Welcome to My World

Everyone searches for the meaning of life, or maybe they think of it as their mission in life. I, too, searched for a time. But now I’ve found the mission, the meaning, that works for me. I want to make the world a better place, by doing just one thing (JOT) at a time. That doesn’t mean I think I can change the world — it means that I believe one person can make a difference. I believe that any improvement, no matter how small, is worth doing. 

It’s like that story of the boy walking the beach throwing beached starfish back into the sea so they wouldn’t suffocate on the sand. A man passing by mocks the boy, “There are hundreds of starfish, you can’t possibly save them all–what difference can you make?” The boy picks up another starfish, and flinging it into the sea says, “I made a difference to that one.”  Starfish are all around us; let’s save the ones we can.

For my writing, this mission means that no matter how grim the subject matter, I will always find a way to turn it into a positive message. That doesn’t mean there will always be happy endings — just that something positive will be learned. 

One of my recurring themes will be “family of choice”. That is the concept that we don’t have to rely only on the relatives we are given by birth. For many people, relying on blood relatives is not an option — the genetic hand they are dealt is really a raw deal. Other people may have outlived their birth families. That doesn’t mean they have to be without a family. We can choose the people we gather around us and build our own “families” — choosing people that share our values, to also share our lives.

I will also collect and share suggestions for JOTs that are easy to turn into habits. A JOT might be something you do once a year, once a month, once a week, once a day, or even once an hour. All that matters is that you only tackle ONE change at a time. That makes it a small effort that anyone can handle. When your one thing becomes a habit, then you can think about adding the next JOT.