Title
DARING ENOUGH TO CHANGE THE WORLD
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what
we have done for others and the world remains and are immortal.
- Albert Pike. People who are caught up in their lives may
think that making an impact on the world and the people
around them seems to be an impossible task to accomplish
in our fast-paced society. 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. What does
it really takes for youths to make a difference in our vibrant
world today?
In my opinion, a burning desire and an endless passion to
live for others are the two essential key qualities, which
one needs to have to make an impact on the world and the
people around them in a positive, practical and meaningful
way. Though some may think that youths might be too young
to make a difference to our society, I believe that they
do have the capability to make a difference in the lives
of others as long as they possess the two essential qualities
needed to touch the lives of others.
Youths can use encouragement as a tool to touch the lives
of others around them such as friends and family members
and to create a dazzling hope in the lives of people around
them. Encouragement may seem easy to some of us, but what
exactly does encouraging others mean? In the New Testament
of the Bible, the Greek noun for encouragement can also
be translated as exhortation, comfort, or consolation. There
appears to be more to encouragement than saying nice things
to one another! Appreciation can make a day - even change
a life, your willingness to put it into words is all that
is necessary to make a difference to the lives of others
around you.
Often, we under-estimate the power of a touch, a smile,
a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the
smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential
to turn a life around. There is nothing compared to having
someone beside us when we are in need of encouragement.
When we fail to receive constant encouragement from others,
the journey along the road of life becomes difficult and
can seem impossible. Our hope is diminished and we are easily
despaired. Hence, encouragement plays an important role
in our lives.
Encouragement is a vital part of our lives and we all need
to renew our hope continually especially when we experience
trials in our lives. Likewise, we need words of affirmation
to motivate us in our daily lives. We need to know we are
loved, that we are doing a good job in our responsibilities.
We need encouragement when the going gets tough, when others
doubt us, and when we begin to doubt ourselves. When life
becomes difficult, it is encouragement that enables us to
approach the difficulties with joy. Encouragement helps
combat and overcome the negative aspects of life that we
might be going through at some point in our lives.
Youths can start by encouraging others around them. Inevitably,
people do receive as much as they give when they encourage
others around them. When youths look for ways to bless others,
they are not seeking their own selfish desires. Youths can
compliment others in areas in which they are doing well
and likewise, in areas where they are struggling. There
are numerous ways to encourage others. It can take the form
of a word, a smile or a hug. If someone listens, or stretches
out a hand, or whispers a word of encouragement, or attempts
to understand a lonely person, extraordinary things begin
to happen. Hence, using encouragement, youths are able to
make an impact on the people around them in a positive way
and create hope in those who are discouraged at the highways
and byways of life.
Youths can make a positive impact on others and the world
simply by offering acts of kindness to anyone who is in
need of help. Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness
in thinking creates profundity. Kindness in giving creates
love. – Lao Tse. Though the concept of acts of kindness
is not the answer to the problems of the world, youths can
begin by doing acts of kindness to make a difference to
the world and the people around them in a practical manner.
Kindness can bring a sense of richness and fulfillment to
their lives.
Kindness allows youths to have a more optimistic outlook
in life and a sense of connectedness with others around
them. Kindness allows them to forget their problems and
gets them thinking about someone else. When youths choose
to become a kinder person, they are not only improving the
well - being and health of themselves but also those they
come into contact with. Kindness has a ripple effect. Kindness
has the magical ability of causing those who have witnessed
the act of kindness to feel good spontaneously. When youths
make the decision to be a kinder person, they are effectively
bringing about positive social change.
Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind
can see! It costs little or nothing to be kind and each
act of kindness have the potential to spread kindness around
the community and the world beyond. Constant kindness to
others can accomplish much in our society. The sun makes
ice melt. Likewise, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust
and hostility among people to evaporate. This will, in turn,
bring about true unity and love among individuals of a community.
Hence, youths are able to reach out to others around them
and hopefully, kindness in action will allow them to make
a positive impact on the world and others in a meaningful
manner.
Youths can brighten the lives of others around them such
as friends and family members by being honest with them
and more importantly, themselves. Honesty is being sincere,
truthful, trustworthy, honorable, fair, genuine, and loyal
with integrity with the people around us. Youths can be
honest with themselves by accepting responsibility for their
own actions and not blame others. In addition, they can
be honest with their own emotions and express their real
feelings without anger, without blaming others, without
exaggerating, and without hurting the feelings of someone
else.
