In Honor of a Great

Wouldn't it be nice if people did not discriminate based on the color of your skin? Martin Luther King Jr. hoped for this and I know I'm a day late since MLK day was yesterday but its better late than never right? He inspired so many people including myself and I think we can still gain a lot of insight from his words today.

We all know his famous speech, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they are judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." These words inspired a whole generation and continue to inspire millions. We have come far from the days of Martin Luther King Jr., some might argue not far enough but I view the progress we have made a a positive one.

What I find most interesting are some of the quotes that I wasn't familiar with. One of my favorites is "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'". I love this because I think everyone should try to become more selfless. Everyone these days seems to only care about themselves. It reminds me of a show my mom watched the other day. It's called "You're Cut Off" on MTV I believe. Its a series that follows these rich girls who were cut off by their parents in order to be able to figure out how to function in "the real world." For an hour you get to hear girls talk about the thousands of dollars that they spend everyday. One girl said having $200 a week to buy food was going to be hard because if she was out to dinner with a party of two spending $200 would mean they were going to be starving. I just have to say I sincerely hope that the majority of people are not that selfish. What are these girls doing for others when they could potentially have all the resources anyone could ask for? The answer is nothing. One of my many goals is to be more giving and think of others before myself. If I could just give a little of myself each day into something that is bigger than me, than maybe I could change the life of even just one person.

Another quote by Dr. King I really liked was, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." Sometimes taking the first step is the most difficult, but afterwards it's a breeze. Maybe I can learn to keep faith in the things I believe in and take the first step into doing something that matters.

One more thing that I loved and felt like i had to share was the quote, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." This is important to remember. We cannot just face others with hate, we have to learn to love and to be the one who brings a candle to light up the dark room. By not being so hateful and so inconsiderate of other we could make a better world for everyone. I know, I know it sounds a little cheesy but I think that even just the change of one person could be enough to change the world. One day it could happen and we'll have the some of the greats like Martin Luther King Jr. to continue to thank for it.