What can I change? - Leo Tolstoy via The Artist's Way -

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.

Widely attributed to Leo Tolstoi (or Tolstoy):  Author, Activist. 



Another misquote.  Sigh.  The above quote is actually from The Artist's Way at Work : Riding the Dragon (1999)


The actual Tolstoi quote is:  

There can be only one permanent revolution — a moral one; the regeneration of the inner man.
How is this revolution to take place? Nobody knows how it will take place in humanity, but every man feels it clearly in himself. And yet in our world everybody thinks of changing humanity, and nobody thinks of changing himself.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I love the The Artist's Way.  I journal three pages every morning (fingers crossed).  And since Tolstoi wrote in Russian, maybe The Artist's Way translation is accurate.  

Anyway.  Today's blog entry is about change.  I was writing in my journal all of the bitchin' and moanin' that is bouncing around in my head to get it out (About one-third of it is whining).  I wish this was different.  Why does he do this?  This is not right.  ARGH.

But really, I have control over some things ( cue the Serenity Prayer) 

I can change my actions, modify my habits, and control my reactions.  What happens after that, when all the other stuff ( non-controlled variables for us sciency people ) combine with it is to be seen.  Like the butterfly effect.  Or more eloquently put:

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.

(attributed widely to Mother Teresa, but couldn't find the source).

Also, I understand that the internet loves short sound bites.  But one category of these droplets irk me.  It follows something like this:  "Only you can change yourself."  This is a load of crap.  All life today is the result of millions of years of the environment changing individual members of a species.  

And by "environment," I mean "biotic" (living) and "abiotic" (non-living).  Disease, shootings, natural disasters, governments, education, heart attacks, health care, stock manipulation, etc.  

And then, for sentient creatures, we have the thoughts that bounce around in our minds.  And even those thoughts can be influenced by the environment.  Fake news, philosophy, inaccurate speaking and misinterpretation, art, drugs, torture, cults, brain-washing, entertainment, etc.

So, what to do?  Strategically change something.  Flex your power.  Or:  

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”

Sigh.  Another fake quote attributed to Lao Tzu and Buddha.  But it does provoke thought.

Gratitudes:  paint, soap, fried chicken.