Can you honestly say that you wake up most mornings with an agenda and a plan to enact legitimate change in your life? Or have you become someone stuck in a pattern of complacency and redundancy?
Recently, I read an article about the importance of not just “joining” a sorority or fraternity, but more importantly being an active member and contributor of that organization. Now, while this idea resonated with me, I thought about how this concept applied to the greater, more general context of life.
In current society, don’t so many people accuse current college-aged students of being passive bystanders in their lives? As I reflected on my mere 20 years of experience in this world, I honestly have to say that these accusations are, unfortunately, legitimate. Now I can’t say I am crafty enough to come up with the term “Half-Lived Life,” so I must give credit to a Mr. John Lee, who in his so titled book discusses passivity and solutions to overcoming it, much like I encourage you to do so as I get on my soapbox for these 500 words. So, as you think about yourself and your daily actions for just a moment, ask yourself, "Am I living a half-lived life?"
Are you an active or passive member of your classes? Are you the kind of person who likes to sit in the back of the class, trying oh-so-hard not to make eye contact with your professor out of fear of being called on? Now, if you have a deep fear of public speaking then I apologize for calling you out. However, I’m talking about those students who never speak up in class and solely reap the benefits of their classmate’s contributions and discussions. If your excuse for your lack of participation is that you don’t enjoy the class or that it just doesn’t interest you, surely you could have picked a different topic or subject matter to dedicate yourself to. Like many things in life, you will get out of it what you put in to it, and as a senior, I can appreciate how passivity in class can be a total waste of an education. So please don’t waste your time, and money, by being a silent member of the back row.
What about your extracurriculars? Can you honestly call yourself an active member of your respective organization or club? Or are you more like a name on a roster who receives weekly emails? As an active member you should strive to be a leader in your respective organization by contributing your ideas, setting an example, and volunteering your time to benefit philanthropic causes. You don’t need to have any set leadership position or title. An active member is one who leads by example. If this description doesn’t quite fit your actions, you’ve most likely grown disinterested in and disconnected from your organization, making yourself a passive member. Think about it for a minute... Can you honestly tell yourself, and others, you are okay with being an idle body?
So now I ask you, when did being ambitious and overachieving disappear from the mindsets of today’s young adults and 20-somethings? As I think about the people I have come across in my college career, it becomes hard to deny that so many individuals have grown complacent with their stations in life. How can you call yourself a useful and responsible member of society if you frequently find yourself waiting for someone else to step up and do the work, or give the ideas, or to volunteer their time? I feel most strongly about this trend because as college students, we have a world of opportunities and privileges before us. And because of these opportunities, don’t we have a sort of moral obligation and to wake up every day and make the most of it?
