"The World Will Say to You, 'Be a Better Person.'"

Cleo Wade, at TEDWomen 2017, speaks eloquently about wanting to change the world. She says that to start we have to be brave enough to care, "The world will say to you, "Be a better person." Do not be afraid to say, "Yes." Start by being a better listener. Start by being better at walking down the street. See people. Say, "Hello." Ask how they are doing and listen to what they say. Start by being a better friend, a better parent, a better child to your parents; a better sibling, a better lover, a better partner. Start by being a better neighbor. Meet someone you do not know, and get to know them."

While few of us will become governors, or senators or even President, all of us have the opportunity to take charge of our own lives and present ourselves to the world in the way we want the world to be. If we want the world to be less violent, we must be less violent in our life. If we want the world to be free of racism, we must be free of it in our own lives. If we want there to be less suffering in the world, how do we greet the suffering we pass on the street corners and traffic lights on the way to work. She says, "We find ourselves saying to the world, "What should I do?" "What should we do?" The better question might be: "How am I showing up?" I ask the world for peace, but do I show up with peace when I see my family and friends? I ask the world to end hatred, but do I show up with love not only for those I know, but those I don't know? Do I show up with love for those whose ideas conflict with my own? I ask the world to end suffering, but do I show up for those who are suffering on my street corner? We say to the world, "Please change; we need change." But how do we show up to change our own lives? How do we show up to change the lives of the people in our communities?"

Well worth 11 minutes of your day to listen to this remarkable woman. https://www.ted.com/talks/cleo_wade_want_to_change_the_world_start_by_being_brave_enough_to_care?utm_campaign=tedspread--b&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare