I honestly don't know whether it's common or not, but a lot of people I have met along the way have had some version of a dream to make the world a better place. Maybe you have, too?

But what does that really mean?

I think it's a flight of fancy that changes over time, too.

When we're young and filled with energy and enthusiasm, chances are that we're thinking about changing something on a big scale. I mean, it might even be something as significant as "finding the cure for cancer."

In time, our enthusiasm tends to become somewhat tempered by reality. Changing the world is hard work, and you discover that there are actually a lot of people who don't like the idea of their world changing... and they might actively get in your way.

It's not really malicious as much as it is plain resistance to change.

Heck, you could even consider this relatively "topical" example we're all familiar with: Why are so many people resistant to — and even trying to block — the spread of cryptocurrency?

In most cases, it's a fear of change... a fear of something not known. And I'll even admit that I had some skepticism, in the start.

So, as time passes, we often end up "scaling" our desire to change the world down to something more manageable; something more "local."

At this point in my life, I have my doubt I'm going to change the world; and I have grown relatively content with the idea that if I can make even one person's life better, then I have done a good thing.

There was a time when this sort of scaling down actually annoyed and depressed me... but why? In the long run, most of us end up primarily exerting influence on our immediate surroundings, rather than the greater world.

The thing is: Don't give up!

What often happens — and we forget — is that the "examples for comparison" that we come across are the ones reported by the media, and in order for something to be "media worthy" it usually has to be big. The person who faithfully mows his disabled neighbor's lawn summer after summer isn't as big of a story as the person whose actions touched thousands.

But are they actually any less of a hero; a worthy person; a good person? Not by my yardstick, anyway!

My point is, never give up on the idea of simply doing the right thing, even if what you're choosing to do is on a very small scale.

If you made even one person's day better today... then you've done a good thing!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your week!

How about you? Have you had dreams of making a difference in the world? Do you feel you have done so? Was it on a smaller or larger scale? 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 2024.01.31 00:28 PST
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