2017 MLK Jr Day - A day of reflection

Today we remember the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

At my current age of 38, it's hard for me to fathom the impact he had on the world as one person with only 39 years of his own existence. Think about that, he was only 39 years old. We should all begin acting like we can change the world at a much earlier age.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase"

My favorite quote from Dr Martin Luther King Jr. is the one above about faith. It was this quote repeated in my mind, that nudged me towards starting this venture and helps me take leaps of faith every day. Take that first step. Do it. And guess what, there's another one after that too, and then again and again.

That quote exemplifies a powerful paradigm that if internalized can help you realize your vision for the world even in the face of complete adversity.

Ironically, the older I get the more I retrace my youthful enthusiasm for non-violent conflict resolution and it's teachings. As a teenager I looked up to people like Thomas Merton and Thich Nhat Hanh while most of my classmates were thinking more about Jeff Spicoli. 

Unfortunately, it's been nearly 50 years since MLK's assassination and yet we are still  a society that believes in violence as a conflict resolution tool. If anything today, for one day, we need to reflect on how to bring Dr Martin Luther King Jr's vision to life without resorting to the other side's violent tactics.

We need to take the first step in faith even when we can't see the whole staircase.