Stand up and stand out.

If you look at history and you will see that the world has been transformed by people who stood up to support a certain cause. The world has also been transformed by people who stood out. This article reminds us that we need to stand up for what we believe and stand out of the crowd to fight for it for the benefit of others.

You may have heard the statement “There is nothing I can do about it” ” This is not my job”, ” I am not privy to it”, People in the same boat are sinking and the guy sitting on the other end says “I am happy that the hole is not on my side”
What is common in these statements? It is not my job, it is not my responsibility, and it is not my domain. The second thing that is common in all these statements is someone has seen something wrong, they can do something about it but they choose not to.

Albert Einstein once said this world is not evil because of evil people; the world is evil because of good people who do nothing about it.

You will agree with me that most people became heroes because they saw a problem and stood up to do something about it.

When Karura forest in Kenya was being encroached, Wangari Maathai stood up to fight for the environment. Not only did she stand up she also stood out to the extent that the then government punished her severely but then she saved the forest. She stood out to the extent that she won a Nobel Prize. I have been to Karura forest and I enjoyed the greenery, the therapeutic environment leave alone the walking trails that thousands of people use to get fit both mentally and physically. It was a cause worth fighting for.

When apartheid was rife in South Africa, Nelson Mandela stood up for the right of the people. He stood out to the extent that he was recognized by the then government, tried and sentenced to life. He stood out by spending 27 years in jail. While there were other prisoners, upon his release he stood out to the extent that he won the election to become the first president in democratic South Africa.

When mother Theresa had a calling to help the poor, she stood up; she left the ministry to spend her time and resources to serve the poor. She did not worry about the money. If it were me, I would have probably asked myself, “Where will I get my salary, where will I get money to feed and treat the poor”. She did not complain as to why the government not supporting these people and yet the citizens are paying the taxes. She stood up and do what was required by then. She, therefore, stood out because she spent a lot of her time in the streets treating the poor, she stood out because she always stood for what is right and not what others think, and she stood out because she had values, integrity, empathy, and commitment to fulfill her calling.

Martin Luther King Junior stood up and stood out. He stood up to fight for equal rights.  He stood up to defend the rights of those who were not being treated right. He stood out because of his dedication, commitment, and consistency in ensuring that he fights for what he believes. He stood up to the degree that he was ready to lose his life and indeed he ended up losing his life and this is why he stood out and we still remember him to this day, more than fifty years after his assassination.

There are several examples and real-life cases that we can talk about today. You are probably aware of other cases and examples in your society.

What are the characteristics of people who stand up and stand out?
1. Their reason for being is bigger than the suffering they will endure.
2. They are committed one hundred percent.
3. They do not care about how all they care about why.

What do you need to do if you want to stand up and stand out?
1. Look deep inside you, find your purpose and start doing something about it
2. Accept that call when asked to stand up.
3. Show up, because people will suffer if you do not stand up,

Challenges are like a puzzle. If you are putting together a puzzle with has 100 pieces, you need to have all the pieces. If one piece is missing then the puzzle will not be complete and the task of putting the puzzle together will not occur.  If you are a medical doctor, you are the part of the puzzle that needs to show up to complete the shape. If you are an environmentalist you are the missing part that the community needs to protect the environment, if you are a team member you are the part that your team requires to complete the project.

Go out there and be the Wangari Maathai, Be Martin Luther King Junior, Be the Mother Theresa, Be the Nelson Mandela because you are meant to stand up and stand out