Fight For What You Believe In – A New Challenge

There’s a lot to say about the world these days, but few people are willing to see what’s right with it. Likewise, even fewer of those who do see what’s wrong are willing to do anything to change it.

We all say things need to be changed, but no one seems to be standing up. Those who are slightly inclined to do so rely on leaders of groups – movements – political parties – to do their talking for them. And yet we wonder why we’re all in the same mess we’ve been for years, centuries, and possibly even eons?

Think of one thing you want to see change in the world today and think about the last time you actually moved to try and change it. Have you sat back and complained about the issue instead of doing something about it?

Understand me: this article is not a guilt trip.

It’s not. Truly it’s not. It’s an effort to move whoever is reading it right now to stand up for something good in the world. We see wars, we see riots, we see starvation, we see orphans, we see abuse – and very few times do we say ‘I want to see this stop.’ Instead, everyone says ‘that’s the world we live in’. But is it? Does it have to be that way?

I want you to think of someone you really admire and ask yourself, did they accept the world we live in? What change could they really have made if they instead had cast a blind eye?

Consider this your call to action. I can even apply a shiny, plastic, and socially acceptable hashtag to it if you need it. Helping others should not be an instagrammed moment or something that you want to go viral. That’s vanity talking. I’m asking you to stand up because it’s the right thing to do. Can you do that? Can you?

#thinkaboutit

– Xo Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel

Rudeness: The Ill-begotten Child of Selfish People

Rude… An interesting word with many different meanings. When I hear it, I think of only one thing: the death of any favorable opinions I have on anyone or anything.

To me, rudeness if the epitome of social suicide. And worse, it’s best way to instantly and succinctly tank your career. I have seen it happen so many times and am currently watching someone’s complete pomposity being turned around on them, the community getting completely fed-up with their outrageously snide tendencies.

As a part of the writing and filmmaking community, I am a part of two very tight knit families. And as anyone knows about being a part of a community, word gets around pretty quickly about who to befriend and who to avoid at all costs.

For example, when an ‘author’ invites new members to join in their ‘blog’ and then within two days manages to alienate the new members completely, word will get around to other authors in the community. Being hostile towards religious groups and also towards members who took a sick day because of their health also doesn’t translate well into keeping good relations with your readers, now does it? Someone should really understand that being a considerate person does not rob of you of the spotlight you are trying so desperately hard to achieve.

It is an odd thing, being rude. Being mannerly, kind, and helpful seems to be a good solid rule for business and society in general, but so few people actually seem to grasp the simplicity of the concept these days. For mannerly people, just general consideration towards one another is enough to suffice as a reason for being pleasant.

‘Give a little, get a little’ is what selfish people should take it as.

Either way, the message needs to be screamed from the rooftops to those who still engage in such appalling behavior: the world does not revolve around you. Be kind, be mannerly, and if for no other reason, avoid being rude because you never know who you have just scorned. That person may know people in high places…