Unveiling the Unknown: Being the Change in a World of Endless Possibilities
Life. We live in an ever-changing world that seems to be moving at lightning speed full of endless opportunities. Every day we could stand in the hallway of our life wondering what we can do and what we should do. How can we be the change we wish to see in the world? It’s a quote passed down to us by Mahatma Gandhi. When we are faced with making change. It can be hard to know where to begin. There is so much information thrown at us. Figuring out how to change can make us paralyzed on where to start. So where do we begin to create change?
Often times, life can feel like too much. Whether it’s deciding what you want to do for work or what hobbies you want to pursue. Life, at its core, is about wonderment and the ability to create change that can help yourself and others. The choices you make can create solutions instead of problems. They can build bridges for others when there may have been road blocks stopping the way for society. Your decisions can change your life and the lives of everyone in your ripple of effect.
Inspiring Change: Why Being Better Matters
Self-betterment is many things. A journey. A lesson. Some turmoil. But most importantly, it’s what pushes us to realize that we can all be better. Becoming a better you requires continuous growth. Learning more about yourself and what you believe in. Reflection on how you can improve. And keeping an open heart and mind to allow change to happen.
When you embark on your journey of bettering yourself, you can inspire change in those around you. Did you know that according to a study done by the University of California when one person works on bettering themselves you can positively impact 3-5 people around you. Let’s think about that for a second. Ripples. When you become that change you want to see and take steps to betters yourself you create ripples. These ripples are seen and felt by others around you whether it be your community, work, friends, family, or nationwide.
There is always something to learn from your mistakes. When you accept that no one is perfect each mistake you make allows you to grow. Let’s say you have trouble managing your time. Use that opportunity to teach yourself how to manage your time better so you can be more beneficial the next time a similar situation comes.
Your pathway to being better can encourage others to start their journey.
What Change Do You Want to See?
It starts with understanding what we want to change and how we want to see the change. There are so many problems in this world. What areas are you looking to impact? Maybe there is a food insecurity issue in your neighborhood? Perhaps you want to better education or help with climate change. Understand what you want to change and start there.
You never know who is watching. Start small, if you stay committed those small actions will add up over time. Do you have local food banks that you can donate too? Schools that you can volunteer at? Parkways that you can join and help clean up? Every little action you take helps support your local community.
Another great point to remember is that change starts from within. Part of inspiring others is making sure your values align with your actions. Let’s say you are passionate about taking care of our planet. By changing your habits and taking steps to live a more sustainable life you may encourage your friends to make the same changes when they realize how much easier it is on you.
How to Be the Inspiration
Allow yourself to be you and inspire others without even knowing you’re doing it.
By allowing yourself to be vulnerable and share your story with others you are inspiring new ways of thinking. Encouraging action, and allowing others to feel they can join you on your journey. When you share your story, make sure you’re sharing the good and the bad. Share what you learned from your mistakes. For instance, if you overcame your fear of public speaking someone else might be struggling with that same fear. If you share your story you may inspire them to conquer their fears as well. Storytell can create a sense of community and allow others to open up about their journeys.
Lead by example. If there are certain changes you want to see in the world, demonstrate how you would like others to act. Be the person you wish to see help encourage change. Live your life with purpose and show others how you better yourself.
Similar to sharing your story, let your actions speak for itself. When inspiring others, people can feel inspired by your actions. Live your life as your best self and show others how to better themselves.
Change can be contagious if you allow it to be shared.
The Power of “We”
Okay, so we spend a lot of time talking about how you can change yourself to better impact those around you. But what about inspiring others to help create change with you? When it comes to being the change we want to see we have to start thinking with “we” instead of just “I”.
It’s impressive when we can take steps to better ourselves but change will not happen if we only focus on bettering our lives. Change makers understand the power of “we”.
Yes, we live in a society where we all live separate lives that affect one another. When one person decides to make a change that inspires others to follow suit we can create a movement. Families can work together to better not only their life but those around them by volunteering for local clean-up events, starting community gardens, or getting involved with local outreach programs.
Similar to sharing your story we can educate others on the importance of bettering yourself and how it impacts our collective want to see changed. There are so many ways you can pull people into your mission. Host a workshop, start a discussion group, or even create a survey for others to fill out that will help you with your next steps. Whatever you choose, help others help you create change.
Preparing for the Road Ahead
Here is a little tip for you. Everything we want in life that is worth working for is going to have obstacles. Learn to accept that from the beginning you are going to be met with challenges. Don’t let that stop you though, when pursuing your desire change! Roosevelt once said, “Nothing worth having comes easy”. We have to prepare for those obstacles if we want to be successful at becoming the change.
Some obstacles we may face are not having all the resources we need, no support, or loss of motivation. I know what you’re going through. When we first get that idea in our heads that we want to start changing our world we are pumped. We are ready to take on the world. Then, life happens. We get caught up in our day-to-day work and personal lives and suddenly we are not as interested because we don’t see it. That passion we had when we first started thinking about making a change.
Prepare for those obstacles and have a plan to overcome them. How will you stay motivated to keep going when things get tough? Who is in your support system? When you are faced with challenges who are going to be the people speaking your name when you are no longer speaking? Take inventory of the people in your life. Know who your supporters will be and who may want to see you fail. Know your audience and use your supporters to get through your down moments.
Planting Seeds of Hope
We live in a world where you can be anything you want to be. Be better. When you work on bettering yourself you are creating hope for the change you want to inspire. Inspiring others to become better versions of themselves allows that hope to spread.
Each step you take to become better is a step towards hope. Every action you take to create change is creating a better tomorrow. We may not see the impact we are making right away, but just like planting a seed. With the right attention and care that seed can grow into something wonderful that impacts everyone.
Comments