The Power of One

So I’ve been thinking. How does one, a single person, make a difference?

The world my parents grew up in was vast. Everyone was separated and in essence, segregated by distance. This distance served as a buffer that shielded everyone from each other. The emphasis was on family and taking care of your own. With radio and newspapers being the only form of global communication, one’s empathy for the plight of other’s on the other side of the world was modulated by their own imagination. The ability of a single person in rural Alberta to empathize with and shake the tree of someone in urban Europe seemed to be improbable.

The world my children have grown up in is considerably smaller. With television and the internet comes instant and graphic communication. No longer are we shielded by the limits of our imagination and the censorship of governments. Everything is exposed for our viewing. From Suddam Hussein’s execution to ethnic cleansing in Darfur, empathy is forced upon us to such a degree that one can become overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness and impotency. In a world so small rife with such massive problems, how can a single act by a single person begin to help heal the planet?

So here we have two different generations at two extremes, but both with the prevailing feeling of powerlessness. No matter who you are or where you come from, three steps to empowerment must be completed in order for you to make a difference.

Step 1 - Personal Enlightenment and Self-Realization.
Before one can begin to address the issues of the world, one must first begin with understanding their own self. We spend such an inordinate amount of time showing the world what we think it wants to see that in the process we sometimes buy into our own hype. We all have limitations and faults but if we are not acknowledging them we are setting ourselves up for a life of constant disappointments and failures. In order to achieve our goals, we must first understand what our strengths and weaknesses are so that we can put in place everything we need to assure success. This is why earning a black belt is so difficult. Most of us underestimate our limitations and do not do the basics required to overcome them. We just keep banging ahead, getting frustrated at our lack of progress until we give up. If we were able to see all our flaws clearly, the path to success would be just as clear. Once this personal enlightenment is achieved, our place in the grand scheme of things becomes more clear. We can now use our strengths - our real strengths, to influence change.

Step 2 - Empathy.
The power of passion cannot be released without empathy. It is impossible to not want to take action if one is experiencing an unthinkable horror. It is just as impossible to not want to take action if one is experiencing an unthinkable horror through another’s eyes. We must stop disassociating ourselves from the atrocities we see everyday. Whether it is ecological apathy in our own country or wide-spread genocide in Africa, these are issues we cannot and should not ignore. Morally corrupt governments rely upon the public’s apathy to maintain power. If we all take a stand for what we believe in, no matter our location in relation to the issue, it is no longer just one person standing. It is now a global movement and change becomes imminent.

Step 3 - Accountability.
All the enlightenment and empathy in the world will not amount to anything if there is no accountability. It is not good enough to just understand ourselves and the plight of those around us. In order to make a real difference, there must be accountability for that change to happen. Each and every one of us must be held accountable to live our lives according to our ideals and make decisions in every moment of every day that correspond to these ideals. Rather than looking for some sort of initiative to be taken by our leaders, we can force our leaders to take initiative on our behalf by holding ourselves accountable and taking consistent action.

If each and every one of us were to apply the black belt success cycle to every aspect of our lives, including our passions, amazing things would happen for our planet.

Black Belt Success Cycle
1 - Set a goal.
2 - Have a plan and a success coach.
3 - Take consistent action.
4 - Review your progress.
5 - Review your goals.

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."
- Andy Warhol (1928-1987)