Is the revolution even possible?

Spoiler alert! The short answer is a very sound "most likely not."

Disappointed? You should be.

You see, it all boils down to something very fundamental, very basic, and very personal. We all think that we're all OK, it's everyone else that needs to realize they're being talked to and do something about it. That's why nothing ever changes: because for change (and I'm not talking about any kind of "revolution" here) is only possible within oneself. Things don't change, we do ... as Thoreau pointed out, but even when we do change, we don't admit to it, for somehow we think we would be betraying ourselves.

Change is possible. As a matter of fact, it happens all the time: we get older, more experienced (I'll leave the judgement as to wiser or not up to you), our bodies get weaker and eventually break down completely. This is the way of the world.

Conscious change is possible too. We can decide to lead a healthier lifestyle. We can decide to be more open-minded and tolerant. But we can also decide not to do anything at all. But the one thing that we can never decide to do is not change.

Again, the observant reader will have noticed that since the year began, I have not been advocating mere change. Why should I if it comes about all by itself. No, my focus has been revolution, and revolution is not a slight, gradual change of circumstances, it is a sudden, sometimes drastic, shift in ourselves and much of our environment. But, revolution can also be conscious, desired, willed, and put into motion. The prerequisite for this, however, is that enough of us decide that things shouldn't stay the way they are, that we ourselves should be different.

Do you have any idea how many of your fellow readers just jumped ship? "Oh no, we'll be having none of that!" Others: "We have no idea what might happen," scream others. Why would we want anything sudden and drastic to happen? One reason could be that "sudden and drastic" are, in and of themselves, not all that bad, but most of us have a very negative attitude toward them.

I'm now going to put this into terms that I think everyone can understand: we (all of humanity) are at a threshold. (I know you've heard it before and most of you think it's crap, but bear with me.) It is within our power to change the world. This change can take place within the timespan of a day. However, it is up to you. If you are with me, and if you feel up to it, and I have but two small, simple challenges for each of you: Pick the one person in your life who causes you the most joy, and do whatever you can to make that person more joyful and aware that this is their role in your life (and I'm not talking about a one-time thing, I mean continually). The other half of the challenge is this: pick the one person in your life who causes you the most grief, and do whatever you can to be kinder, more tolerant, more understanding of who they are and what problems/issues they may be facing (and I'm not talking about a one-time thing, I mean perhaps even approaching them and offering to help with the issue).

All of you were with me on the first challenge; I lost most of you on the second. And that's why, my dear friends, I believe that the answer to this blog's question is a very sound "most likely not."