Still fighting the good fight

I find it interesting the things that carve out a place in our minds. For example, I can’t remember our grocery list without writing it out on a piece of paper, or even the name of the guy that I met thirty minutes ago. However, I can tell you exactly where I was thirty-some years ago and what I was thinking when it snowed two-feet of snow in a 24-hour-period.

Oh, our minds really do work in mysterious ways

In any event, I posted a few quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. this time last year. There were many to choose from. I looked each over and went with the handful that touched me the most. I remember specifically adding the quote: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others.'”

I thought it was an interesting piece of wisdom, but that was it. I wasn’t expecting the quote to knock around in my thoughts the rest of the year, and oh has it ever hit me over the head. Every so often the quote will jump to the front of the line and get me thinking about my attitude toward others and what I was doing to help them. Have I offered an encouraging word? Have I helped anyone through a difficult challenge? Have I been the best, most friendly and caring version of myself?

When I’ve been especially selfish, the quote seems to ring the loudest. It’s like I have my very own Clarence, the guardian angel from It’s a Wonderful Life on my shoulders, questioning my every move: “Yes, Brian, what are you doing for others?”

Oh, the power of great words. When Martin Luther King Jr. opened his mouth, he had an amazing ability to question and fight for Civil Rights without ever lifting a fist. Many would be wise to be more like him and is movement. Check out my post from last year and let me know what quotes mean the most and touch home with you?

Fighting the good fight