Have you ever felt like maybe you’re making the wrong choices? Maybe all of the negative chatter around you could actually be right? Should you listen, and change your course? You know, adjust the sails, and re-evaluate your plan? I say maybe, but probably not. If the advice is consistently coming from your parents, or other people with your best interest at heart, do listen and consider. Otherwise, at least in my experience, people are full of negativity and reasons why things won’t work out. Examples: Becoming a teacher, becoming a nurse, having a child, having two kids in one year, having three kids, adopting a child, living in a different town than your mom, living in the same town as your mom, going to grad school just to name a few things. Sometimes, I am really good at tuning out the noise, and plowing full force into pursuing my dreams. Other times, the chatter makes me question God’s calling. I know the passions He has put in my heart, and I know they are from Him. But sometimes, it’s easy to be tempted for the easier, and more- recommended route from the naysayers.
So, I found it quite interesting and incredibly inspiring when I stumbled across a Steve Jobs quote this week. One I have never heard before. “The ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” I read it, and read it again. Yes. This is exactly it. Maybe the naysayers are right. Maybe I am crazy. But maybe I am just crazy enough to ACTUALLY make a difference. To actually say, “Yes, this is hard, and maybe a little crazy, but it’s worth it.” Because you see, if you believe nothing will ever change, and you accept that, guess what? Nothing will ever change. But if you refuse to accept that, and some times (heck, most of the time) your decisions look a little crazy to others, you are way more willing to step out there and do things others are scared to do (and scared to admit they are scared to do. They hide behind the comforting excuse of “That’s crazy. That won’t change anything. It’s always been that way. One person will not make a difference.”), and eventually your small but amazing steps do make a difference. Millennials really do get a bad reputation most days. My absolute favorite thing about being a Millennial is our generation really doesn’t accept things just because “it’s how it’s always been done.” We aren’t loyal to the status quo. We push forward and look for ways to make things better. For me, achieving this “better” involves a lot more tolerance (lots of it, but my hopes and dreams are a lot like MLK JR), a lot less poverty and inequality, and a lot less kiddos suffering (either through orphan status, bullying or poverty are my areas of conviction!)
Considering the books and blogs I read and the friends around which I surround myself, I’d like to say that this lifechanging and life affirming quote came from the Bible, or a book written by someone inspired by the Bible, or heck, even someone that believes in Jesus. I’m not even sure Steve Jobs believed in God. But, Steve Jobs believed in his dreams and he believed in doing what no one else had done so that he could see results that no one else had seen, and that inspires me more than you know. Because the dreams I have (you know, the wishes my heart makes!), God put in my heart. And they may seem a little crazy to you. They definitely do not help me maintain a level of calmness in my life. But, I don’t believe God called me to be calm. He called each of us to live a life glorifying to him. And I believe our story is going to look a little crazy to most, but that’s ok. It’s our story, and we are crazy enough to trust him, and change the world!
The Brooks Family 