What's the Difference?

"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right" - Confucius

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee" - Marian Wright Edelman

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop" - Mother Teresa

Lately I have been pondering what "Making a Difference" is all about! I can thank one of my mentors for the challenge, I suppose. Does a small kindness make a difference in this world, how about a smile, a door held open for someone with their arms full? Listening to and empathizing with someone is an act of love, and it makes a tremendous difference to the person who feels heard, loved, and cared for! The smallest acts of kindness make this world a better place to live.

If we start each day with the resolve to do at least one random act of kindness we will make a great contribution to world peace, by practicing it in our everyday life, rather than waiting on some great leader to do it FOR THE WORLD! Perhaps that is the problem I have with politics, we hang too much responsibility on the political leaders of the world and do not assume enough on our own. When I look at all the problems of the world, I know I cannot solve them alone, but I can do my part by being responsible for my own conduct and also take some initiative to help others see what they can do about it. Global problems can be solved by local responsibility and ownership, the difference is in owning the problem and working to find a solution, together with others who believe in their own ability to make a difference in this world!