What does it take to make a difference? According to Francis Moore Lappe and Paul Martin Du Bois in The Quickening of America, there are three traditional ways individuals react when faced with a challenge to their sense of what’s right. They give up and focus on doing what’s right for them as individuals; they protest, make demands and fight for the right choice; or they sacrifice, denying their self-interest to relieve the suffering of others. There is a fourth action that can be taken, an action, it seems, many of us have forgotten about – get involved.

The best job I ever had kept me away from home 12, 16, sometimes 20 hours a day. I spent most of that time in front of a computer, editing pictures, sound recordings and video for a company that strove to make a difference by teaching children aspects of environmental awareness. We all worked our butts off, not because we had to, not because of a boss standing over us, threatening us, but because we believed so completely in what we were doing. We each felt we made a difference, every day. We were empowered to do whatever was needed to get the projects completed, the best way we knew how.

I bring this up because of the sense of liberation taking responsibility gave to me. Too often we are quick to blame the man who cut us off on the freeway, the politician raising our property taxes, or the professor who failed you in physics. Just blame it on them. It’s all their fault. We didn’t cause the problem, right? Isn’t it wonderful to wash our hands of responsibility?

However, when we absolve ourselves of responsibility two things happen. First, we move the sense of immediacy a step further away, distancing ourselves from the issue. Second, we’re no longer empowered to do anything about the problem. Hey, if I’m not responsible for it happening, I can’t do anything about it, right?

Wrong. If you’re tired of feeling powerless to stop injustice, or just tired of not being able to walk down the sidewalk in your neighborhood, become involved. Do something about it. Take responsibility. Go to a City Council meeting next Tuesday. Tell them you’re mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. Talk to your neighbors. Chances are they’re tired of the same things too. Get together and do something about it.

We have a wonderful form of government. Problem is, most people have forgotten how it works. Take responsibility. Learn. Engage. Make a difference.

I’ve never been a big fan of advertising, but the most inspiring words I’ve ever heard uttered in a commercial hang above my desk and remind me every day of the power we each have within us:

Here’s to the Crazy Ones, the Misfits, the Rebels, the Troublemakers. The Round Pegs in a square hole, the Ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them, because they push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the Crazy Ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the Ones who’ll do it.