"I" must be the CHANGE I want to see

It is so true that the change we want to see in the world or simply in our own life is a preference – a choice to decide on ourselves.

One morning, our neighbor, Jack, had a quite bad experience. His daughter, Dana, knocked over a cup of coffee and accidentally splashed it onto his business shirt. All of a sudden, he cursed. He harshly scolded his daughter for knocking the cup over. She broke down in tears. Jack stormed upstairs and changed his shirt. Back downstairs, he found his daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. Dana missed the bus. He rushed to the car and drove his daughter to school. Because he was late, he drove fast exceeding the speed limit.

After a 15-minute delay and throwing 500-peso traffic fine away, he arrived at school. His daughter ran into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, he found he forgot his briefcase. His day has started terrible. As it continued, it seemed to get worse and worse. When he arrived home, he found a small wedge in his relationship with his spouse and daughter. 

Why did this happen? Why did Jack have a bad day? Did the coffee cause it? Did his daughter cause it? Did the policeman cause it or did he cause it? Jack himself had caused it!

How he reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused his bad day. What should have happened is that, coffee splashed over him. His daughter was about to cry. He just gently said," It's ok honey; you just need to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel he rushed upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and his briefcase, he came back down in time to look through the window and see Dana getting on the bus. She turned and waved. He arrived 5 minutes early and cheerfully greeted the staff at his office. He had a good day.

You see the difference? Two different scenarios - both started the same, both ended different. Why? It is because of our choice of reaction. Everything that happens in our lives depends on how we react to it. Now this is my point, if we want a whole pack of change in our lives, it is our preference because the change we all want begins with no one but US.

In the midst of this rationalized country chock-full of democracy yet jam-packed with bountiful downgrading controversies and factual allegations, Philippines truly calls for a change. Filipinos in themselves cry for a change – a divine change to piercingly decrease numerous catalysts of poverty and further national and political issues.

In reality, however, we do still come to a point – who is to be burdened with the responsibility? Who will carry the load of nationwide we cry for? Still, it points you. It points me. We must take the full charge of responsibility because the change we want is entrenched in US. It is embedded in me.

But I’m just nobody. I’m just a youth, too young for me to change the world. Yes, almost everybody says the youth are intelligent, courageous, adventurous, loyal, hardworking and loaded with so much positive outlooks. Good to hear that. Yet, I fall again into an irrefutable fact that within myself, I do impersonate dreadful actions. Yes, I lack self-discipline which results to my unacceptable waste of time. I am passive and I lack initiative. I depend so much on the government and to all those who have power over me. I tend to surrender everything to fate. I blame everybody else at my fault for my personal gain. I blame the government for all the negative allegations I perceive from all the tribes around the world.

I am weak at appreciating what is ours. I tend to be amazed by foreign ads and fail to realize how great our own culture is. I go for superficial keys not for concrete and realistic solutions. I sometimes fall short in building myself, my character, and my life.

I complain and I really complain a lot. I complain about not having enough time but as a matter of fact, I do have time to watch television for 5 hours straight. I complain about going to school late when I stayed up until 1am surfing the internet and take pleasure on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other social networks. I complain about not having money to give my church tithes and buy a newspaper yet I indulge myself with cellular loads and signature perfumes. It’s like wasting a whole day complaining about headache and at night drinking the wine that gives it.

What’s more that keeps me from being happy, successful and content? I hide from mistakes because I am afraid. I blame other people for my own shortcomings, for I am weak. I keep on seeing other people’s mistakes, for I think I am better than them. I blame the world for being miserable when I myself can’t even turn my frowns upside down. And why can’t I do anything? Because I say so, because I simply put down myself and say, that if the world doesn’t change, what’s the use of changing myself?

Oooops, I’m wrong. Yeah, I’m wrong. Even at my young age, I can still be the start of the global change I want. I remember, even Isaac Newton at the age of 24 has formulated the Law of Gravity and some of his greatest discoveries because he believes in himself. I should also believe in myself.

Indeed, let us take the initiative because our initiative is very important to be united with every individual’s effort. We all made up this mother earth, and so, who would help her? It is still us. If we are expecting something, let us do everything. As what Katy Perry said, there’s still a chance for us, ‘cause there’s a spark in us. We just have to ignite the light and let it shine.

I know that it is really tough to change the Philippines or even the world in just a single day, but we can still start the change through our own small way. Remember, big shots are small shots who keep on shooting. We are the small shots so let us keep on shooting because by the end of the time, we can give big shots!

Let the flame burn into our hearts and make the CHANGE as a good preference in ourselves that we may carry the burden of being an outstanding and model Filipino citizen not just for our own cost but everybody’s cost. Although most of us don't want to take the responsibility that it would be so much easier, tidier, and more workable if it was them because after all we can see their problems so clearly, so clearly that we blind ourselves to our own, but it’s wrong!

Change begins with the awareness, and then the acceptance - I must be the change I want to see. I… not anybody else, not even the president of the United States, nor the president of the Republic of the Philippines, but I myself. It is me! I must be the change I want to see. Are you ready?


Pictures are taken from http://www.google.com.ph/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=853&bih=415&q=i+am+the+change&gbv=2&oq=i+am+the+change&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=1&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=263l3544l0l3728l21l11l0l0l0l0l634l1954l2-1.3.0.1l5l0
Katy Perry is a singer and the lines quoted in the article was from her song, "Firework"
      Follow the link for the lyrics of Firework by Katy Perry - khttp://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858841113/
The story was heard from a sermon and was revised in a personalized version.
     Follow the link if you want to check it out. http://debudeodhar.hubpages.com/hub/9010_Principles_of_Stephen_Covey