Posted by: Nicolas Katkevich
When I was young I aspired to be a revolutionary. I wanted to help people, and political revolution seemed like an exciting way of accomplishing this goal. Through my years of meditating on revolution and how to achieve it, I have come to the realization that real revolution is a holistic, patient and simple path. A path far removed from the sizzle of action I had once hoped for.
The change must start with us. Everyday we make choices, what to eat, what to wear, how to treat others, what to do with our spare time. These choices play an intricate role in directing the path of our society. If we are truly unsatisfied by the current political and cultural system that dominates our society, then we must take the initiative and make choices that invoke the change we wish to see. Revolution cannot just be political; it must be holistic in its scope. If change is what we want then it would be wise for us to reexamine all aspects of our life and see if they are in line with our moral standards and spiritual aspirations. As a community it is important to take responsibility for the world in which we live in, and if we are not satisfied with it, it is up to us to begin taking steps to change it.
It is easy to become overwhelmed with constant news of war, poverty and climate change. One can become so overburdened with sad news that they no longer feel that they have the energy to carry on. I have consoled this sorrow with the understanding that since everything is interconnected, we have an opportunity every moment to improve this world. How exciting! Furthermore I believe that while there are many things we cannot control in this world, there are also many choices that we can make and it is up to us to make the most of the opportunities that we have. World peace starts with how we treat those in our neighborhood, ending poverty begins with vanquishing greed from our own mind, and a more sustainable future will only happen if we alter our eating and living habits. It begins with us.
Let’s Get It
I love this, Nicholas. Early in the 20th Century, the French poet Charles Peguy wrote, "the revolution will be moral, or it will not be revolution at all." Political revolution is too often merely a substitution of one set of power arrangements for another, accompanied by the tyranny and corruption that attends to power in all its forms. A genuine revolution begins, as you write, in the heart, in the mind, and in how we treat one another. Love is the greatest revolutionary idea, and self-donation is the greatest revolutionary act.
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