News
Natalie Smythe — Second Place Winning Essay
January 29, 2009
The phrase seems to suggest that a change of some sort is required or demanded. It also seems as if it is often used to encourage a change to continue. When I first read the theme for today, I was almost immediately inspired to motivate some change myself. It is not too surprising to find that almost 500 trillion applicable topics come to mind all at once. I don't think I'm alone in naming (amongst many other things, on a national perspective) our current financial crisis, our healthcare system, or our politics as worthy candidates for things "it's about time" we paid attention to. Ladies and gentlemen, it's not almost time; not 5 minutes to, and not ten after; it's not just-about-time; it IS time. If you were wondering when, it's simple.
The time is now.
On a global perspective, we have civil wars, and genocide—casualties of men, women, and children, too. It's almost obvious that the time is now for radical changes that promote our well-being as humans; as neighbors to the several other species that inhabit this world we all share.
But we know this; hey—We've known this right? In a strange way, it's always been time—we seem to still be in the middle of that time, still working through the processes of change. It will always be time. Like a sturdy pocket watch, change never stops. Each day we get closer and closer to some conclusion. But sometimes it's just so easy to get trapped in the task of blaming others and linking every problem to one solution; sometimes that very solution breeds ten new problems; sometimes it seems as if things are ballooning out of control, and there's no way to stop it or slow it down. An end seems inevitable. The end seems inevitable. It seems as if "real change" can never be actualized. In some cases, this might all be true; but I've recently realized that for the most part it just isn't so. In response to such situations, we tense up and lose control of our natural human rationale and find that we have no answer to any question. If only we could somehow calm down and take a moment for reflection
My January-Interim course this year had the opportunity to attend a 10 day monastic life retreat at a nearby Buddhist temple; you won't be surprised to hear that I had plenty of time to turn all these thoughts inward and literally meditate. While I was there, the concept of mindfulness was an encouraged practice, so of course, we all gave it a shot; and I've come to realize that in stimulating change, you have to be persistent and aware—constantly. Though it may seem simple, practicing it 24/7 is quite demanding in self-control and discipline. But in slowing down—living in the moment-- there are so many things that seem new to us, when they've simply been there all along, vying for our attention… anticipating the focus of our sight. Moments, even this one right here, they seem almost insignificant in the infinite span of time; but if I were to relate the size of this moment to one lily in a famous Van Gogh, then you might be able to see the real significance of now. Without that lily, the painting is incomplete and its potential unfulfilled. The same goes for this moment in time and in staying persistent throughout every moment in order to affect change over time. Every step, every word, every action, every day counts for something. In the same way that each moment matters in the span of time, each detail instills beauty and unity in the bigger picture. Human beingsyou, me, and everyone we know—are a part of something whole and unified; something much bigger than we typically think about. The time is now to be aware of all that is around us, and the significance of our place within it.
In addition to thinking about my place in the world and being able to stimulate change, I realized that I'm not the only one out here. Now I know that seems obvious, especially with all of you here with me tonight, but it's a competitive comforting realization. When you first think about yourself, you're saying, "Yeah! I matter! I count for something!" but shortly after, you might wonder and start to question the validity of that statement: "How can I matter so much when there are so many others? What makes me significant? I can't create big change all by myself..." I can't… I can't... I can't. That defeatist attitude sets in, and all of a sudden, Ms. High and Mighty doesn't seem so tough. And if you really think about it, its almost convincing that creating change isn't as simple as changing our minds. Well, I'm here to tell you that if you were to think about it even further, you'll find that this just isn't true. We've got to quit stopping ourselves before we even start. Change always begins with one person; no matter how successful or not so. There's a great quote from Ghandi that I's never really grasped until recently, and he says "Be the change you want to see in the world." Like the movement of one H2O molecule that eventually triggers a larger ripple in a pond, each person has the power to ignite any change. Sure, it takes a lot of dedication, a lot of awareness, and a lot of determination. But one person influences another, and those two can influence four more, and so on... it's just that simple. We've got to say what we mean, and do what we say; we have to practice, practice, literally practice what we preach. We have to live at the highest standard we wish our brethren to be a part of; set examples of peace, and unity and respect; we have to listen to each other and remain compassionate, constantly encouraging ourselves and our neighbors that we have it in us; we have to remind ourselves that we are powerful beings. It is in our capability. The only thing that can really stop you is your decision to give up; your decision to stop trying. Now, I don't mean you can jump in front of a speeding train and stop it dead in it's tracks with only the power of your mind, and some handy laser vision only to see it explode in a fantastic Hollywood-like display of action—like Superman has his kryptonite, capabilities have their limits. Rather, I mean that there are several, several things that are in your control. Some people say "I can't quit smoking," I say you can. Some people say "I can't get straight A's," I say you can. Some people say "I can't change the world," I say you can—we just have to change our minds and make those decisions. Change catches like a cold. Like I said, we're not alone; we have each other. One of the greater things we learned from Abraham Lincoln during his time in history was that, "A house divided can not stand," and in his time in history, Dr. King set out to unite our house; to remind us that not only can we do great things individually, but that when we put our powers together, we can achieve excellence.
Over the winter break, my mother took my sister and I out to see a movie. We decided on The Day the Earth Stood Still, for several reasons, none that are relevant to our conversation today; and in it, there was this fantastic line: "At the precipice, we change."
Several recent events in our nation's timeline have made it clearer than ever that change is required of us. President Barack Obama has called on us to remember that in these desperate times, united we stand, and without the whole crew aboard, we can hardly get going. He's urged us to remember our power—individually and in numbers. He's calling on us to remember that we affect everything around us—for like I cleverly realized, we're not alone.
At this point, I can only hope that I've succeeded in conveying my message to you; and that is that I believe in the human race; I've seen something twinkling in our eyes; something amazing about you, me, and us. And my faith in the human race isn't entirely blind; others before me have seen it: from the forefathers of this country; to JFK and MLK; to the current President of the United States of America.
The time is now to realize that we, ladies and gentlemen, we are a part of a much larger, deeply unified whole, and that we too can change the world.
All it takes is a little bit of mindfulness. Thank You.
