As well as updates about what we’re up to, we wanted this blog just to be a page where we share things that have helped us grow or lessons we have learnt. Its not a pretence that we have it all together….we know we don’t. It’s just the hope that we can share something thought provoking that, if nothing more, just makes you stop and wonder….and perhaps even stirs something positive in you. This is because of our perspective, what this post is all about. I’ve blogged about who we are, our adventures as a charity, but also posts about dreams, and living in the now and being strong. That’s because all of these things are so central to us those of us behind the blog, and ones that maybe are relevant for you all too. Having dreams is the reason this blog exists today, being strong is what I personally saw in Andy and in each member of his amazing family every day, and living in the now is how we all agree we should live . Because change can’t be made from the past or whilst our heads are too busy dealing with issues of the future. Our posts might sometimes seem erratic or irrelevant, but they make a lot of sense to us, they’re all things that we have learnt or are still learning along this journey. Things that have pushed us to move, things that have made us stop and think and then move right along trying to make a change. We figure if we’re trying to encourage others to step out like we are trying to, then why not share the things we’ve learnt and are learning as we go along. So these posts might not always be so relevant or helpful to you but they were once….to us and we hope they can be for a few of you reading too. A phrase I have always loved is living a life full of purpose this blog almost details our journeys as we attempt, to do that, we won’t always get it right but we’ll keep trying. Because of our perspective, of seeing all that we want to change in the world and figuring out just how four teenagers/justabout adults can do that with your support.
And so to the case of perspective…..
People used to comment on how much older I looked than my age, and I never really knew what to think or how I was expected to respond, because honestly a lot of the time I still feel like a child muddling her way through an adults world.
Gone are the days of inter-changeable best friends, no homework, and socks with the days of the week on them (though I definitely still own multiple pairs even if they are mis-matching) but often I feel significantly immature for the life I am living, filled with applications for jobs and personal statements and huge questions like what do I want to do with my life. I think at whatever stage your at in your life you can still feel the same.
Yet other times, I feel like I have seen more than I should of for my mere 17 years. Twice I have seen children starving, mothers and children widowed and orphaned by HIV, but I have also seen eating disorders and insecurities rip friendships apart, exams and results get too much for people and push them to breaking point. And sometimes I wondered if there could really be more to come. Then came the realm of break-ups and make-ups as I watched friends fight over, jealousy and envy. And now we correspond with places like Donata’s school in Zambia, like I said in my post about them it broke our hearts to see how these amazing kids were marginalised, all the places we correspond with need help and support and we just think its plain wrong that society should render them to a state where they need this help. All these issues in the past and in the now have seemed like huge issues to overcome.
But sometimes maybe these giants are in our lives so that we can find the courage to overcome them.
Countless times in my life already I have felt like I am facing Everest, often much preferring to go out and climb actual mountains than face some of these daunting challenges, and having no idea how I can humanly reach the top, yet somehow, everytime I end up on the top looking down once more as I look back down at how far I have come still wondering how I got there.But the one mountain I can’t look at is repairing all the damage in this world, but the damage isn’t even the biggest problem. I am fast realising it’s people’s complete lack of belief in our world, and therefore consequent absence of desire to see change, to make change.
Now I’m not implying that everyone I come into contact has a completely 100% negative view of the world, but sometimes I find it being unnecessarily for use of a better word, gloomy. People seem to look at me funny when I say I believe that this world is a beautiful place, yes the papers and the news are filled with murderers, robberies, rape and injustice on a mass global scale, we are inundated with reasons to distrust, become angered or confused at the state of the world. But what they don’t show? The students giving up their time to volunteer at the local school or old people’s homes, the friendly conversation that can arise with a stranger,the pockets of good in this world. It’s like people have forgotten their rose tinted glasses and exchanged them for doom and gloom, an apocalyptic perspective leading them to have no hope, no belief and no drive to make change because people no longer see their own influence as effective, or useful.
I for one won’t stand for that, can’t stand for that.
What’s my solution? Well I’m not entirely sure, other than “to be the change I want to see in the world”, starting with my positive attitude, now I’m not saying I can always have a sunny disposition and those that know me can testify that its not always the case, but if I can show others to have a little hope perhaps they’ll start to see something in my perspective and pass it on creating a little ripple of positivity…..thats the ideas anyhow. I’ve never seen myself as someone of influence but if I was too, maybe my influence could be just a little bit more faith in humanity and hope for the world we live in. That doesn’t mean I need to be naïve, to have hope in fellow mankind, but it means I don’t need to see the bad in people, or be suspicious of good deeds or scared of strangers which I think in this society can become the ‘norm’.
But does there really need to be a solution, other than our resolution? Because how many of us have the solution to global warming, world hunger, or war? It’s easy to watch the news and become negative and sinister about the world we call home, but if we all lose hope then what change can happen? We just need resolution to each be the change we want to see. To stop ourselves from doing the hypocritical things we all do by accident, and carry on until someone else realises maybe you’ve got a good thing going on and they join on and you start a ripple effect. Live our lives with purpose, decide on what things we never want to compromise on….and then don’t.
You may feel like just a drop in the ocean but what is the ocean if not a collection of drops, if each drop changes then drop by drop we’re changing an ocean, and that, that’s pretty radical.
^And if you need some proof 🙂 these photos are enough to turn anyone into an optimist! They’re so encouraging and exactly what I meant when I wrote this post!
ANDYS BEAT! 