Making a Difference

If you ask anyone who is close to me what my main life goal is, they would probably say to make a difference. This is my life goal that I am most vocal about. What is so frustrating to me is that I don't feel like I have made a difference yet. I know, I'm just 18. But I struggle with feeling like I should have already done something big, something monumental. So I get into my "determined mode". I sit down and decide I am going to figure out how to change the world. Well, about ten minutes into my brainstorming session I get distracted. Later, I start thinking about how I haven't changed the world yet, and I get discouraged.

And the viscous cycle begins again.

Why is it that society has convinced us that to change the world we have to end world hunger or cure cancer? Those would both be GREAT things to solve, obviously. But something I have come to realize is that you don't always have to do something big to make a big difference. One of my favorite songs is a song by Lady Antebellum called "I Was Here". I would encourage you to go listen to it, it has become my life "theme song", if you will. The chorus of the song is "I wanna do something that matters, say something different, something that sets the whole world on its ear. I wanna do something better with the time I've been given. And I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life and leave nothing less than something that says 'I was here'". I love this, especially the last line of the chorus. You can do big and great things, because the world needs people willing to step up and bring about great change, such as changing the struggle with hunger or poverty in the world. But the world also needs people who just want to touch people's lives. I am learning to believe that if I touch just one person's life, I have made a difference. If God wants to use me to solve a great world problem,  here I am. But I think that for now, the plan is to take it one person at a time. It's harder than it sounds though. I've found I have to constantly be looking for people to encourage or talk to, because I don't want to miss someone. I believe that being a good friend, sending a random note of encouragement or just listening to someone who just needs someone to talk to is changing the world. I just have to take smaller steps than I expected.

So look for ways to be the change, in big ways or small, and keep being salt and light!

~Hannah~