Build, For Better

When we look around, we see what has been built by those who came before us. Everything around us is a consequence of the actions, intentional or not, of people in the past. We, living in the present, can build for the future. We can create the world that our children can be proud of. It is easy to destroy; a whole ship can be sunk by one sailor. We have a duty to ourselves, those around us, and those soon to follow. Foundations for the future, that we desire, have to be laid today. We have to build bridges, not burn them. The future can be bright as long as we start generating power now. Future generations need to find the necessary infrastructure already in place, in order to create the type of society that they will need in their present and future. 

We have to grow through evolution, not resets. We need evolution because we cannot be sure about how systems affect each other. Too many times, those with the ability to bring change, shutdown a program and introduce another, only to find that they needed the program they shut down. This world is a systems-within-systems world. It is very hard to isolate and eradicate an unwanted part of the system. Instead of mass extinction, or resets, we can bring about positive change with the introduction of a new variable. If we leave things to the laws of the universe, we don’t have to crack our skulls trying to figure out the best idea or solution. We need to understand that our world is made of living things, and life is governed by natural laws. Our companies, organizations, communities, churches, etc, are all governed by natural laws. Whenever people are at the helm, the laws at play are natural, inter-related, and universal.  

If we continue to look for hope in the wilderness, instead of fixing what’s broken, we will go insane. In the days of exploration and expansion, finding new territory was an effective strategy when all the resources were depleted. Now, with most of the world “discovered,” we have no choice but to fix what we have. We have to repair the infrastructure that we already have, to solve current problems and fix previous mistakes. We can explore outer or virtual space, but we have to repair our physical spaces. We need to take care of our water, soil, and natural surroundings, not just our human-made structures. The human race also needs to repair inner spaces. We need to improve our spiritual and emotional well-being. There are too many people who are suffering from mental health issues, because our society continues to ignore the soul. We have ignored people’s need for help for far too long, and we need to work towards repair. 

Systems need reform, they are not the problem, they do not need to be destroyed without radical reform being attempted. People who value systems or ideas more than they value people can be the real troublemakers: the most relevant example being those who manipulate systems to oppress people. At the end of the day, people are the drivers of systems, the ones enforcing ideas, biases, or prejudices. When we realize that any organization or system is simply its representatives, we can start working towards making sure that the system has better representatives. 

If change doesn’t come after different people have worked within the system, making amendments, then we have to keep electing different people, who will make more amendments. Governance done well requires us to keep amending the laws of the land until the laws work for the people. New laws can have a stifling effect on progress, but new laws are still better than chaos. This is not as easy as replacing the leader at the top, it requires change from the bottom, up. Once the bottom is ready, only then can the top leadership change. A new CEO cannot bring change when the front-line workers are not doing their jobs well to begin with. 

We have to follow stress tested ideas, while also respecting others who seem to be following foolish ideas. The social divide across the world, amplified by the flow of information (i.e. social media), is an unnecessary part of society. We need to elevate above the echo chambers of belonging to a place where we follow stress tested ideas. We have to follow values that have been proven to work, and bring harmony. We have to respect the opinion of someone that we do not like. We have to see someone on the other side of the party line as a valuable part of our country or world. We need to respect everyone’s human rights, because that is a necessary element of progress. The world has gotten better as the years have gone by, it just needs to be better for everyone, or at least most of us. 

We need to respect every human being’s intrinsic value as made in the image of God. Whether one is religious or not, we should all hold to the belief that everyone is created equal. We should always uphold the sanctity of life and see each person’s right to life as paramount. We have to live with each other harmoniously, especially in the modern world.  This does not mean that we agree on everything, it means that we are civil with each other, especially when we do not agree. Life is choice and choice is life. We can only have a better world when we understand the relationship between life and choice - getting their proportions right. 

We cannot continue to keep our heads down, the global agenda affects us all. We need to start getting involved in voting for the best representatives. In those cases where both choices of candidates are not ideal, choosing the lesser of two evils is key. Too many people have an all or nothing approach, not understanding that every move in the right direction is a move away from the wrong direction. When we choose apathy, we ensure our demise by letting the other side have their way. For too long, politicians have had free reign, and people let it happen because of an unwillingness to get involved in politics.

The truth of the matter is that as citizens, our job, in politics, is choosing a candidate. If we cannot nominate, we should at least vote for a candidate. After you vote, you need to keep it secret, because voting should not be up for public discussion. The discussions should be before we vote and most of them should be about the policies proposed by the candidates. If it was meant to be public, we wouldn’t do it in a private booth. 

The people that we elect, in turn, elect the people that we do not elect. If there is a small area where we can vote, we should always take the chance to influence the outcome. We can build the future by influencing what we can, while not destroying the little we have. The people who built the infrastructure of the internet are not the same people who built the webpages. We all need each other, and when we study history, we learn that every step and every move counts, especially if it is constructive. We can only build on what was built before! A good reputation takes forever to build, but it can be destroyed in one day.