The Difference

I want to make a difference.

That’s really all that I want. It seems easy to say that. I wrote it, didn’t I? It can happen.

I decided what I want to do with my life because I want to make this difference. When deciding what I want to study and what I want to do with my life, the most important thing to me was that I would impact other people. That I would have a positive impact on others, no matter how small. That I would be able to go home at the end of every day and know that I have done something that eventually will lead to good in the world.

But I’m finding that making a difference in someone else’s life isn’t really what I want. It’s the people that I think I will eventually help that are making a difference in my life. I’m not really making a difference in anyone’s life, but instead they are making a difference in mine. They are helping me grow and understand my purpose. It’s almost as if I’m being validated that my life has a purpose of some kind or has meaning beyond what I can imagine.

By helping someone, that person really helps me. This seems sappy, yes, but it’s true. We all want to lead the best lives we can. And to do that, I encourage you to take time to see how other people help you and to help the people around you. Don’t take one interaction for granted, but realize how every conversation, every text message, and every acknowledging smile, makes a difference in your life, no matter how small. By trying to make someone else smile, it may help you do the same.

Be someone that you would want to look up to and turn to. Be someone who wants to make a difference. By doing this, you’ll make a difference in yourself and that’s the most important thing.

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” – Gandhi