Make Things Happen

Dear Daughters,

There are two kinds of people in this world: Those that wait for things to happen and those that make things happen.  Which one are you?

Your life will be filled with people that should make things happen and won't.  They will be friends, co-workers, bosses, religious leaders, community members, teachers, etc., and although they are those often tasked with getting things done,  the majority of them won't. Many of them will feel inadequate to get the job done, some will be lazy,  others will lack passion, or they may just be overwhelmed with life. And,  no matter how important it is and no matter how passionately you try to inspire them,  they may lack the vision or the drive to do whatever is asked of them.  This will be a source of constant frustration as you try to do the most basic things. Unfortunately,  you cannot force people to be engaged in their own lives or the world around them.

If you really want something done,  it is up to you to make it happen. You must start the process,  take the steps necessary to make sure it is accomplished and then follow it through to the end. It may be a lot of work,  but sometimes people will surprise you and pitch in-  don't expect it,  but be pleasantly surprised when they do.  It is your job to take care of it from start to finish.

I know this sounds hard and annoying.  Wouldn't it be easier to just wait for people to do what is right? You could do that,  but then you would be waiting for life to happen to you instead of defining how you want it to be. The other risk of waiting for others to do things is that you are waiting for other people to determine how things are done and they may not always do them as well as you will.  Of course,  the other side of that is that perhaps others have certain skills that give them the ability to do things better.  For that reason,  before starting something, it is always good to exercise some patience before stepping up to the plate.Wait long enough for the scenerio to reveal itself. When it is apparent you are the only one who is capable and willing to do it, then step up and drive it home.

Love,
Mom