Better...

It's come to my attention recently that my current situation sucks.  And not just mine...but this is a corporate suckage.  The world economy is beyond terrible.    Job markets everywhere are...well...becoming extinct.  Those of us fortunate to have a job are most likely underemployed.  Or dealing with low pay, no health insurance, horrible hours and work morale is just...awful.  People choose daily whether to pay rent and keep a roof over his/her head or go see a doctor.  Life isn't easy.  We're all struggling to "make it better" and to ensure that our children won't be faced with a life this hard.

It's human nature to want "better" for those we love, especially those that we expect to love that will come after us.  But where do we draw the line?  At what cost do we keep getting "better" and making things "better?"  And when did "better" automatically equal "more expensive?"  I just pray that my children get some kind of education...and they'll be able to work.

Anyway...so I started thinking.  Then I got mad.  I've never considered myself a patriot.  Sure, I live in America and I love the privileges I've enjoyed.  But I'm not exactly a poster child for the American Dream.  In fact, I think America no longer has a dream.

And that's where the inspiration for this blog came.  I am mad.  I am disheartened.  Disgusted and depressed.  The list of adjectives runs on.  So how to be happy?  

Change the way I think of a better life.  In this economy, success may not be defined as owning a home and a new car for me.  Maybe, it's working a job that gives me peace (even at severe financial cost to myself) and living on my own in a small apartment.  Maybe, it's lighting a good smelling candle while working on my dream life.  Maybe, "better" is just doing some small thing every single day that makes me happier.

My hypothesis is that by making myself happier, I'll have a positive impact on those around me.  So, everyday, no matter how angry or sad or depressed I am, I will do at least ONE thing to make myself happy or "better."   And each day I will blog on what I did that day.  If I'm seeing any impact.  Hopefully there will eventually be comments that will prove this hypothesis to be fact. 

So my thing for today was beginning this blog.  During my trip to India I remember crying in a group discussion.  We were talking about what we had learned and I remember this amazing woman ask me why I was crying.  In front of all my classmates, new Indian friends, and reputable scholars I sobbed that I had no idea how to affect change when I returned home.  I could change my thoughts, my actions...but I couldn't do anything about the "bigger picture."  And the woman looked at me kindly and said "it gives hope that you even want to [change the world] and you should take pride in that.  Change at any level begins with one, and you might not see it return to you., but the changes you make in yourself will change the world."  Those words have never left me, and hopefully they never will.  So I blog for a better today.  And pray for a better tomorrow.