A while ago, I was talking to a friend about his neighborhood. He told me that he and his wife built their dream home. It was large, beautifully furnished, and filled with toys. The house was perfect.
The problem was that he didn’t feel connected to anyone in his neighborhood. Everybody stayed inside. Nobody chatted over the back fence. It felt cold and uncaring.
He remembered the old neighborhood where they raised their children. When they moved in, people reached out to them. Neighbors did home improvement projects together. They spent time in garages shooting the breeze and drinking beer. They took turns hosting card parties.
In his voice I heard his desire to find a new neighborhood like the one he left many years ago. I also heard his concern that the place he was seeking no longer existed.
His story made me think about my own neighborhood. Two questions came to mind. “What kind of neighborhood do I want?” and “What am I doing to create it?”
Thinking more about it, I realized that these are great questions in all areas of our lives.
Want to live a healthier lifestyle? What are you doing about it?
Wish you had a stronger relationship with someone significant in your life? What are you doing about it?
Think you have better ideas than your elected officials? What are you doing about it?
It is easy to want something different. It is hard to work for the change we want to see. Perhaps taking action will be easier if we add one more question to the list, “If I don’t take action, who will?”
What is something you want in your life that requires you to take action? Take it now.
Image credit: Davidd
