I believe everyone wants to change the world. We set goals and aspirations from the time we're children because we've only got one life to live.
Some dream big — we want to start a movement, we want to protest, we want our voices to be heard and remembered. I am guilty of this.
Some dream small — we want to get a job, graduate, keep our grades up, be good to our friends.
Some dream a little philosophically — chaos theory and the butterfly effect state that every single small change we enact can contribute to a much larger impact down the line.
We dream in different sizes, but we are dreaming and that is all that matters. I used to fear that I wouldn't be remembered. That one day when I am old and dying I will look back and realize that I had done nothing significant. Truth is, I am changing the world everyday. In big ways, in small ways, in ways that I am oblivious to, for myself and for others.
So what motivates us to want to change the world? Most will say it's internal — an intrinsic desire to make something of ourselves. Or maybe it's a humanitarian spirit. We genuinely want to make the world a better place for the people in it. We want to do better, to be better.
Maybe that's why I'm in college. We all say we're here because we want to get an education, land a job and be financially stable. Aside from that, I think college students are dreamers. We're young, smart and up-to-date with what's going on in the world. We haven't had all the life sucked out of us yet. Does that make us a little naive? Maybe, but it's OK.
This makes me think of a Tumblr post I came across about a speech a college professor gave to his class. The professor said, "You all have a little bit of 'I want to save the world' in you. That's why you're here, in college. I want you to know that it's OK if you only save one person, and it's OK if that person is you."
By all means, dream big. But don't be discouraged when your dream of ending world hunger or finding a cure for cancer doesn't quite come to fruition. Think of how many obstacles you've had to overcome to get to this point in your life. Think of the lowest lows and the highest highs and think yourself lucky to even be able to feel these things. We change our own individual world.
If that's not enough, think of all the people you've encountered — your family, your best friends, even strangers. We change their worlds too.
Humans do whatever they can to find some sort of meaning in their lives. Whether it be religion, art or politics, we cling to whatever it is that make us feel alive. When we find that one thing, we better take it and run, and change as many worlds as we can along the way.
