Change your world, and the world changes

 

mapmaker.curtrosengren.com

 

Over on the Motto blog, Kevin Salwen points to some golden words that Will Marre (who helped Stephen Covey build his leadership program) shares on the American Dream Project, a site aimed at "helping people create change in their lives and live their dreams." They were so good, I couldn't help but share them here.

On the site, Marre talks about pondering their core message. Here's what he came up with...

Change Your World, and The World Changes. We are not powerless. There are answers on the sea of uncertainty we find ourselves adrift upon. Our research partner, DYG, reports that since 9/11 our societies’ psychological self-confidence has continued to decline and that our individual response is to face the truth that in the end we are responsible. Responsible for our own lives, our own future, the quality of our relationships, and the moral culture of our circle of influence. This is not the time to throw up our hands, nor to exhaust ourselves over-defining our problems. It is time to choose our lives. In so doing, we’ll have a rippling impact that will make all the difference.

Consider this:

-- If we are sick of foreign wars, make peace with our personal enemies.

-- If we are concerned with our nation’s debt, save our own money.

-- If we are sickened by materialism, buy only what we really value.

-- If we are concerned with global warming, conserve, walk, telecommute.

-- If we are worried about the environment, recycle, plant trees, grow something.

-- If we are angry with our leaders, propose and post real solutions.

-- If we are worried about health care costs, eat right, exercise, and sleep.

-- If we are worried about crime, drugs, and violence, participate in a neighborhood watch.

-- If we are sad about the decline of marriage, make ours the best example of commitment and fulfillment we can.

-- If we are worried about terrorists, put some boundaries between ourselves and those who use or abuse us.

I hope you can see what I’m trying to get at. These suggestions are simply metaphors for thinking about our lives. They are not meant to be absolute or literal statements. These are simply reminders that for every big overwhelming problem in the world, there is a version of it in our lives. If we focus on what we can control, our own lives will bloom and our influence will spread. So right now, what big-huge world problem is most disturbing to you? How does a version of that show up in your life? How’s the ecology of your relationships, the sustainability of your lifestyle, the humanity of your judgments? More than ever I believe that when we change our world, the world changes. I am sure there is something we could each change for the better right now. I know there is for me.

--

Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

Comments

[Aarthi]

Thanks for sharing such a wonderful article...God Bless you

[Herman Najoli]

I like the very beginning of that post, "Change Your World, and The World Changes. We are not powerless". I think that for many of us, we aspire to change the world but fail to realize the fact that everyone accomplishes a world-changing activity on a daily basis. Each day you live you are changing something. The key thing is to ensure that our contributions to changing the world are positive and value multiplying.

[Scott McArthur]

Given what has happened here in London and Glasgow this week, my friend I hope that your blog becomes compulsory reading for every person on the planet!

Scott