I am just one person. What can I do? It’s not like I can change the world. I’m not the boss. I’m not president. The world is this. The world is that. Nothing will ever change!
Well, I beg to differ…
Gandhi once said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”
Think of it this way. Most of us been to a major sporting event at some point in our life. As I have sat in the stands, I don’t ever remember an announcement being made over the loud speakers or on the jumbo-tron to start the wave. Yet nearly every game I have ever been to, the wave has happened at some point during the game. How do you think the wave happens? A single person has an idea that leads to a tiny group of people getting a whole section to go along with this idea. Before long, another section and then another section and then another section get on board with the wave. Before you know it, tens of thousands of people are doing something together that was spearheaded by one person.
Mother Teresa used to say that she alone couldn’t change the world, but she could cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples. You see, you might not be able to everything, but you can do something. You can’t change everyone, but you can influence somebody.
History is filled with stories of a person or small pockets of people doing more than it would seem that they were capable of doing. A small group of people started the American Revolution. A handful of men fought a seemingly meaningless battle against overwhelming odds at the Alamo, but it inspired the entire state of Texas to break the chains of Mexican tyranny. A slight little lady with no positional authority helped hundreds escape the south on the underground railroad. Martin Luther King’s character, wisdom, and non-violent behavior earned respect, which led to social change.
Still need further evidence that you – yes, you – just one person can make a difference or influence a large group of people, then just check out YouTube, Facebook, or any other social media platform. Every day you see viral videos and posts. These started with just one person and then spread to friends and then to acquaintances and then to strangers. One-person can influence many.
You can be a person of influence if you choose. You can influence the world around you in a positive way if you choose. You can change the world one action at a time.