It is not my role to tell people how to live a good life.
It is not my role to change the world,
Or even someone’s view of the world.
It is not my role to give advice.
It is my role, however, to share experience.
It is my role to learn what I can from others
Through conversations and books,
And to share what I have learned.
It is my role to lead by example
The virtues I find important
In a moral society.
It is my role to speak out against bad behaviour
And to debate the issues affecting humanity.
It is my role to be open-minded,
To be humble about my opinions,
To weigh the evidence
And to change my opinions as
Information evolves.
It is my role to get back up
When I am kicked to the ground,
To be compassionate towards others,
To animals,
And to nature.
At the end,
For good, or bad, or indifferent,
I may contribute some small thing
To making a difference in one person’s life,
Or in the functioning of our society.