This Is Bigger Than Me

I firmly believe that in order for us to work together to create a healthier, more sustainable future for our children and planet, we all need to adopt that mindset that "This is bigger than me". It's another way of saying that we should put others in front of ourselves. Or more simply, to not be selfish. Of course, we must protect our personal well-being, but there is a BIG difference between pursing life, liberty and happiness and being a selfish user and polluter of this planet.

One of the principles of this website and my writing is to remain politically neutral. However, a very powerful article in The Economist, Shame On Them, is worthy of a mention as it helps articulate some of the embarrassment I often feel while volunteering around the world. Why am I embarrassed? Constantly, I am unable to answer questions like "Why did YOU elect people that are putting your country at risk?", "Why are YOUR political parties arguing when your country is about to default?", or "Why do YOU support political parties that keep sending your country to war?", and perhaps the most painful, "Do YOU really like living in America?".

I appreciate the aforementioned article in The Economist because it highlights the political hackery that is paralyzing America. It articulates Obama's inability to bring consensus, while rightfully berating the Republican Party for its self-serving interests. It powerfully highlights what happens when people think selfishly; it is essentially "A gamble where you bet your country’s good name".

I realized that the reason the questions I listed above carry so much emotional weight is because they implicate me as part of the problem. And, unfortunately, there is merit in this observation since I did vote for some of these people. But what I voted for was something other than what I got.

I voted for a happier and more prosperous nation.

I voted for a leader with a vision.

I voted for members of the Senate and Congress that promised to leave American cleaner than when they found it. 

What I got was a group of selfish hacks that are putting their political parties and personal desires for re-elections above our nation's - and this world's - best interest. Shame on them.

When I was in college, a colleague who was trying to recruit me to run for student government said that "The best elected officials are the ones that don't want the position, they want to create change." He was right. The most effective people do not want titles, wealth, and fame, they are the ones that work tireless and passionately to innovate and create change - constantly putting others in front of self. They believe that "This is about something bigger than me".

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"‎We must admit the vanity of our false distinctions among men and learn to find our own advancement in the search for the advancement of others. We must admit in ourselves that our own children's future cannot be built on the misfortunes of others. We must recognize that this short life can neither be ennobled or enriched by hatred or revenge."

— Robert F. Kennedy

True progress and fulfillment is found through selflessness. 

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