Youths are able to make a lasting impact on others around
them because they gain a reputation for being truthful and
reduce the chances of misunderstanding, confusion or conflict
among people. They are able to gain greater trust from people
around them when they are truthful. Hence, by honest with
the people around them, youths are able to open the doorway
for harmonious relationships. In turn, we are able to stay
united in times of crisis and overcome the difficulties
as a community when we have harmonious relationships with
people around us.
In our modern society today, the subject of forgiveness
has become highlighted in all aspects of the media and has
become a prominent area of discussion in our lives. Youths
can help to touch the lives of others around them such as
their family members simply by having an open heart that
is willing to forgive others. This will serve to stimulate
and empower others to take the torch of forgiveness into
their hearts and lives as people around them will see forgiveness
working in their lives. In my opinion, if there were to
be a time for us to find ways of letting go of our grievances,
of releasing the painful past, the present is truly the
ideal time to do so.
Forgiving can heal individuals and families on a smaller
scale and communities and even nations at large. Forgiveness
is the bridge to love, peace, happiness and well - being.
It allows us to say good-bye to guilt, blame and shame.
The importance of forgiveness can be illustrated by a quote
from the writings of Jampolsky and Cirincione - Forgiveness
results in us not withholding our love from anyone. To forgive
means to let go of resentments and to continue to accept,
and even love the individual although we may disagree with
his or her behaviors and ideas.
Youths can enjoy warm, loving relationships with their parents
when they place emphasis of forgiveness in their lives.
Part of the idea of forgiveness is learning that differences
in the ways people perceive things can bring added enrichment
to our present relationships. Accepting differences creates
more understanding among family members and can help to
build the bond between them. Youths are able to work towards
a stronger and more cohesive family by learning the idea
of forgiving and loving each other while acknowledging the
differences between their parents and them.
Youths can brighten the lives of others around them such
as friends and family members by having a humble heart towards
others. Meekness or humility is defined as "freedom
from pride and arrogance; modest estimation of our own worth."
Only an inner sense of humbleness can open the possibility
of loving others. Humility is the ability to deal with both
our own limitations and the limitations of others. In addition,
it is also recognizing that God is in control of life and
that they are not in charge of the universe. This, in turn,
will bring serenity and hope, inner peace and real energy
into the lives of youths.
Humble people walk comfortably in every social group that
they interact with. They recognize the fact that no one
is either too beneath them or too above them for their own
sense of well - being. Moreover, they know that they are
people who can give as much as receive to the people around
them. In addition, they can afford to be open with others
because they are at ease with themselves. Likewise, youths
are able to make a difference to the lives of the people
around them as they are able to be honest and sincere to
people. Being honest with the people around them, youths
are able to open the doorway for harmonious relationships.
Overall, in my opinion, youths are able to make a positive
impact on the people around them and the world in a positive,
meaningful and practical way. Through encouragement, youths
are able to make an impact on the people around them in
a positive way and create hope in those who are discouraged
at the highways and byways of life. Moreover, youths are
able to reach out to others around them through acts of
kindness. Kindness in action will allow them to make a positive
impact on the world and others in a meaningful manner.
In addition, youths can brighten the lives of others around
them such as friends and family by being honest with them
and more importantly, themselves. Being honest with the
people around them, youths are able to open the doorway
for harmonious relationships. Mutual trust and unity will
be in the midst of individuals in the community. Hence,
youths can make a positive impact on the people around them
in a positive way in our vibrant society.
Youths can help to touch the lives of others around them
such as their families simply by having an open heart that
is willing to forgive others. This will serve to stimulate
and empower others to take the torch of forgiveness into
their hearts and lives as people around them will see forgiveness
working in their lives. Hopefully, they are able to promote
forgiveness among nations and the world so that conflicts
in the world can be minimized and we can live in a world
of peace and stability.
Lastly, youths can brighten the lives of others around them
such as friends and family by having a humble heart towards
others. Hence, youths do have the capability to make a difference
in our vibrant society today in a positive, practical and
meaningful way as long as they possess a burning desire
and an endless passion to live for others.
