Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Novem...brrrrrr
As I am sure that many of you are still recovering from a long night of costumed revelry, it is a new month, and time to move on to what’s next.
Choices 4 Youth is an aptly named organization. All of us are part of this organization (on some level and in some way) because we believe that if we can give any learning to the people of the world, that learning would be that they have control and choice over the direction that their lives take.
We all have experienced moments that seem completely out of our control. Happenings that seem so much bigger than the direct experiences of our day-to-day lives. Times where we may ask ourselves “what can I do?”
The knowledge that we have choice in all things in our lives, whether that choice is what we have for breakfast, or how we react to someone who says something hurtful to us, can be empowering while at the same time intimidating. To accept that we have this level of choice is to also accept a major responsibility for all that happens in our lives. Are there things that are out of our control? Of course. Yet, we hold choice and responsibility over the reactions we have, the attitudes we carry, and the directions we go.
All of this is to broach the subject of next Tuesday. November 7 is Election Day here in the United States. I could talk about the privilege we have in this country to be able to participate in free elections, and how so many countries in this world don’t have that opportunity. However, I talk about the upcoming elections as a way of referring to the choice that we have in shaping our government and our world.
I’m not writing this to promote an ideology, or to influence you to vote for one person or another. I am writing this simply to encourage all of us to take responsibility for a choice that we all have. Regardless of whom you choose to vote for, go out and vote.
Do this so that later this month when you sit to a large meal with family and friends you can be thankful that you used your power and made a choice about how this country and therefore your life will be.
I hope you all have an amazing month of November, and I’m thinking of you all.
Choices 4 Youth is an aptly named organization. All of us are part of this organization (on some level and in some way) because we believe that if we can give any learning to the people of the world, that learning would be that they have control and choice over the direction that their lives take.
We all have experienced moments that seem completely out of our control. Happenings that seem so much bigger than the direct experiences of our day-to-day lives. Times where we may ask ourselves “what can I do?”
The knowledge that we have choice in all things in our lives, whether that choice is what we have for breakfast, or how we react to someone who says something hurtful to us, can be empowering while at the same time intimidating. To accept that we have this level of choice is to also accept a major responsibility for all that happens in our lives. Are there things that are out of our control? Of course. Yet, we hold choice and responsibility over the reactions we have, the attitudes we carry, and the directions we go.
All of this is to broach the subject of next Tuesday. November 7 is Election Day here in the United States. I could talk about the privilege we have in this country to be able to participate in free elections, and how so many countries in this world don’t have that opportunity. However, I talk about the upcoming elections as a way of referring to the choice that we have in shaping our government and our world.
I’m not writing this to promote an ideology, or to influence you to vote for one person or another. I am writing this simply to encourage all of us to take responsibility for a choice that we all have. Regardless of whom you choose to vote for, go out and vote.
Do this so that later this month when you sit to a large meal with family and friends you can be thankful that you used your power and made a choice about how this country and therefore your life will be.
I hope you all have an amazing month of November, and I’m thinking of you all.
