In week two, the class focused on becoming the change we wish to see. I thought it was a very enlightening subject. I read through various articles and contemplated their meanings. Jeffery A. Thompson wrote an article about "What Is Your Calling In Life?", HELP International made an incredible short video I would like to encourage others to check out sometime, and I even read an article about how not everyone should be a social entrepreneur and that is just fine. It helped reassure me that even if I can't do what a social entrepreneur can do, I can still contribute in other ways such as through volunteer work.
I spent a great deal of time reading Chapter Three from How to Change the World Second Edition. There is this incredible story about a man named Fábio Rosa who helped improve the rural lands of Brazil in the 1980's and 1990's through some of his version of social entrepreneurship. He improved the farmlands through cheaper and more efficient means. This chapter gave me hope and inspiration in the fact we can achieve anything through baby steps. This chapter also taught me when there is a will, there is always a way. One just has to be determined to find those alternative ways.
Now, back to Jeffery Thompson's article, he discussed five different Heresy's. These five are if you're lucky, the one true calling, bliss awaits, the praise of the world, and work gives life meaning. First of all, luck has little to nothing to do with our calling in life. If you want something done, you have to at least put a little bit of effort into it. There is no such thing as just one true calling. A person may have various callings throughout their life. An individual could start out as a volleyball champion in high school, a line cook for the Navy, and a friendly neighborhood mechanic well into retirement. A person doesn't have to work towards bliss, they could have bliss now if they truly desire it. One could find joy in the calling they wish to be a part of. To participate in a calling, one doesn't have to be the praise of the world. Most callings end up being a humble responsibility and that is just fine. Work could give life meaning, but there is so much more to life than just work itself. There is also family, friends, and so many other joys found in this world. Thompson's article can easily be tied into the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the fact that everyone has a purpose here on Earth. We all have callings. When we need help with something, the Lord will assist us as long as we put a little bit of effort in as well. Social innovation can be tied into the gospel and Thompson's article in the fact that social innovation requires some effort on our part, some people are called to come up with ways to improve society in some way, shape, or form, and Jesus Christ can inspire people to do the work of the Lord.
