The world is changing. Morals are decaying, men are getting softer, children are growing more entitled, sexuality and gender is…confused, surveillance is increasing, consumption is ever-growing, individual freedoms are dying. The list goes on but you get the idea. This message is designed to make you aware that you are what you tolerate. You may have upstanding morals and live a virtuous, happy life. However, if you stand by idly as the world turns to hell and tolerate it, you’re doing nothing to stop the worsening conditions and it will continue.
Everyone needs to have a line in the sand. A place where they draw the line and say “enough is enough.” Let’s provide a very real example; television. It’s no secret that television has increased the violence, nudity, vulgarity, sexuality, and agendas in the last decades. Instead of harmless entertainment, we’re seeing desensitization and agendas being pushed. It’s subtle to some, obvious to others, but it’s creeping in nonetheless. What’s important is where you will draw the line in the sand and stand by it. If you don’t like where television is going, will you be the one to lead by example and turn it off, and talk to your family about why you are doing so? Or will you just be complacent and over time accept it?
Another example is raising children. You may be have gotten good grades and school and be an overachiever. However, you accept bad or average grades from your children because you don’t want to hurt their feelings or don’t want to put in the work to correct their knowledge or work ethic. Perhaps you failed to incorporate high standards from the very beginning. That’s why it’s so important to have that line and stand by it. Instead of grades we could use children’s physical fitness here as well. It’s easier to let them eat junk food and watch devices all day. If you’re physically fit, draw that line, set the standard, and don’t be complacent when others aren’t meeting your standards. It’s going to take work, and it’s going to take strategy as well. You can’t just one day turn the tables and decide you’re going to abide by your standards. If you’ve been lax you’re going to have to ease into it; subtly, but with a plan that slowly develops over time.
There’s many example of having lines in the sand. Some real simple ones are used as examples here just to convey the point. You can turn anything you feel firmly about into a standard that you stand by (legal limits of course apply in terms of taxes, surveillance, etc). I think the majority of us have mental lines in the sand. However, without taking intentional action on those mental lines we will be bound to live in a world below our standards. Have your line and stand by it; because you’re only as good as what you tolerate.