Why must humans be so fickle? I’ve often wondered this, and noticed this strange trait in my own personality even. I like to think that I know what I want, but from time to time I’m influenced by an urge for something different. Not because what I have isn’t good enough, but because I’m curious. I’m curious what else is out there. I want to experience as much as possible. I want to see what the world has to offer and decide for myself what the best is. Because without experiencing something, how can you truly know what it’s like?

I believe credibility is important, so when I check out a news article, for instance, I want to make sure it’s a viable source of information. No one believes someone who just talks and doesn’t do. I like to think of myself as someone who has a pretty good head on their shoulders, and who has a lot of common sense. That’s why I feel comfortable giving people advice when they ask for it. I know how to look at a situation objectively and decide what I think the best course of action is in order to ‘do what’s right.’ That’s obviously a very debatable subject; what’s right.

Whose the judge of what’s right? Should there even be a judge? These are fundamental questions that someone who is in the pursuit of making the world a better place must ask. I do not think that I will change the world because I think I am better than anyone else. I don’t want to change the world to make it better for myself. I want to change the world because I see suffering all around me. There are different kinds of suffering; financial, medical, mental, emotional, and more. I used to be the one who suffered emotionally. I was depressed for a short while in high school. Then I suffered financially. I once went a week only eating bags of potato chips from work and feeding my dog pieces of bread because I couldn’t afford dog food for her. During that time, I felt worse for my dog than for myself.

Going through that didn’t make me feel sorry for myself. I have made all the decisions in my life leading up to being there. It was no one’s fault but my own. What it made me realize though, was that I don’t think anyone should have to go through suffering of any kind. Some might say, well don’t we need the suffering to appreciate the joy? I say it helps to provide a distinction, yes. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t think there will ever be a world without suffering. Utopia, if it does exist, would most likely be something like what some people think Heaven is (myself included), which means it’s probably reserved for the afterlife. So what am I getting at?

There is suffering in our world that isn’t necessary and I believe that it shouldn’t be there. People shouldn’t have to struggle to obtain the things necessary to survive. We should all be given at least that; the ability to keep living. What does it take to live? Food, water, and shelter. Without one of those, a human dies. We can’t survive the elements forever. We die without water for more than 3-7 days, depending on how resilient we are. We die from lack of nutrients within a few weeks up to a few months, again dependent upon resiliency. Talking about this reminds me of a movie I just watched; “In Time.” It wasn’t a very good movie, in my opinion, but I really enjoyed the message. Instead of being rich with money, people were rich with time. The more time you had, the longer you lived and the more amenities you had throughout your life. It was quite obviously an analogy for money, and it was saying that those with it have the pleasure of living better, and always have the things they need to survive. Near the end of the movie, a person in power tells the main character that some people just have to die. Because otherwise the world would be overpopulated and the people with power would have their power diluted or become overruled by the masses.

Who cares about a stupid movie, right? Well I happen to feel similarly to the message this movie was trying to convey. I believe that it is NOT necessary for people to die from hunger, or lack of water or shelter. That is the main thing I really want to change in the world. There are others, too, but they are not as important. I think that music should be shared freely. Music enhances people’s lives perhaps more than any other pastime. A quote I heard once was that ‘of all the artforms, music travels the furthest the fastest emotionally.’ I think that is very true, and we should all experience music in some way in our daily lives. I also believe that people should be able to be around those they care about. Without a support structure in life, life becomes tedious and mundane and overwhelming. With people around you who can help you focus on your dreams, and encourage you to follow them, you can feel like anything is possible. That’s part of the reason I am so confidently following my passions. I think everyone should have that confidence.

Anyway… I’ve been rambling. I’m trying to make a point. What that point is, is that I am here to impact the world in any way I can. I want to be remembered. Not for what I’ve accomplished or how much money I have or how cool I am or how powerful I am. No, I want to be remembered for what I believed in and the fact I would do anything to defend it. Does that mean violence? No. Because I don’t believe in violence, and so using it to defend my other ideals would be a contradiction of my being. I refuse to do that. Because then credibility goes out the window. Instead, I will never stop working until I achieve my dreams and change the world for the better. There are things I want out of life: a family, a successful career, to run my own business, to drive a Dodge Viper… etc. However, what I would want more is to travel the world, spreading my vision and recruiting people to help me make it possible. What will I do to change the world? I don’t know yet. Perhaps I will become a politician, to have my voice heard and respected, and to be involved in how laws are made. But that has always seemed like the wrong way to really really make a stand. I would rather be more like someone such as John F Kennedy (who was a politician I realize), or Martin Luther King Jr., or the Dalai Lama. Those men were known and remembered for what they believed in. They made an impact on their society and they did it selflessly. That’s what I want to do.

I know that this is possible if I keep striving. I can never stop believing in what I want out of life, and I can never stop telling the world how I feel. Sooner or later, someone will start listening and take up my banner. If not, then maybe I just wasn’t meant to send that message, but so far, I think I was. So why should you listen to me? Why should you care what I have to say? I’m not saying you should. But what I do think is that you should listen to your heart. What does it tell you to do? Do that. Whatever your mind tells you that you should be, be that. If you are a person living on this planet, you deserve to pursue whatever dream you have, unless it involves hurting or hindering others. But why can’t we all be rich and happy? That’s what Heaven is supposed to be like right? A place where we all live in peace and harmony, without a want or care in the world, surrounded by all of those that we love. Forever. FOREVER. Eternity is a long time. How long have you been alive? Maybe 20 years? 30? 40? 50? If you’re older than that and reading this still, I thank you. Regardless, our time on Earth is so short-lived, but why can’t it be like what we will be doing for eternity, assuming everyone goes to Heaven?

I know, I’m being very idealistic right now. But why shouldn’t I be? If you can’t be idealistic sometimes, what’s the point of having optimism? Why would I want to live in a world where it wasn’t OK to think change or happiness was possible? I wouldn’t. And I don’t want anyone else to either. So whoever believes in what I’m saying, I challenge you now, to have the confidence in yourself to do what you think is right and do your best to change the world for the better. Pay it forward, if you will. Make sure that people know what you believe in. Don’t be afraid to say it. Don’t be afraid to share it with everyone you meet. That is the only way to create true change. Make the world a better place for those around you who think they couldn’t find happiness. Because I’m only 25, and I already have it. It makes me happy to be alive, because I don’t suffer for the things I need to survive, and I get to do almost all of the things I want to do. That is a privilege that everyone can have if we all strive to help. Go now, and let’s change the world.