"No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."

The above quotation is from the venerable Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A potent voice in American human rights struggles. And a man of great wisdom and prescience whose legacy has grown over the years. His words here and in other memorable quotations have a way themselves of uplifting and inspiring people around the world.

It seems that this quotation alludes to two things:

a) that all work or actions have an impact in the world -- there is nothing humanity does that is insignificant
b) that when such work is focussed on uplifting and freeing human kind, it must be practices with an awareness to doing it precisely and carefully...or in his words "with painstaking excellence".

Too often we are overwhelmed by feelings of insignificance. Who am I in this crazy world of 7-billion people? What difference does my little voice and my small actions make in and on the world? And from this, an inevitable resignation and apathy can stream forward to WHY BOTHER!!!!

WHY BOTHER indeed! IN DEED! Every action is significant and every human engaged in good work is impacting not only him/herself but those around them. We are all creating a legacy, a world, a context for continuing human existence. And no person and no endeavour is too small and without impact.

SO...speak up, take action, reach out, be/do/have that DREAM of which Dr. King spoke of in another famous speech. It inspires all in ways we cannot know at the moment. It reaches beyond us and sets the stage for others and other actions. It's a snowballing effect. And with the increasing interconnectedness of the planet through social networking (email, internet, facebook, twitter, etc.) we are NOT living in or on an island.

THIS IS PLANET EARTH AND YOU ARE AN IMPORTANT CITIZEN!