I really struggled this weekend. I struggled to find an answer to the violence we see all too often. I struggled to reconcile that my fellow voting citizens somehow put a thoughtless, apathetic, blowhard in the White House. I struggled to find any silver lining in the senseless behavior of rioters and law enforcement. It already feels like the world is on fire and then, we had looting and riots over the weekend (much like too many other cities) culminating in the DC Mayor setting a curfew for last night and deploying the National Guard.
I always try to stay on the sunny side but short of myopically focusing only on my personal bubble, I struggled to figure out how I can enact any sort of meaningful change to make the world better. In my frustration and reading, I came across this quote:
“The world is run by those who show up, not those who wait to be asked.”
– Steve Blank
We HAVE to show up to make a change. We have to show up at the voting booth, show up in the community, show up in peaceful protests. Show up through (self) education. Show up by demanding better from elected officials. We have to show up for the marginalized. We. Have. To. Show. Up.
In my attempt to chart a way forward, I found this quote especially strong – a way to perhaps wash away my mental exhaustion at the start of a new week, new month and to start the second half of 2020. I hope you can show up in your own life and I hope you’re safe.
