple but great revolutionary acts. I know I am using the word revolution in the wrong connotation, but it is the prevalent form, what I really mean by it is being a true human being; that my friends is enlightenment, it is the ability to carry out simple acts of kindness consistently, it is the ingenuity of making better anything one comes in contact with, it is serving humanity for goodness’ sake, it is going one day without hurting anybody with your tongue or actions, that is all that is asked of you, now go do it!