Do You REALLY Want to Change the World?

One of the lifelessons I was raised with was the general idea that we should try to leave the world a better place, as a result of our having been here."

I expect we all have our individual interpretations of that idea... mine has generally been that I try to leave a small footprint wherever I go. In many ways, I place more emphasis on "stepping lightly" and using minimal resources than I do on actually changing the world.

When I was at University, many of my friends and peers truly wanted to change the world; to make some "big splash" that they might even become famous for.

Maybe I just lacked ambition, but I just never felt inspired by the whole "fortune and fame" bandwagon. I pretty much always thought on a much smaller scale.

Not much of a "dreamer?" Maybe so...

But how DO we change the world?

Back then, I felt it was more important to actually make a change on a small scale, as opposed to talk and plan how to make some huge change.

As the years rolled by, I started called it "the cure for cancer syndrome," referring to those who felt that their contributions really didn't matter unless they were changing the world on the scale of finding a cure for cancer or something similarly monumental.

I was quite satisfied with making my elderly neighbor's day by offering to mow her lawn for her, without expecting anything in return.

I guess I have long been about the little things in my world.

Many might think such things to be insignificant and unimportant because they don't necessarily result in immediately tangible and visible results. However, I'm more concerned with whether or not we're taking right action in the choices we make.

If you really want to change the world, be content with starting small! The fact that you are actually doing something to create a better world is actually more important than whether or not you are the one who solves that major global problem! Particularly if all the time between "now" and "then" simply involves waiting for your big moment!

As I look back across my life, I honestly can't point to anything "big" that I have done. But to some of the individual people I helped along the way, it was probably "a big deal," at that moment.

This post was largely inspired by reading some of my own old notes for writing ideas.

Although I ended up not writing on any of those topics, one of the things that stood out to me is that I have consistently focused on "small victories" in life, rather than "climbing Mt. Everest" scale stuff. Not sure whether it was something I was taught during my upbringing... but there's a kind of ideological modesty in there.

My takeaway is that it behooves us to make a difference in the world where we can, rather than focusing excessively on whether or not we are "changing the world."

It might be nice to feel like I have changed the world — in some small way — but I am definitely not going to get hung up on the idea!

I think the main thing to keep in mind is that it's better to do a little right now than to be forever planning some huge thing... that might never come to pass.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

How about you? Are you actively trying to change the world? Or are you pretty happy with it, the way it already is? Do you strive for major changes, or are you happy with little ones? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2024.06.01 00:10 PDT
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