Hugh Mackay says it so well.

In yesterday’s newspaper he wrote a column entitled ‘a revolution starts with one small step’ and suggests that rather than complaining about our lot in life we ought to get off our butts and take the initiative to make a difference.

Here is a great quote:

Bigger grumbles about the state of the world can be therapeutic, but societies are mostly shaped by the behaviour of individuals operating within their own personal spheres of influence. For most of us ‘changing the world’ actually means changing the way we interact with the people in our street.

City dwellers who complain that ‘we don’t know our neighbours’, as if this is a commentary on the state of the world could try knocking on their neighbours door. You find it scandalous that old or disabled people are isolated in their homes? Why not try visiting one of them?

People who complain that “the neighbourhood doesn’t function like a community any more” could try inviting a few neighbours in for a drink – especially the ones they don’t know. Neighbours don’t have to be friends, but they aren’t part of our community until we connect with them.

If ever there was a time for do it yourself leadership, this is it. Rather than waiting for someone else to inspire you, why not start inspiring those around you?

I like how Mackay doesn’t allow us to become ‘blamers’ but rather puts the responsibility back on us to get up, take initiative and do the small things we can do to make a difference.