Prerequisites

There is a prerequisite for everything.  Before you can take and understand calculus, you have to understand algebra, trigonometry, etc.  Before you can have civilization, you have to have stability.

The question is: what are the prerequisites for the life that you want?  What are the prerequisites for a sustainable world?  When you figure out and take care of the prerequisites, the bigger challenge becomes just a little bit less intimidating and sometimes even possible to achieve.

De Facto Dictatorships

When people stop holding their leader accountable for the outcome of the group's goal, democracy turns into a de facto dictatorship.  We live in a country filled with the potential to create just about anything.  A sustainable economy.  A powerful education for every child.  A future filled with promise.  You name it.

Yet, we sit back and allow our leaders to dictate our actions.  We fail to question for fear of punishment, fear of loss, fear of the work that might ensue if we're listened to.

But the time is ripe for action.  That future filled with promise is now.  The only question is: who's going to be the first to question?  Who's going to start the revolution?

Choice

Life is a series of choices.  The biggest choice, however, is the one that you make when you don't feel like you have any choice at all.  When all has been decided for you, when there isn't any option that you like, you have the choice to grin and bear it--or you could live it up.  Have a party.  Enjoy yourself.

After all, you can't do anything to change it.  Right?

Everyone Above Average

We are creating a society of mediocre people.  In the same vein as Harrison Bergeron, equality is being misconstrued as sameness.  If everyone learns exactly the same skills in school, then we will be equal.  If everyone goes to college, then we will be equal.  If we're all above average, then we'll be equal.

An equal education is access to the same resources, not being forcefed a diet of the same information and skills as every other child on the planet.  Equality is having the opportunity to do the job you love, not feeling like a failure for not "making it" to an ivy league or even to community college.  Equality is about everyone having the chance to achieve their own brand of greatness, not achieving the impossible task of everyone being above average.

I have a dream, but it's not the same as yours.  And that's a good thing.