Have a Vision, not a Moan

I met an interesting man in Sri Lanka, just after the Tsunami. He was the founder of a small, local charity called 'Light a candle'. Their motto was: "Its better to light one candle than to moan about the darkness". We talked for a while and I realised that, like many of us, I have a tendency to waste my energy moaning about things instead of using my energy to create, or do something, that might change the things I moan about.

After thinking about this I understood how my brain works when it encounters something that I find unjust or unfair or outright horrendous. My first emotions are sadness or anger. Then I feel immediately powerless. What can I do? I am just one person without much influence. The powerlessness increases my anger. Its a well known psychological fact that if we can get really angry we can avoid feeling inadequate, helpless or powerless. 

So, I moan. What else can I do? I am a person who doesn't just ignore the many heartbreaking happenings in the world. I have a good, angry moan and nothing changes, except that I might feel a bit better afterwards.

I have learned since to strive for 'having a vision instead of a moan'. That doesn't mean that I don't allow myself to be angry or sad about all kind of unjust and horrible events and situations, but I now really try to contribute, in my own, limited way to what needs changing. 

I have also learned that if I wait for the 'big, big vision' I will never do anything. Visions don't have to be 'huge' and 'worldchanging'. Small ones do exactly the same as big ones: they propel us to act, to do something, to contribute to the change we want to see happening.

I don't have a foolproof recipe to 'create visions'. Nevertheless I know that the question 'what would I like to see instead of ... , followed by the question 'what is it that I can do to contribute?' produces the required result: actions instead of moans. 

 

Copyright © 2011 Christa Mackinnon