A Lovely Shade Of Blue: What Keeps Us From Making A Difference?
...It sounds so easy to say we can make a difference. In reality a lot of us don't try because we are held back by negative feelings such as apathy, self-doubt, fear and embarrassment. The thing to remember is that we generate our own emotions. They don't come from outside us. They are our emotions, so we can learn to control them or at least subdue them...
Claire George encourages us to try to make a difference.
No matter how kind we try to be, all of us do things in daily life that hurt others. You could be the nicest, least malicious person in existence and still cause a great deal of harm. How? The answer is neglect and thoughtlessness. By neglecting to think about the consequences of how we live, we support the mistreatment of people and animals.
People with functioning legs rarely think about what it is like to use crutches or a wheelchair. It's only when you break a leg that you realise how difficult it is if icy pavements aren't salted, kerbs are too high, ramps are blocked and disabled toilets aren't clean. Imagine how much easier life would be for the mobility impaired if society were more thoughtful.
A couple of years ago the BBC ran a show to select Britain's missing top model. Eight young women with disabilities competed for first place, among them were two with hearing impairments. A rival contestant thought they didn't deserve to be there because their disabilities weren't visible. It was only when the group spent an evening wearing ear plugs that they began to think about how it feels to be cut off from spoken conversation.
On a global scale, we injure human beings and animals when we buy unethical products. It could be beef raised on former rain forest land, shampoo tested on rabbits, sugar from an underpaid farmer in the developing world, fish caught with methods that devastate the sea floor. It could be anything on sale in British shops today. We support unethical companies because we don't think.
As Christians we are called to make a positive difference to the world. And as you can see from the examples above, there are millions of things we can do in daily life to make this planet a better place. Lobby the council to grit pavements and reduce kerb heights, learn sign language, buy Fairtrade sugar and so on ... The list is endless.
Yet there is a wee bit of a problem. Stepping forward to make a difference can be embarrassing. Television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall wants us all to lobby fish and chip shops to serve mackerel. Mackerel is sustainably fished and so will take pressure off endangered species. Talking to your local fish and chip shop shouldn't be too challenging, yet many of us feel reluctant because it's a little, well ... blush inducing. People don't like making a fuss or a spectacle. They feel shy. Or they don't want want to be seen as an interfering do-gooder.
Then there's the time, money and stress factor. The economy is bad, companies aren't recruiting so you've either got too much work or you're unemployed, prices are rising and life is rather hard. You might say to yourself, "have I got time to talk to the fish and chip shop owner?" Or, "can I afford to shop around for ethical products?"
It sounds so easy to say we can make a difference. In reality a lot of us don't try because we are held back by negative feelings such as apathy, self-doubt, fear and embarrassment. The thing to remember is that we generate our own emotions. They don't come from outside us. They are our emotions, so we can learn to control them or at least subdue them.
Emotions sometimes make problems look bigger than they really are. A way to get round that is to write about the problem. This allows us to put the problem in perspective and really think about it. If you feel too embarrassed to talk to the fish and chip shop owner, make a list of the reasons why it is embarrassing, then read it again after an hour. You might find your problem is how you see yourself, and has nothing to do with the fish and chip shop owner. If you feel you don't have time to look for ethical foods (such as Fairtrade products and locally grown produce), calculate how much extra time it will require to check the labels on products when you're next out shopping. It might not take as long as you imagined. Also, brainstorm quicker ways to find products. Have you thought of using websites? (These websites provide information about ethical food: Fairtrade, Soil Association, Freedom Food).
If you feel overwhelmed by something that needs to be done, make a list of what you have to do. Then think about which tasks are easiest and do them first. In the process you will build up momentum, confidence and (maybe) a social network that supports you when you come to the more difficult parts.
Above all, trust that God is with you, supporting you in your attempt to make the world a better place. If you can't get started or find yourself struggling, just tell him.
