Focus on the Big Things

My beloved teacher Stella Adler taught me something I want to share with you today . . . and if you follow this, you’re going to make a huge impact in your life and the world around you.

You will encounter many things in your life. Hopefully, by the time you grow up, the world won’t be as divided as it is now. What I want to say to you is: don't let yourself get involved in the small things of life. There are a lot of powerful, big things that you must be involved with. But many times, you make a huge noise about little, nonsensical things in front of you that are just distractions. And in reality, those little things don't have any true importance.

There are many competing forces in the world, some good and some bad. And we want a world that is peaceful and where everyone has an opportunity to educate themselves. A world that is not racist, antisemitic, or sexist. We want a world where everyone is included. These are some of the big things that are worthy of your time and attention.  

But a lot of the time we look at each other and say, “There are billions of people in the world. What can little me do?”

Little you can do many things. Why? Because you are special. No one in the world has your DNA. Each individual is unique and we need that. So don't say, “There are so many people, why me?” You're important because you're an individual - - with your own thoughts, ideas, and power to do things that only you can do.

There is massive goodness in the world. But there is a shortage of individuals who have the opportunity and ability to participate. Many people are told, "Be quiet." If you hear that, you must become stronger and say, “I'm not going to be quiet. What I'm going to do is utilize my uniqueness to bring peace and harmony.”

There's power in the world that we can use to make our lives better. I want you to educate yourself. Read. Ask questions. Don't let anyone dominate your mind. You are an individual with a free mind - - THINK! It’s your job to confront the big, important things . . . because those big things have meaning, and you must fight for those big things that will help to develop people.

Today, fighting is going on all over the world. And we say, “Is this the world that we want?” No, it's not! We can solve everything that's going on in our world today. But we adults are not going to be able to change it all. You will change it. Because it's going to go on for a long time, and we'll all probably be dead, but you will be alive.

And you’ll look back on this moment, and you’ll say, “This man told us about the day that we would make a change in the world.” Because the day will come when you'll have your power. You'll have your position, you'll use your voice. And you will be the one to bring the resources to the world that we're not yet seeing. You will say, “I want something that's good in the world. I want something that's going to bring us together.”

So don't waste your time with the little small things. Train yourself now, and base your life on big things, powerful things. The world has always been shaken by one man or one woman - - and then the rest of us follow. That is the world that you are a part of. Don't forget that.

Don’t be afraid - - as we’re doing our creative exercise, I want you to participate. I’ve noticed that in life a lot of times you're afraid to be seen. And I see this taking place here - - some of you are afraid to be seen. If someone doesn't call you on this now, you're going to be doing it 20 years from now. And then no one's going to care or say, "You've got to be seen!"

We live in a society where if you don't make noise and reach for what you want, you're not going to get anything. So get rid of whatever it is that’s stopping you - - be it shyness or fear, get rid of it now! Because when you have the chance, you need to grab it! This world is about participating. You have to train that essence within you - - "I'm participating. I want to be seen." In life, you've got to pay attention. You have to be aware or you’ll miss the opportunities in front of you.

Things we remember from childhood: I remember when I was a child, I used to wonder, “Where did I get that idea from?” Sometimes, someone says something and it sticks with you. I always think about my fourth-grade teacher. I just loved her and I would sit and listen to everything she said. And the other day I remembered some things that she said to me.

That is going to happen to you too. One day, you'll say to yourself, “He told me some things that I remember.” These ideas, this vision that we’re talking about now will come forward. And you will say, “Oh, he said that, what, 25, 30, 40 years ago?” And you’ll remember this, just as I remember my fourth-grade teacher, Sister Louis Marie whom I loved so much.

We all know that both good and bad exist. And the reason we can have hope is that each one of us has been given the opportunity to make a choice. God has invested in each one of us the possibility of light. The journey of life and the obstacles that we go through teach us that we can lift up, enlighten, and bring great change. Or we can continue the journey of darkness.

Your hope, your visionary future is light. The struggles that you’ve gone through sometimes create confusion about which direction to go in. But it has been told to us from biblical times to the present - - reach for the light.

Our mission here at ATW is to bring forth the essence of light that exists in each one of you, so you can manifest it in your everyday lives through reading, writing, questioning, being inquisitive, and having a mind that is interested in all things. Education is your key. I want you to read lots of different things and take in different ideas so you can have a wider view of the world. Think about what is going on around you.

Because you and your generation are the ones that will bring together one vision of new possibility - your job is to continue the quest we adults have hoped for. You’re the generation that will bring forth the action, change, and visionary light that has always existed. You are the essence that will illuminate that light so that the world will see the possibilities that we on Earth can achieve.

So beloveds, accept that you all have power. And you are all brilliant. Life can be very short. We think it's so long, but it can be very short. So remember that you have a mission on this earth and you have a great job to do. And that job is to change the world for everyone. What can you conceive of? What can you see in the future? That's what you can solve!”