What We Do for Others

We do not live in a vacuum, at least not on this earth. And, what we do, either good or bad, puts out ripples which affect others. These others could be friends or family, people you’ve never met before, and sometimes, people who live in other countries halfway around the world. And no, the world is not shrinking, we are growing and becoming more integrated and technically savvy as a species.

It used to be that travel just crossing the United States could take months. Now the trip from New York to California is mere hours. Highly dangerous boat rides to other continents could take months and be fraught with peril. We can now fly those distances in about 12 hours. The World itself hasn’t changed. Yet our technology and our civilization and abilities have changed.

So now the question set before us is one of how we should change to meet our new opportunities and challenges. And, believe it or not, no one gets a pass on our changes. Because everyone in the world will find positives and negatives within the changes to come, and everyone will be affected.

Now, this does not happen overnight, this was going on for over 5000 years. This started when people set out to explore. This began when people realized they weren’t the only people. This happened when people knew they could trade and began to sell their commodities to others for the products that those others produced. And say what you will, it was the trade that brought us to civilization. Civilization was caused by realizing there were others and learning to live with them. Our ancestors learned to do so, and though it was sometimes messy, and quite often one group wanted to dominate another, in the long run, wisdom prevailed, and we learned to get along.

We must remember our lessons of old because those who forget those lessons are doomed to repeat them. This is dangerous. Although our ability to connect electronically and physically with others has shortened by months and years around the world, we still need to have the time to think and consider. To think and consider logically and correctly, we need to understand that we are all in this world together, and whatever happens, the actions and the ramifications affect everyone.

We must think before we act. When we act, we must do so wisely. And we must always remember that whatever we do we are all on this planet together. Wise actions and understanding to take care of molehills before they become mountains are essential. Negotiation seems to take forever, yet I don’t want anything fast happening if it’s going to land right outside my front door.

Good thoughts and cool heads need to prevail. There’s too much at stake for us to go off half-cocked and misunderstood. Besides, as a species, we are better than that.  After all, what we do for others, we actually do for ourselves.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof