All the small things.

its astonishing how much hatred there is in this little world of ours. i saw the last king of scotland yesterday and was again reminded about the atrocities some people have committed, i also saw blood diamond recently and it was the same deal there (both good movies btw..). its amazing we ever get anything done, since so much energy is used up on hatred and anger. i dont claim to understand either of the situations represented in the movies fully, but i believe i still have the right to judge the hatred portrayed in them. there arent many situations that have gotten better through violence, sure sometimes it can be the only way out (world war II... what wouldve happened if the Allies hadnt fought back?), but it should and CAN never be the first option.

im lucky enough to live in a safe country like Finland, and i havent experienced much violence in my life personally, if any at all. i have on the other hand lived in africa two years of my life, but again in a comparably safe country (Namibia). and i am very grateful for what my country has given me, and i consider myself to be lucky. however, the vast majority of the population of the world doesnt have the security and stability i enjoy here in finland (hope this doesnt sound cocky, its not my aim at all if it does.) and there are just so many things awry with the world we live in. famine. drought. global warming. corporate power. corruption. civil wars. genocides. murder. rape. poverty. the list goes on. and i sometimes get the feeling that theres nothing we can do to prevent these horrible things from happening, unless we have either power or money. i get that "im only one man" feeling, what can i do? but thats precisely where it needs to start from. one person. its the small things that make a change. the small actions that make this world a better place. and we can always keep pressuring the people who DO have power and money to make the large changes.

but lets just start by smiling a bit more. laugh out loud. dont be afraid to make conversation with the person sitting next to you. hug them. maybe you can start recycling things. use your car less. and be more understanding. remember, youre not always right. neither am i. and neither is she. love. tell someone you care about them. call your friend and tell them that you love them. write a letter to the powers-that-be. compromise. and if theres only one thing you do --

LISTEN.

its the small things...anton.