Out of everything this individual did, I think this statement holds the most truth and is the most difficult thing anyone can do.

The Quote

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

My Thoughts

It should be no surprise that people like to rally around a cause no matter what that cause may be. A cause, movement, or agenda is only as strong as the people championing it, and I think Gandhi wholeheartedly understood this and addressed the heart of the matter with this quote.

It stands to reason that if you wish for change, it has to start with you. People who say they want things a certain way but do not live up to the standards they expect everyone else to follow are at best hypocrites.

For someone to change their behavior to fit their ideals or what they see as morally appropriate is difficult; people tend to stick to a regiment that makes things predictable and adding something new tends to shift the balance of their routine until they find a new equilibrium. This takes time and most people do not feel that they have the time or the effort to do this.

Changing yourself to reflect what you want the world to be is hard but worth it. If you can endure the amount of effort and time that you invest into truly setting a standard for you, then you have a solid foundation that can withstand anything you build atop it.

Vague, I know, but there is nothing more to say without making things about something specific. Just keep in mind that the easy route is to create a fake persona for the world to see; it can represent all the good you want others to see, but in the end, it is never anything that will truly last. Until next time, I am Nolan… Ex Tenebris.