“All that is needed for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing,” said politician and philosopher Edmund Burke. Many people believe that they do not have what it takes to make a difference. They believe they must be like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Albert Einstein etc. to be capable of making a difference. The truth is, every one of us can contribute to make a difference to the world in our own unique way.
- It does need that we should save the world on our own. It just needs to be something we do with the intention of ‘doing good’. No one can help everybody, but everybody can all help one. We all have what it takes to change someone’s world and make the world a better place. Making a difference to the world may seem like an enormous task, but it is in fact every little task that makes the difference, and that suddenly it becomes significant and that has an impact.
- Let us start today – “How wonderful it is that nobody needs wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank. There is no best time to start to make a difference to the world. We do not need to wait till we have the time to show care; we do not have to wait till we make more money to share a slice of bread.
- Even the smallest contribution is never too small. If we think that everything has been taken care of by somebody and our contribution is not going to make much of a difference, then we are wrong. In fact, it is our responsibility to seek ways to contribute, large and small.
- The greatest gifts of all. Attentions and love are the two greatest gifts we can give to another person. Too often, we are too indulged in our own gratifications that we forget there are people in this world whom we can make a difference for so they will feel more loved.
- We can all empower other people. We can change the world by mentoring and helping one person at a time. One of the ways to help someone is to empower them. But how do we empower another person? Well, one of the ways is to be generous in giving praise and encouragement instead of criticism. By praising and encouraging the person, we would have helped him/her to accomplish what he/she is meant to be, and that would lead to more value being added to the world.
- Let us seek to build a long-lasting effect. The good that we seek to do will make more of a difference when there is a long-lasting effect rather than a temporary effect. For example, if we mentor someone, we give someone a head start, which will benefit the person and all the person around the adept for years to come.
- Let us seek to time to be more productively by engaging in activities that matter. When it comes to making a difference, nothing matters more than taking actions to elevate others around us.
- Let us start by leading the way. A good example has twice the value of good advice. Other than doing things to make a difference, we should also seek to influence others to start doing things that make a difference. And the best way to convince other people is to lead by example. Start doing whatever is within your ability today. Every effort count, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem. Just do it and do something good.