How to Make a Difference

I was reading today and came across a post by a guest writer at Successful Blog, Jesse Petersen. Jesse was asking for input on how to make a difference. There were some great comments to the post. If you haven’t read the post and the comments, I recommend that you do so.

As with several other people, I also commented. I thought it was worth a post in itself, though, because this is a question that most of us ask ourselves at least once in our lives, and often (hopefully) more.

Often, when someone says they want to ‘make a difference’, they mean they want to leave things better than they found them. They may be talking about doing volunteer work, working in a third world country, contributing to charity. Generally being a do-gooder.

Just by being here and being you, you make a difference. People have the impression that to ‘make a difference’, they have to do something great or unique, but that isn’t true. Chris Cree tells the story of a grandfather.

I’m reminded of the story of the grandfather walking the beach where thousands of starfish had been stranded by the tide. As he walked along he would reach down grab a starfish and toss it back into the sea. His grandson asked him why he bothered. With all those stranded starfish there was no way he could really make a difference. As he held up the next starfish the grandfather responded, “To this one starfish I can make all the difference in the world.”

Look at the grandfather in Chris’ story. He saw what needed to be done, and he did it. He didn’t have an illusion that he was changing the world, but he did know that his actions made a difference for the one starfish he was encountering at the time.

In the same way, just by doing what you do to the best of your ability you make a difference. I have two quotes on my site that make a difference to me. The first is from Ellen Goodman.

I have never been impressed by the heroics of people who are convinced they are about to change the world. I am more awed by those who struggle to make one small difference after another.

The second is from Gandhi

Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.

Life doesn’t demand that we do great things, just that we do what see as needing done as best we can. . Right now you make a difference in the lives of your family members. You make a difference in the lives of each person you work with, and you make a difference in the life of each person you have a word with.

You have built a life. The fact that you ask the question of yourself - How can I make a difference? - instead of saying I am making a difference. shows that you aren’t totally happy with the life you have built. The question is why. What is missing in what you do, or the attitude with which you do it? Part of the answer to the question is in the question itself. Asking How can I make a difference? shows that you don’t believe what you are doing is making a meaningful contribution to the world around you. Only you can say why this is so.

You have to look inside yourself to find out what interests you. Explore. Go back to school and take classes that have nothing to do with what you do now, as long as they look interesting. Read and work through some of the books cited in the comments to the post that triggered this post. Find out what you can do that will make you feel satisfied. Not what will make you a lot of money. Not what is fun. But what makes you truly satisfied. There, when you are doing what gives you a sense of satisfaction, is when you will be truly making a difference in your life and the lives that intersect your life.

Whatever you find will have to be done beginning where you are now. Start there, doing the best you can with what is in front of you. You will make a difference.

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