Editorial: The Doing is the Thing

Ashley Danyew.png

October 2020

There’s a lot going on in the world these days and a lot to occupy our minds and hearts.

There are new rules (keep 6’ of distance from others), old rules (love your neighbor), and a running list of things to remember (first and foremost, what day is it?).

There are racial injustices and protests happening around the U.S., a global pandemic to worry about, and an upcoming election that has everyone picking sides (p.s. Are you registered to vote?)

What do we do with all this information? 

Maybe you feel overwhelmed after just a few minutes of scrolling through Facebook or scanning the news headlines for the day. Maybe you find yourself awake at 3 a.m. thinking, worrying, wondering, planning. Maybe you feel a bit numb.

It’s a lot to handle sometimes: the decisions, the expectations, the unrest, the fear.

So again I ask, what do we do with all this information?

The answer is in that one small word: do.

It’s easy to look at the world right now and feel like there’s a lot we can’t do; but what's something you can do? 

What small action can you take today that will help you live the life you want to live and build the world you want to see? It doesn’t matter how big or small it is, the important thing is to take action. 

Make a change, make a phone call; take a step, take a stand.

As Amy Poehler (aka Leslie Knope on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation) wrote in her memoir, “The doing is the thing. The talking and worrying and thinking is not the thing.”

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When life feels overwhelming and the world feels broken, channel your inner Leslie Knope (think civil service, friendship, and waffles) and do something for good.

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