How Can I Make A Difference?

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
-Margaret Mead, American Anthropologist

A common feeling that I had when I was younger was “How Can I Make A Difference?” A big question for sure. I couldn’t find an answer for many years but eventually I came to this conclusion, “Small things add up to big things.”

So I set out on a quest. My quest? I was going to find ways in my daily journey to make the world a better place. It started slow. A “hello” here and a “how are you doing” there. An amazing thing happened. Sure enough, my world got a little brighter. When I would see a person again, I would get a “hello” here and a “how are you doing” there.

Over time, I threw in a random smile to any person. Sometimes they would smile back and other times they wouldn’t. Slowly but surely, the amount of smiles increased.

So now, I get smiles and greetings from a lot of people. Not being one to gloat but it’s become hard to stay in a bad mood for more than a period of time. Having people greet and smile always brightens the day.

How can I make a difference?

• Smile at people you don’t know just because you can.
• Say “hello” or “how are you doing?” to a stranger.
• Surprise a friend with a gift or compliment (key: make it unique)
• Send a joke to someone you haven’t talked to in a while.
• Invite a coworker who you don’t usually socialize with to lunch