“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.
I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.
When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town.
I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.
Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.”
~ Unknown Monk, 1100 A.D.
The poem above is one I have heard many, many times. As a younger man fresh out of college I would think on it and say to myself, “Nah, that’s not me. I have the stuff to really make a difference in this world. My generation will be the new greatest generation. There are so many more of us, how could we not be.”
Now, as a husband who has been married for more than ten years and a father of two small boys, I’m lucky if I have enough change on me to buy a Coke. But I did learn a long time ago that change is not an external thing. In order for nations to change and governments to change and large groups of people to be led to change a culture; that change takes place on an individual level. That change is personal.
The Bible tells us in Matthew 7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
As people with ideas and dreams, desires and goals, we are hard wired to want change (however difficult it may be to accept). We want to see progress and I think we want to see positive change for the betterment of our fellow man and our community. But, we have been instructed to first change ourselves if we are to lead others to change.
As Father’s Day was approaching, I enjoyed remembering the sayings my father and grandfather and older men in my life who were father-figures to me shared with me as I was growing up. I enjoyed seeing others post on social media about what their fathers have shared with them and how those lessons, sayings, and traditions have shaped them into the people they are.
As my wife and I work hard at raising our two boys to be good faith based Southern boys, I hope that we continue to teach them lessons that help them build good character, good morals, and a good foundation for leadership. Through this leadership I hope they are encouraged to lead others to make a difference in their community. I hope their community example is a shining beacon to others and that as a whole their generation drives the change of our nation and the world.
There is an amazing plan laid out for this and every future generation. I hope that we as mothers and fathers, friends, family members, role models and community leaders are striving to lead our young people towards change. I hope that we all are looking at ourselves internally to see where we need to change our own thoughts and actions for the betterment of our community and those around us.
Above all else, I hope we are actively leading the charge for change and progress. There is an old Chinese proverb that says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” I hope you have begun the journey. I hope you have taken the first step. If not, let this be your wake up call to begin today. I know that if you do, our community will be that much better off because of it!
