The act of making something better.
Did you know that? I did not. Until I looked it up. The word was used in an essay my son wrote explaining how he likes to share information with friends in order to better - their lives? The world? I'm not sure what, but he does place lofty expectations on himself.
What a good word it is though. And, no matter where you are in life - rethinking a career, celebrating or cringing after the last election, or just going along doing your own thing - we should all always be engaged in amelioration.
"It's all good". Whenever I say that to a certain friend of mine, she insists it is not all good. And, I know what she means. There are certain things you simply cannot call "good". They are not good, nor will they ever be good.
But stewing in their badness doesn't serve us either. And, believe me, I've been there. The tragic, early death of a friend might inspire one to seize and appreciate every moment, to love and live more deeply, to pursue joy more fearlessly. Me, however? I turned more cynical, somewhat bitter, and fearful of getting too close to anything or anyone.
Living in that "it's not all good" space is not healthy. Nor is it fulfilling. And you certainly won't find much joy there. In times that wear us down, scare us, or make us feel hopeless - we must find the "good". We must work to turn the evil into better, to let the sadness lead us to joy again, to overcome fear and live loudly.
We must engage in amelioration - the act of making something better. Don't accept that "it is what it is". You have the power to make it something different. Find the peace in sorrow. Find the fire in grief. Find perseverance in fear. And move it all forward into something better.
