Are you part of the solution... or part of the problem

There’s a great African proverb: “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” Today, we celebrate someone who chose to be part of the solution in this country: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, as we pause to honor Dr. King’s work, I think we should remember what kind of guy he really was. He was someone who challenged you. He challenged you to participate in the solutions you wanted to see in your own life, in your own community, and in your country … no matter who you were or what you were facing. He said, “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” And if he were here today, he would see a whole lot of people refusing to take that first step.

Example: Over the past few years, way too many people bought into the media hype about the “recession” — and made it worse for themselves. This attitude was everywhere. Last year, whenever I gave speeches on this, I made people stand up and repeat after me, right out loud, “I hear there is a recession, and I choose not to participate!” Then I told them to take that message and drive it home through the culture of their company. The people and organizations who actually did that came through just fine.

What would Dr. King challenge us on today?

I think he’d ask: What are YOU choosing to participate in?

I think he’d ask: Are you part of the solution … or part of the problem?

I don’t really think of today as a holiday about race relations. I don’t think King would have wanted us to. I think he would have wanted this to be a day about choosing what we will and won’t participate in … a day about being part of the solution.