|
Aspire to Inspire
By:
Bob Ross
When I look back throughout the pivotal moments in my life, they were without a doubt inspired by some amazing individuals, ideas, and even unexplainable forces. As far back as I can remember there has always been an urge in me to figure out the truth and use it to help others as much as I possibly can, and I believe this urge is endemic to the movers and shakers of the liberty movement. As I read the prompt for this month’s e-zine, my mind swarmed with several people I hoped to inspire, but I had a difficult time narrowing the list down to just one. I feel so inspired by others that it is sometimes hard to imagine what I can even do to inspire all of the wonderful people I am surrounded by. This is quite the blessing, and I can only hope to return the favor to the many other humans who have touched my life, so I found it easier to address the groups I aspire to reach through my words, but more importantly my works.
I want to first reach out to my peers with the lesson that we all have lessons we can learn from one another. There is solidarity among us despite our differences in philosophy, religion, or approach to spreading the ideas of liberty. Because we will inherit quite the mess, time is of the essence as we plan and prepare for our uncertain future. We all have had different experiences that have led us down our unique paths and these differences can empower us with the abilities to use different approaches perhaps not available to the generations who came before us. These are very exciting times, and I want to encourage members of my generation to retain that spark of goodwill and desire to learn the solutions to the myriad of problems we face. We can be optimistic and realistic at the same time, and through cooperation we can come up with creative solutions to complex problems. I believe the change must come first with a change of heart. We must strive to be an example of morality in a materialistic world that caters to our own selfishness, and must also accept that we hold the responsibility for our future. As we witness firsthand the failure of a system based on promises and attitudes of entitlements, it is up to us to demand that we do not need assistance from a government that routinely breaks its contracts. Former generations have made the forgivable mistake of believing in a benevolent state that will take care of them in their old age, but we must realize that this too was a lie manufactured to create faith in something that is finite. We do not need the empty promises of the state, and basic math reveals we will not receive the benefits we are told we deserve. It is now up to us to prove everyone wrong who say our generation is one of excess and greed. Let’s start by loving one another because we share the same burdens despite our differences, and we can all learn from one another.
 One thing the liberty movement is known for is its enthusiastic support from very young people. Another group I hope to encourage is these younger generations who are discovering the ideas of liberty for the first time. It is an exhilarating experience, and one that will set you apart from people in your peer group. Liberty is a popular but misunderstood idea, and you might face ridicule from pessimists. Don’t let them rain on your parade. You have been fed many lies throughout your life, and don’t be discouraged by people who tell you there is a certain set of rules you must abide by in order to succeed at life. I want to focus my attention on the drop outs, the daydreamers, and those labeled with a learning disability because they don’t follow orders well. Like I said, these are exciting times, and you no longer need to go down the same path as your parents. The lesson I want to teach younger generations is that they are not bound by convention, especially in the realm of schooling. You can be very successful nowadays without completing college and getting into massive debt because the tools of knowledge are more readily available than ever before. It took me quite a while to break the mindset that I had to get a degree to be worthwhile, but I found over time that I shouldn’t be ashamed of the fact that I dropped out of college. My life has been deeply fulfilling despite my lack of official documentation of my collegiate completion, and as long as you keep your motivation, you can absolutely create a life that is successful but above all meaningful. Don’t let anyone tell you you are failing if you need a break from the drudgery. The numbers don’t lie, college now is more costly to attend without nearly the benefits it used to provide, and it is up to you to educate yourself on the topics you care about. You are smart enough, innovative enough, creative enough, and motivated enough to make your dreams reality. With the resources available to you, there is no reason you can’t get a quality education for a fraction of the cost of college.
I cannot even imagine being able to inspire the many activists in the older generations I have interacted with that have impacted me so positively, but I will say that I hope I can at least reflect the gratitude I have for them and their efforts. Without people like Ron Paul and the numerous others who have paved the road for the ideas of liberty, us younger people would have a much more difficult time spreading the ideas of liberty. A former KGB agent said it takes about 10-15 years to indoctrinate a generation of people in order to prepare their minds to become accepting of tyranny and takeover, but there have been people fighting the indoctrination system for decades now that have successfully awakened new generations of activists. I think of Dr. Paul, Ernie and Donna Hancock, Thomas Woods, Bob Murphy, Murray Rothbard, Lew Rockwell, Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich Hayek, G. Edward Griffin, my boss Tim Frey and coworker Mark Casson, and so many others (past and present that it is hard to name them all) that have been vigorous in spreading the truth through a variety of activism. My message for them is that their efforts have not been in vain, and that there is great hope for the future. It is the older generations that have laid the groundwork for what younger generations are embarking on. Speaking to the ones still living, sometimes I’m sure it seemed fighting for liberty was an uphill battle, and the supporters were few and far between, but I am here to say that your efforts have been fruitful. Thank you all for the hard and sometimes thankless work. I hope you will recognize the positive effect they have had on society and the generations present and to come. I seek to reflect my appreciation with not only my words, but my actions to reassure you all that though us young folks may lack the capital to invest we have the ideas an work ethic to make projects happen.
Another group I want to reach out to is my family both close and distant. I’m sure many of you that I have interacted with on social networking sites and in person think I have some crazy ideas. Maybe I am guilty of too much idealism or cynicism depending on the day, but I hope that our interactions have had a positive impact. You all have taught me so much, and I aspire to return the favor. I most of all want to visit those of you which I have not physically seen in years, and look forward to when I will have more funds to travel more freely.
Too long didn’t read version: I have tremendous hope mired with trepidation for the future, but I would love to pay it forward to all the people who have inspired me to stay motivated and focused on the goals of spreading liberty. If I can stir even one person out of the many I want to inspire I will be content.
Meghan has been writing poetry, prose, short stories, and essays for several years, has been published in small independent publications (mostly poetry), and currently runs the blog at Roberts & Roberts Brokerage (http://rrbi.co/category/blog/). Her focus is on social issues, politics, fitness, and natural health topics. The best way to contact Meghan is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001243544080
|
