A lot of people dream about making a difference in this world, but they don’t know how. The uniting feature of people who have made a difference in the world in the past is simply their desire to do so. The truth is that every single person on this planet has the ability to make a difference if they want to. If you want to contribute, to leave your mark, then you need more than just good intentions, so read on to learn more.
Be Realistic
There are huge, global issues that need tackling, but unfortunately, without the right backing, you are unlikely to be able to make a difference to them. You need to be realistic about the size of the change that you can affect. Don’t underestimate what a number of small changes can lead to. At the end of the day, the size of your contribution doesn’t matter as much as the fact that you have contributed. If you aren’t satisfied with smaller incremental changes, then you can set your sites on something bigger but to do this, you really need to ensure that you know what you are doing. Luckily, the internet is a great resource, and you can find a lot of things to help you with your goals. You might even want to check out online certificate courses in public policy like the ones provided by LSE; they can educate you on how to effect real change.
Don’t Hesitate
Making a significant change in your life can sometimes be daunting, and therefore it can be tough to take the leap. You might tell yourself that it is going to be too hard or that now isn’t the right time. The thing is, there is no such thing as a ‘right time’; this is why you shouldn’t hesitate. If you want to make a difference, you should start immediately. Making a bigger contribution or change can take time but you will never make that change if you don’t start. Smaller contributions can easily become a part of your day.
Do Your Research
When it comes to making a difference, you need to have a plan, an idea of where you want to start. As mentioned above, it is often easier to start smaller. Do some research to work out where you can make the most impact within your community. There may be charities or nonprofits in your local area that you can get involved in. You might also find through your research that there is a glaring issue that needs addressing. Like perhaps your town is home to a large homeless population, or maybe there is a lot of litter polluting the countryside. While it won’t necessarily be easy to tackle these things by yourself, there are things that you can do, like spending a day picking up litter or organising a collection of food for the homeless.
Empower Other People
It is entirely possible to make a difference in the world one person at a time. One of the ways in which you can make a difference to someone is by empowering them. The question is, how do you empower other people? One of the best ways to empower another person is to listen to them and validate their experiences and their opinions. Treat them as an equal. When a person feels truly valued and listened to, it can have a profound effect on them. You might also find that you are able to build your own community of like-minded individuals who share your desire to make a difference, and ironically, by empowering them, you will have already started to make a difference.
Aim for a Lasting Impact
By definition, to make a difference in this world means you need to change it. To make a real difference, the change needs to be sustained. Think of the old adage ‘give a man a fish, and you’ve fed him for a day, teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime’. The good that you do will make more of a difference in the world if it has a long-lasting effect rather than being temporary. So you need to think about ways that you can make a difference in the long term. For example, to update the saying mentioned above, you could feed a homeless person once and make a difference to their day, or you could start a programme which helps homeless people to earn education and job experience and get themselves back onto the job market. Think about the value that you want to add and where you can have the biggest impact.
Ditch the Performative Activism
Performative activism, for those that don’t know, is the act of activism that is done simply to increase a person’s social capital rather than a genuine devotion to the cause. This type of activism is limited to surface level acts and those who want to appear involved while failing to make any effectual change. This isn’t to say that social media can’t be a great tool for those who do want to make a change; it can. You can use it to drum up more interest and find other people to help you, but it only forms part of the picture. If you have the time to bemoan or showcase your outrage on social media, then you have the time to do something to tackle the issue. Whining and complaining is never going to make a difference; all it does is drain your energy and dilute your message. Instead, you need to think about other ways in which you can use your time. This could be by engaging in activities that actively seek to remedy the issue that you want to address. You could even use social media to raise awareness of your activities.
Lead by Example
As mentioned above, you will likely find that you are in a better position to make a larger difference if you have help. The change that you want to make will be much more attainable if you have more people on your side. While you are trying to make a difference yourself, you should also seek to empower other people and influence them to want to do things that make a difference too. The best way to do this is to lead by example. Do your best to educate other people about the issues around you and how they can follow your example to help. Encourage them to volunteer their time and resources to help the issues that they care about whether they align with yours or not.
In The End
Every effort matters: it doesn’t matter how small or insignificant it might seem. You can work your way up to making larger, more sustained changes. The most important thing is that you make a start by doing something good. Think about common issues and how your business could make a positive impact on them. For example, you could simply start by taking the time to show more attention to those around you or by setting up a regular donation to a charity that is important to you.
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