I'm Totally in Love with this Lady

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I want to share with you my privilege of having known and loved a very special lady. She's full of life, vibrance, excitement, brilliance, and beauty. She's completely amazing in every way. Songs have been written about her. Men have studied her, wooed her, fought over her. Everyone wants to be a part of her story. Every day I'm in awe at having the honor to know her as intimately as I do. I want the whole world to be able to share in the joys I've known!

In her youth, she really came into her own. The whole world could see what she was capable of, the promise in her future, how much possibility lay before her. She made a difference to many lives then. And today - still a young lady - she continues to touch innumerable lives. Everyone who loves her is proud of her generosity and spirit.

Upon taking a glance at her history - the causes she has fought for, the ideals she symbolizes, and the charities she supports - even the half-educated can see her unlimited potential to change the world. She has, in fact, already done much to make the world a better place.

Recently, however, she seems to have lost her way.

She's made some poor decisions, forgotten some of her most important principles and ideals, and even begun neglecting the very people who made her great. The times have been hard on her too; she seems to have stopped believing in herself. Many of her friends and those she has helped have turned their backs on her or even turned against her. Her enemies are more determined than ever to embarrass her and strip her of her accomplishments. Some say she's lost her nobility, that she has committed wrongs for which she seems either unaware or unrepentant.

But even though I may become extremely frustrated with her actions and the way she sometimes treats me, I love her more than anything. I can forgive her misfortune, mistakes, and transgressions because I know she's trying to do the right thing. I know she can still make a difference. I know she still has a grand destiny, which God gave her. I believe in her.

All she needs is a little guidance. Someone to show her the way. Someone to stand up for her and say, "I will make a difference. I will show her the way. I will restore her honor, reclaim her future, for now and forever. I will do whatever it takes to make her the best she can be."

Do you know who Carl Schurz is? He's the one who said, "Our country, right or wrong! When right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right." Born in Germany, he immigrated to the United States, fought in the Civil War as a Union general, and eventually became the first German-born American to be elected Senator. He had some very high ideals, the kind which pretty much define what most people think of as patriotism. It's no wonder we've all heard the above quote and understand the sentiment behind it. It's a shame we don't learn in school anything about the man who coined it.

Too often, we look at ourselves and think we're not good enough to do anything. We think we can't make a difference. We think there's too much gone wrong. But that is exactly the mindset our slave-masters want us to be in. They want to keep sucking dry the Land of Opportunity until there really is nothing left here.

Will we let them, or will we say, "Enough is enough?" Will we just put our heads down and let her fade away into nothingness, her name and great deeds forgotten, or will we stand up and make a difference?

It is within us all to make a change, to choose to make a difference, and it's as simple as making a difference to the people around you. I used to think I couldn't make much of a difference. Sure, I helped someone now and then, but I didn't really feel like I'd changed lives. Eventually, however, I realized that I DO make a difference to everyone around me, all the time. We all do. Often, because we don't realize the effect we have, what we share isn't what we wish to be known for.

Whatever our attitude is, that's what other people absorb from us. If we're pessimistic, if we're sarcastic, if we're cynical, that affects the people around us in a negative way. It depresses them and makes the world a worse place. But once we're made aware of this effect we have on people, we can choose to stop focusing on the negative and realize that the world really IS a great place to be, that people really ARE basically good, and the future really IS bright. If we allow ourselves to see the good, we will see it. The world really is what we make of it.

Upon realizing how much effect I have on people, I chose to be a more positive person. Not only do I make it a habit to catch my cynicism and replace it with a more realistic, positive worldview, I also actively make an effort to bolster and inspire the people around me. I want them to know I believe in them, that they can be more than they've been fooled into thinking they are, that they can make a huge difference in the lives around them, whether they're a restaurateur, a famous Hollywood actor, or a world leader. I expect the best of them, and I'm rarely disappointed. You can do the same. Make a change within yourself and you'll make a change in everyone around you. The effect will spread, and before you know it, we'll have restored a great lady to her full potential.

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