waiting on the world to change

A catchy tune played on my ipod the other day. It’s one of those songs that you sing along to on a sunny day as you take a drive with your arm out the window feeling the breeze. :-) The song is called “waiting on the world to change” by John Mayer. And I really like the tune, but every time I listen to the lyrics they make me upset. I understand his message and I think it’s a good one. We need to not wait on the world to change, but rather take the power within us and make the change ourselves. I just think that we so often feel powerless to do so – and therefore justify our actions of doing very little.

Some say refugees are “waiting” for the world to change; for it to be safe to return home. No more military soldiers gone bad; no more famine; no more injustice.

I think they are changing their world.

They have courage. They flee – but only with the hope that there is something better. For nothing is worse than what they leave behind. To flee is not always a negative thing. Many people view refugees as running away from their situation rather than taking action against changing it. That could be true for some; but the majority of refugees whom I have had the opportunity to meet and to work with are running towards something. Safety. Education. Food. Shelter. Hope. Many of us flee as well. Are we fleeing from things within our individual worlds we created or are we creating a better one? Or are we just waiting for the world to change? Ignorance is not a plea. If a family from the poor lands in Burma who can find hope that there lies something better across the border and if they can survive to get there; and if the Africans who are starving and suffering in the extreme heat of the desert can make their way to a camp in hope of some food and protection; and if both extremes can make a go at resettling in the America – surely we who are able to access this computer and read this blog are able to make a change. We need to stand for something and we need to take action. No more waiting.

“it's not that we don't care,
we just know that the fight ain't fair”

It’s not fair. But that doesn’t mean we step aside and allow things to continue. I’ve run into some conflict with people at work and to be honest, I’m tired of fighting. But I was kindly reminded that it is my responsibility to stand up for what I know is right and to fight for it. Too often I’d like to step aside and let someone else fight the battle. But if we all stepped aside, who would step up? Who would fight to make change happen? The world will not change without action. This past week I’ve been working in the Bangkok office and I keep trying to remind myself as I’m drowning in endless files and papers that I’m taking a stand for those who want to make a positive change. It’s the little actions we do each day that will amount to great changes…right?

I have to believe so. :-)

Check out the lyrics:

John Mayer: Waiting On The World To Change

me and all my friends
we're all misunderstood
they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could
now we see everything that's going wrong
with the world and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means
to rise above and beat it

so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's hard to beat the system
when we're standing at a distance
so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
now if we had the power
to bring our neighbors home from war
they would have never missed a Christmas
no more ribbons on their door
and when you trust your television
what you get is what you got
cause when they own the information, oh
they can bend it all they want

that's why we're waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

it's not that we don't care,
we just know that the fight ain't fair
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

and we're still waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting waiting on the world to change
one day our generation
is gonna rule the population
so we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change