Where Is My Voice...?

I love tigers, polar bears, pandas and whales.
I love forests, beaches, mountains and open space.
I love people, meeting them, talking to them, and learning from them.

So what?

Having a feeling of love towards those things gets me...where exactly?
I am beginning to believe more and more that love is a verb.
It's an action more than just a warm feeling you get in your heart.

Don't get me wrong, that feeling is good. But I really, truly believe that it's just the tip of the love iceberg.

I had a day off today, and I actually got some things done. I registered for school for one. I cleaned a little. You know, the usual.
That's what worries me.
The usual for me helps absolutely NO ONE.
I didn't do one good thing for someone else today.
I didn't champion for a cause.
I didn't even read the news to see what is going on in the world.
Yeah, I took a nap with my dog and that felt super great at the time.
But there was no fulfilment.

I refuse to believe that we were put here purely for our own pleasure.
I believe that we were put here to help others. To make their loads lighter. To make their journey here a little more pleasant.
I sure do a lot of preaching about love for little to no action on that note.
I have been so blessed with health and with a sharp, strong mind...I do not believe that those blessings were given to me because I deserve them or because I did something right in some other life. I am beginning to believe that it's because I have a responsibility to help others.

Let's be honest, I like talking. Probably a little more than I should at times.
I can talk to anyone. Really, I could become friends with a brick if I had to. I know it's one of those gifts that I was given.
What GOOD am I using that voice for though?
Yeah, those who are close to me may know what my opinions are about certain subjects that I'm passionate about.
But I don't take a stand for those things.
I have never really liked taking a stand on anything. I don't like the confrontation.
Wasn't it Alexander Hamilton who said "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything?"
I have been given the gift of a voice for a purpose and, so far, I'm squandering it.

This means that it's time for a change. I'm starting small, because shooting too high rarely turns out with a change of character.

So, here is the challenge. When someone asks about my opinions about ANYTHING I'm going to have an opinion. I'm going to say what I honestly think/feel/believe at the time. Whether it's my views on dinner or pro life, they'll hear what I really think. I'm not going to be super harsh or pompous about this though, just because I'm taking stands doesn't mean that I like people who push their views on others. My hope here is that if I get comfortable enough using my voice on the little things, that will translate into action on the things that really matter, you know?

That list of things that I mentioned I loved at the beginning of the post? They all need champions in one way or another. I think I have such a big heart for critters all over the world is because they can't stand up for themselves. They need people on their side to do it for them. People are that way sometimes as well, sometimes they can't stand up for themselves, so they need others to do it for them. My actions will be what last longer than words in the long run and I want people to remember what I loved in my life.