I Dream of a Better World

“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Steve Jobs

Road with arrow and sign saying "A better world" — © Stocklib / Gustavo Frazao

Utopia. I discovered this concept and this literary genre during my school years, as a teenager. It immediately captivated the idealist and dreamer in me. Originally, “utopia” means “(which is) in no place”. By extension, a utopia is considered an ideal that is deemed unattainable.

I dream of a better world. From the start, this dream sounds like a sweet utopia. People will blame me for not being down-to-earth, for being unrealistic. We live in a world where idealism and utopia are equated with naivety.

And yet, history is rich in individuals considered idealists, who have contributed to changing the world. Among them, Martin Luther King. In his famous speech, he proclaimed that he had a dream. He fought all his life to see it come true.

So, I have a dream too.

Dreaming

Let’s close our eyes and imagine for just one minute:

A world without borders,
without racism or discrimination,
without wars,
without poverty,
where resources are equally accessible to all,
without inequalities,
free of its iniquitous laws,
without human exploitation and suffering,
free of its injustices,
without animal suffering.
A world that would no longer be governed by money,
where the protection of the environment would truly become a priority
A world where all beings would live in harmony with each other and with nature.
A world at peace.
A more ethical and fair world.
A better world.

I may sound naive while writing this. But this utopian dream contains hope. Because hope is the fuel that allows us to move forward and make changes in the world.
I have my feet on the ground and my head in the clouds.

World map with dices saying "Change the world" - Take action — © Stocklib / bearbakerstreet

Taking action

It is about finding how each of us, at our own level, can contribute to taking a step towards this ideal world.
We cannot literally abolish borders, but we can do so in a certain way, by taking a step towards the others and by creating bridges where there are walls.

We may not be able to end all wars in the world, but we can, for example, have peaceful relationships with ourselves and others.

We can see money, not as an end, but as a means. A means to realize our dreams and to contribute financially to the world we would like to live in.
We can implement small actions in our daily lives to reduce our impact on the environment, rethink our consumption (in terms of human and animal ethics in particular).

We are all hummingbirds.
I am not pretending to change the world, but participating in changing it at my small level.
Like the hummingbird, I am doing my part.
And I invite you to do the same.
The more we dream, the more likely we are to see our dream come true.