"Be The Good"

Marcus Aurelius, who is considered to be the last of the five “good” Roman Emperors said, “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” Those words were spoken so many centuries ago but they are still true today. It is so easy to get caught up in the negativity of today’s world. All one has to do is turn on the television at any point during the 24 hour day and you can fill your mind with horrifying images and disappointing blurbs about the leaders running our country, sports figures or the CEO’s of our major fortune 500 firms. I could pontificate about these individuals but truly that would just be a diversion to what is truly the issue. There are those that would rather spend their time spinning negativity, gossiping, and throwing the proverbial first stone.



Maybe I am naïve but I prefer to believe that there is more good in this world than bad. I would rather spend my time talking about the individuals and stories that reflect the beautiful nature that I think exists in all of us in some way. Trust me, I know that experiences and how we are raised and the conditions that we are born into can deteriorate one’s outlook on life. But think of what kind of world this would be if “all” of us took a moment out of our day and did a kind act for someone less fortunate, and said a kind word to someone that needed it how many more positive stories there would be to tell. Or, if we gained our strength and hope by listening to and repeating the stories of people who have contributed so much to our world today. If bad news spreads like wildfire, doesn’t it make sense that good news would spread in the same manner?


This topic brings to mind a story from the Bible about Jesus and the prostitute. My minister told this story in very interesting way. He said he imagined Jesus with his back to the crowd of people that were in the process of beginning a “stoning” of a prostitute. Jesus kneeled down in the sand with a stick in his hand. My minister imagined Jesus, as he was talking to the crowd, writing the sins of everyone that was there in the sand for them to see. Then Jesus said, “Whoever is without sin, cast the first stone.” When he stood up and turned around, everyone was gone except for him and the prostitute.



My point, like Marcus Aurelius, is go out and be a good man or woman and don’t waste your time speaking of the sins and mistakes of others. Spread good news and not negativity. Speak life and not death into your marriage or into your friendships. Lift one another up instead of dragging each other down. Help someone carry their load when they are too weak to carry their own. Start small and make it a part of your everyday life and it is amazing how much better our world looks even if it is just our own small part of it.