Ready to Lead
Can fragile dreams outlive the world's loud chaos?
“Youth is the hope of the nation.” We may not be totally powerful and independent on our own, but together, we are capable of more. Maybe capable enough to bring a better world, for a brighter future.
Our world is in a very miserable way that it has never been before. Wars, manslaughter, famine, poverty, pollution, and global warming are just examples of doom that humanity has summoned upon itself foolishly. For instance, we have the ongoing Russian Invasion of Ukraine that has shook the pillars of peace in Europe. Destroyed homes, empty stomachs, hearts filled with fear. Shattered hopes, with nothing to look forward to in the bleak and dreary days of tomorrow. Deafening shots — both of gun and artillery fire, missiles flying through the air, buildings and bodies downed to the ground. On the sky above, let alone the spilled blood, over the endless fields of wheat beneath.
Our own definition of a peaceful world is a cliche, nothing but an illusion at most. “A world without wars, crime, suffering, and death.” Would the world really be peaceful had it been that way?
Five years from now, I see myself going to college, along with my friends. I could be managing my dream café or so — living in concord with the people around me. It could also be that I’m suffering in a country being plagued by lack of discipline, corruption, violence, and conflict — in a society where courtesy, politeness, and unity can no longer be reflected. Nonetheless, as Einstein has said, “I’d rather be an optimist and a fool than a pessimist and right.”
I have the privilege to wake up in a harmonious home. I can go to school with the help of polite people. I have my kind teachers who help me learn everyday, along with my great friends that make my day. That itself is my definition of a peaceful world. A world where people like you and me can leave harmoniously, coexisting with each other properly — though we fight, we resolve it. Surely, I want my future to stay like this. I got to move, dreaming but doing nothing will render my future as but a bleak, gloomy, and somber ambition — a reality I wanted, never to be true.
To achieve the peaceful future I envision, I must take action now as an individual and as a part of a community. As a start, I can practice kindness and courtesy in my daily interactions with others. Even small acts of consideration can lift someone’s spirits and bring more positivity into the world. I can also get involved in efforts to improve my local community, such as volunteering or participating in events. Though I am but one person, collective action on a local level can affect wider change in the near future.
On a broader scale, as youth we have a responsibility to shape a better future for society. We can raise awareness of important causes, lobby for changes in ares like policy or education, and support leaders and organizations that promote peace, justice, and sustainability. Youth-lead movements have created real impact on issues that will affect the generations to come.
Though the problems we face can feel insurmountable, together we have the power to change the course of history. Collective action gives me hope that perhaps the future I dream of is not out of reach. A future of harmonious coexistence is possible if we all do our part to build it.
An essay submitted to the 2023 International Essay Contest for Young People.