There was a quote I saw the other day that went something to the effect of “Our greatest minds are spending their time trying to get us to click more ads”. Not a good use of resources for the USA! I shared this quote on twitter and an MBA candidate, Bukola Ekundayo, who follows me asked, isn’t making the ads more relevant helping?
That got me thinking and is the reason for this post. All of us need to think about what we are doing and ask ourselves am I bettering my world? Am I contributing to the changing of institutions in our country that are failing? (Namely, our banks, our government, our education and our healthcare)
It’s clear to me that there are people who care deeply about the world, their fellow humans and what happens to humans on Earth. They want to do more. Most of them are stuck in institutions that are so completely broken that no amount of passion, caring or drive can fix them on the individual level.
The only way we can fix our damaged systems is if collectively we group together and pull the rope in the same direction at the same time. We cannot wait for things to change or think that pulling the lever for the person we think can do the hard work for us will do it. We have to get active and start DOING STUFF!
Tweeting, sharing stories on Facebook isn’t enough. We need bodies on the ground. Start protests, stand for what you believe in, start a company that CAN be transformative.
Think about these things as places to start:
We think a bank has great customer service because it gives out pens and is actually open? What?!? Are we so beaten that we accept that? Try and remake the Bailey Savings and Loan. Oh not the part about giving out bad loans, but lending from the heart. Lending locally, being a bank of and from the people. How about making bank charters that force a bank to make a percentage of the loans be within 10 miles of the branch? (Hey, its an idea)
When you go the doctor’s office how much paper work and people using filing cabinets with paper are there? Think about what you would do to make the doctor’s office, you know? MODERN! It’s as though they have completely missed the internet.
How about voting? Why do I need to use a giant mechanical machine and why is done on a state by state basis? In who’s interest is it to disenfranchise people? Could it be the less people you need to defraud, the easier it is to get elected?
Think about media and its importance as the 3rd estate? Is there a real way that we can fund important investigative reporting? Can real truth be ground sourced? Ever wonder why Wikileaks was so universally, quickly and angrily demonized? Maybe they upset the cart? Maybe we need more of that? Can you build a real system for safe whistle-blowing on the government. I think we can.
There are real things we can do. Overcome your fear and start kicking down doors. You just might change the world.
Originally appeared http://laurent-courtines.com/do-better-more-and-important-stuff-its-time from http://laurent-courtines.com
