When a compassionate intention arises, don't evaluate it. Trust it. Just do it.
(Beavan, C. (2011), Intuitive Action. Tricycle. Retrieved January 22, 2023, from https://tricycle.org/magazine/intuitive-action/)
I think I've always struggled with self doubt. I've always thought that what I have to say is obvious or unimportant or unqualified, and this has led to frustration and stagnation. Not only that but also I've probably missed out on making the kinds of meaningful connections that I value. I love to hear about people's motivations and ideas—their rationale—because I feel that brings us closer to the authentic, the real nuts and bolts of a person. I've known this consciously for a long time, but in the past I've denied myself to others: I've found it difficult to offer up myself in that way. Only in the last several years have I been able to see this: only now am I truly understanding that I do have something to say and that it's okay for me to say it. It's not so much about being heard than it is about not denying that part of me. I guess a lot of us face similar obstacles and I think these are often the barrier to significant progress, both internally and externally.
I noticed I've been thinking a lot about how problems are solved. I kept coming back to the idea that progress is made through many small steps rather than giant leaps. But I get the feeling that many of us think a person either has that certain je ne sais quoi or they don't: that as a (perceived) average joe we have no power, that we couldn't possibly make a difference. We might then—essentially—give up and carry on as we were, or our wish, or idea, is withheld, never to be born into the world.
What if we all just tried? What if we abandoned our self-doubt and just did something, if we simply took the small steps we can? The world is a big place, so a lot of people doing even a little will have a significant impact. I thought there wouldn't be much point in talking about my views on trying to be a responsible developer—a responsible person in general. I have few concrete answers and I am not an expert in any related field: I'm just some guy who has a modest awareness of my affects on society and the environment, and I want to be better. But if I try with the resources I have now, and if I share, then I will be making a tangible difference and maybe someone else will be inspired. And that's where the power lies.
We simply cannot wait until we're enlightened, until we have all the answers, because that's likely to be a ways off: all we can ever reasonably do is aim ourselves in roughly the right direction and then do something. And keep practising so we become ever more skilful. Results will surely come, but only if we take those forward steps. So, we mustn't have doubt, and we mustn't deny ourselves our interests and intentions: we just need to get on with it.
We can complacently watch life from the sidelines, or we can risk our pride, our ideas, and whatever else we use to separate ourselves from others and leap fully into our life.
(Wenger, M. (2006), Entering the Lotus. Tricycle. Retrieved January 22, 2023, from https://tricycle.org/magazine/entering-lotus/)