All you have to do is flip on your television and tune into a news channel, scroll through the News app on your iPhone, turn on the radio in your car during your commute, or read a newspaper or magazine. The supposedly "civilized" and "developed" world in which we currently live is constantly being littered with horrible injustice, paralyzing acts of violence, and revolting forms of cruelty. Every passing day lately seems to bring with it a new disastrous headline from yet another corner of the world that makes us question whether genuine kindness, justice, and compassion are still traits humanity possesses.
Though I cannot tell you why these horrible acts are occurring and why innocent people are being killed and injured across the globe, I can tell you that I believe humanity is not extinct. If you look closely enough into your own life, you can see signs of humanity everyday. You might see it in the stranger on the sidewalk who offers a homeless man a sandwich. Maybe you'll notice it in the man at your church who sponsors children in third-world countries. It might even be visible in something as small as a welcoming smile the receptionist at your dentist office gives each and every person who walks through the door. Instead of focusing on the horrible events taking place in our world and our fears for what the future will bring to it, we should focus on the positivity and acts of love nestled into our lives, and perhaps we might feel more inclined to feel hope for humanity.
Most importantly, this may lead us to find ways to create a brighter world into our own hands. I can confirm that each of us individually, as well as all of us collectively, have the power within us to make our world a safer and happier place to live. We are faced with many situations and decisions on a daily basis in which we can choose whether or not to be kind, just, honest, understanding, and compassionate. I will warn you, though, that choosing the high road in these situations and decisions we are faced with is not always what we internally desire to do, and may require us to make a personal sacrifice, even. However, the reward for choosing to act in a kind, just, honest, understanding, and compassionate manner has rewards beyond measure. The gratification from these acts of love is addicting, too, and can result in a chain reaction of acts of kindness that reach more people than you ever thought it could.
So the next time you find your at a McDonald's drive-thru, I urge you to pay the bill for the car behind you. Who knows? Maybe the family in that car is living from paycheck-to-paycheck. When you notice the tear-stained face of a little boy in a department store on a shopping trip, I urge you to ask if you can help him find his parents or lead him to an employee who can access the loudspeaker. Who knows? Maybe his mother is worried sick her son has been abducted. If you happen to see a veteran walking through the airport terminal as you're waiting to board your flight, I urge you stand up, clap, and show your support for that solider's service in protecting the country and our rights. Who knows? Maybe he has a family at home that he's missed years of memories with in order to protect you and your rights. The next time you find yourself with some free time, I urge you to contact a local shelter and offer to volunteer. Who knows? You could end up touching hundreds of lives in exchange for watching a season on Netflix. If you notice your cashier has a gloomy expression the next time you're going through a checkout line, offer a compliment to him or her. Who knows? Maybe that cashier's mother was just diagnosed with Stage IV cancer.
There is undoubtedly many problems that face our world. Much of the world's population lives feeling unsafe, repressed, or hopeless. However, for every injustice, act of violence, or instance of cruelty, I see the potential for an act of love, kind deed, or generous action. Instead of dwelling on what is wrong in our world, each and all of us need to assess ways in which we can all better our world. I can see such acts of love in my life everyday, and I know that we are all entirely capable of performing these acts, too, if we so choose to. I am aware that acts of love cannot put a stop to these horrible events that are happening in our world and I'm aware that there will always be people who live their lives revolved around themselves, but I believe that humanity will continue to thrive if we take responsibility into our own hands to make our world better. When you wake up each day, ask yourself what you can personally do that will improve the world before you go to bed at night. You'll be amazed at what you — one person — can do, even as an individual. Mahatma Gandhi once said, "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." So I choose to believe that humanity does still exist, even under all of the layers of pain and fear we face in the world, and we all can do our part to maintain humanity.
