As we look ahead towards 2013, we should be excited, hopeful, and assertive. This past year has seen millions of people waking up to the world around them, with average people finally saying “no more.” We are no longer fighting for civil rights, rather human rights. No matter whether the issue is gay marriage, law reform, financial sector corruption, women’s rights, protecting lands, oceans, or air, among numerous other issues, we are fighting for the same thing—our right to exist without harm.
It is difficult not to become disillusioned with so much corruption around us. It exists in all levels of government, business, policing, media, and inside a lot of people. Our system has bred it, and it is time for a change. We need to get out of our comfort zone and make that change happen, even if that means giving up some of our indulgences.
Negative will always exist, but like magnetic polarity, positive will always connect to negative. When we see a negativity, we must be the positive change. There are so many people that I have been fortunate enough to meet who are that positive change, and they inspire me, and I hope that my actions inspire others around me.
Dana Larsen’s ambition and dedication with the Sensible BC campaign is an example of one person working extremely hard to make change. I would not be able to take on something that large myself, and I admire him for doing so. Rather than sit idle and say “wow, that’s really great,” I am going to help collect signatures. If someone is inspiring in what they are doing, help them.
It’s not always the big things and people taking on the world that need to inspire us either. We can look at each other, our friends, and admire our perseverance through the ups and downs in our lives: Marc, who runs Medpot.net, through serious health issues, putting in countless hours to keep his site updated; Owen, if anything just for maintaining a positive attitude through the trial, but also for his dedication to spread knowledge and caring for others; Gayle for kicking cancer in the ass and fighting it with every inch of strength, and being truly one of the strongest women I know; and Ted, Georgia, Al, and Ryan, from this very issue of the Digest, have their own inspiring stories.
Be inspired, inspire, give forward, and never give up. Happy New Year!
By Andrew Brown
