Change Your World to Change the World

How often have you heard people say that one person cannot make a difference?  My vote does not matter, and the outcome of the election will not change if I fail to show up at the polls.  I could pick up the plastic bottle another hiker left on the trail, but someone else will just end up dropping their food wrappers there anyway.  The world is full of angry, bitter people, so why should I bother to continue practicing acts of kindness?  I cannot change the world.

Stop right there.  Yes, you can.  You can change the world.  Granted, it may not be on a grand, global scale, though if you choose to go that far no one can stop you.  I implore you to believe in your own power.  I ask you to trust in your own ability.  Change your world, and you will change the world.

You may find yourself asking, “How can I possibly make a difference in the world? How can my actions change things?”  You can trigger change in the world by starting with your world.  Each new day provides you with the opportunity to make an impact.  You simply need to allow yourself to acknowledge this power.  Let yourself be amazing today.

Your words, and your actions, influence those around you.  You may not even be aware of this when it happens, but I promise you it does happen.  Whether that influence is positive or negative is up to you.  Will you do something to improve your world, thus improving the world at large?

Let me give you an example.  About a month ago I read this post titled “Stuff” by A Momma’s View about society’s drive for consumption and its impact on the environment.  I was struck by how she put things into perspective in that if we all do our part we can collectively make a difference.  Since reading the post I am more cognizant of using less and re-using more.  So you see, her circle overlapped with my circle to create change.  She was compelled to write on this topic, and that action initiated my future actions to waste less.  In fact, A Momma’s View was inspired to write her post after reading another blogger’s post on a similar subject.  This caused yet another overlapping of circles of influence and created a chain reaction of action.  It is a beautiful thing to see at work, no?

There are simple ways you can kickstart change every day.  You can start a cycle of kindness with just a few words.  The next time you are at the store, be sure to offer a warm smile and a pleasant greeting to the cashier.  If the person in line behind you only has a handful of items offer them your spot in line.  If your waitperson does a great job, take a moment to speak with his manager and compliment him accordingly.  I can guarantee that at least one, if not all, of these people will register and appreciate your kind actions.  It is likely that they may pay those actions forward by treating the next person they encounter in a similar way.  Voila!  You have just started a domino effect of kindness, and who knows how far it will travel!  Congratulations, my friend, by changing your world you have just changed the world.

Think of the ocean.  Imagine that you are a drop of water in the ocean.  Feeling pretty small, right?  But what if you were removed, and there was one less drop in that ocean.  Then the next drop was removed, and so forth.  Take away enough drops and eventually that ocean is gone.  We may be but a drop in the ocean, but without each drop it would be nothing more than barren land.  Together, drop by drop, we can create an ocean of change.

How have you changed your world, thus changing the world at large?  What steps have you taken to create positive change?  As always, I welcome and encourage your comments and feedback. Cheers! Karen