Guest Post: You CAN Make a Difference by Paul Ledebur

In this time of big corporations, big governments and big problems many people are frustrated with the world around them.  The frustration is heard time and time again in conversations and on social media.  

When the question is asked, “What are you doing about it?”, often the answer comes in the form of the question, “What can I do?”  If people would simply put emphasis on a different part of that answer/question, it takes on an entirely different meaning.  Put the emphasis on the “Can” and say “What CAN I do?” and it becomes a statement of intentional action. 

Making a difference in this world is no easy task.  It’s a big world and, as I said before , it has big problems. Does that mean we should just give up?  

NO!  
It just means that we need to take action, work hard and make sacrifices to Make a Difference.  Many people will go through this life and never make a difference.  They will accept whatever hand they are dealt and react to the situations in life the best they know how.  This is one strategy to get through life.  

However, why just accept what is given when it’s possible to go out and get what you really want.  Mediocrity is not something that people strive for but it is what happens over time for some.  Life’s pressures can be great and can slow personal progress.  However, once you identify your values and decide to Make a Difference, the intent to take action comes alive.  The passion builds and the ball starts rolling.  Once momentum is achieved, it is almost impossible to stop.

The way I’m making a difference is to try and make the world a better, happier place by helping others achieve their goals.  Am I taking on everyone at one time and expect this to happen overnight?  No!!  This is a lifetime journey.  The task would be too big for me to do in a day, a year or even a decade.  

It’s okay that that your “Difference” may not happen overnight.  I also try to spread good will by saying something nice to the people I encounter during my day.  This lets them know I care and hopefully they leave feeling better than prior to seeing me.  

That good feeling is spread by them to another person and so on.  The small gestures I make can travel exponentially to others and spread further than I could imagine. 
That is my way of Making a Difference.

John F. Kennedy said, “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”  If you think the problems of the world are too big for you to Make a Difference,
ask Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King, Jr. what one minority person can do about inequality; ask Bill Gates, what a college dropout can do to change the way the world interacts with computers; finally ask the family of Alexandra Scott, Founder of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, what a six year old diagnosed with terminal cancer can do to cure a disease.  
Each one of these remarkable people were at one time, one person that decided to Make a Difference.   

It takes all of us committed to Making a Difference to solve the problems of the world.  Some can be solved quickly and other will take a lifetime and beyond.  With the right attitude and commitment, we can do it.  Believe that wholeheartedly and the difference you make could be the one that changes the world. 

As a Life Coach and Leadership Coach, I will help you identify your values and stand up to Make a Difference for yourself and the world around you.  Contact me for one-on-one or group sessions.  Mastermind Groups are starting all the time. Paulledebur@yahoo.com