“What I’ve experienced is that I can’t know the future. I can’t know if anything that I do will change what happens tomorrow. I can’t know with certainty, but what I do know is if I do nothing, nothing will change.”
James Orbinski (born 1960); Former President of Doctors Without Borders
In the memoir, “An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action for the Twenty-First Century“, James Orbinski comes to a bold and honest perspective: “Admitting imperfection is essential to compassion.”
At times, the world seems to demand perfection and consistency in all of our behaviors and motives. Too many people find themselves paralyzed by an internal standard for absolute success and unparalleled purity that prevents them from contributing any good at all.
The fear of an unclear future, of dicey outcomes, of accusations that we fell short of our ambition, or didn’t disclose our flaws beforehand, all short the world of the positive change we have to offer our friends, families, and communities.
Magic begins when you begin. Change happens in the wake of action you take without absolute certainty that your path is the best option or even the right one at the time. James Orbinski has contributed to causes in areas of the world where suffering is so enormous that many would declare his work a lost cause at the start. And yet he contributed. And yet people’s lives were improved.
It is more valuable to make your offering to the world in good faith, rather than withhold your efforts for fear of appearing an optimistic fool. Nothing changes when you hold back. That is all that is certain. The rest remains to be seen. Be imperfect with a good heart.
