Changing the world might seem like an insurmountable task, but I believe that’s because many people approach changing the world in the wrong way. They focus on trying to create wide-sweeping changes in the political and social structures around them. The problem is, these structures have been sturdy for so long that they are almost impossible to change. Once people realize that changing the world is difficult, they begin to give up on those dreams they had. They let those dreams wash away and replace them with “realistic” goals that other people give them. Maybe you’ve even experienced this yourself.
The truth is, it is possible to change the world. But to change the world, you have to change yourself first. You have to change your mentality, your habits, and your actions. It’s not easy changing yourself, but it’s necessary if you want to make a massive impact. Here are four steps that you can take today to change yourself positively and create a massive positive impact on the world.
Stop comparing yourself to others
Most people compare themselves to others. Usually this is done through social media. You go onto Instagram, or Facebook, and see other people living amazing lives that you wish you had. Maybe you see a friend of yours posting pictures of traveling the world with his fiance. Maybe you also see the same friend posing in front of a Maserati Ghibli that he recently bought. You see these pictures and start to feel bad about yourself. A dirty little secret about social media (especially pictures-based social media) is that much of it is based off of people pretending to be something they’re not. You know nothing about what’s going on with people except what’s going on in the picture and that can leave out a lot of significant context. “It must be nice to be able to travel the world with your fiance,” you think to yourself as you look at your friend’s pictures.
Be as authentic and genuine as possible
What does it mean to be authentic and genuine? It means many things. Partly it means being principled to your beliefs, party it means not lying in an attempt to make yourself look better, partly it means stating how you actually think and feel. Most people in this situation would simply take the offer, because they believe that they won’t be able to get a better offer. That’s the inauthentic thing to do. The authentic course of action would be to voice your concerns to the employer that you believe you’re worth more than what they’re offering. You tell your employer that, given your experience, education, and skills, you believe that their offer is somewhat low but that you’d be more than willing to take the offer if they gave you anywhere between $45,000-$65,000. If they don’t offer you something within that range, you tell them that you can go to another employer who is willing to offer that amount of money.
Generosity and empathy can go a long way
Generosity and empathy are two incredibly undervalued tools. To use them properly, you must first understand what they are.
Generosity is about giving to other people without expecting anything back in return. Many people view generosity one dimensionally, unfortunately. Many people view generosity as the act of giving money away, often to charities. However, this is an incredibly limited view of what generosity is. You can be generous by giving a service, a good, money, or some advice. The second part of the previous sentence is key — you cannot expect a return when you’re being generous. If you’re giving money away simply because you expect it to raise your status, or to lower your tax liability, then you’re not being genuinely generous. Empathy is about the ability to listen to other people’s problems and understand what they are going through. You’d be surprised at what people are willing to tell you when you simply become empathetic to them and allow them to open up — I’d know! I’ve had people tell me secrets that they wouldn’t even tell their closest family members.
Improve and change what is closest to you
Many people believe that changing the world requires that you to focus on making sweeping changes in the political and social structures of the world. However, this simply isn’t true. Many people who have changed the world did so, not by focusing on changing entire nations, but by focusing on improving and changing that which they were already familiar with. Recognize that changing the world does not require making massive actions. Sometimes all it takes is trying to fix and improve what’s closest to you and affects you personally.
In Conclusion
Recognize that you can change the world — starting today — simply by changing yourself. The four steps I’ve outlined above are absolutely critical to making a positive impact on the world.
Now go out there and make a positive impact!
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