“The world is changed by your example not by your opinion.” ~ Paulo Coelho
You ought to do this. You should do that. I think a change is necessary. Ought, should, think. These words designate opinion. While you are entitled to your opinion, it may not mean a whole lot to me or to others. Opinions often make for arguments and controversy more than they make for constructive change.
However, if someone is willing to voice an opinion and follow it up with “let me show you what I mean”, that can make all the difference in the world. In that example, the person is willing to put his or her opinion into action. I don’t know about you; but, I learn a lot more from a person’s example than I do from their words.
Coelho reminds us of that important fact when stating that the world is changed by example. If we have what we feel is a good idea of how to do something, we should be willing to show it to others rather than merely expressing our opinion.
This is something that used to rattle my students when I taught religion at our local high school the first three years after my ordination. In the semester of Christian Morality, I would tell them that if they didn’t have the courage to show someone what they meant, they didn’t have a right to their opinion. It would anger some of them but it led to great discussion as they saw that example was more important than spouting one’s opinions.
If you have an opinion about how the world could be a better place, are you willing to show us a better way by your example today?
FAITH ACTION: Exemplify your love of God and the necessity of embracing a virtuous life by Christian example rather than by words.