I'm sure you've been on a mission trip in the United States or traveled to another country to help a group of people who are in need. Volunteering has become part of college culture, especially in Greek communities. But have you ever wondered how you could change the world every single day? That idea sounds somewhat outrageous. How can one person change the world let alone do this every single day? But the truth is, there are so many little things that we can do as people to change the world by a tiny bit every day.
When someone greets you with a smile, doesn't your day just feel a little bit better? Think about being the person delivering the smile. I have begun to realize that a smile can dramatically impact a person's day. While walking down the street, I often encounter many people and whether it is a toothless man with a cardboard sign or another college student, I smile. I usually receive a smile back and all of our days are that much better.
Be Present.
In today's society it can be easy to fall into the trap of always thinking about what you need to do next. But by always thinking ahead and getting stressed, we forget to realize what is going on around us right now. Sometimes someone sitting beside you in class is really hurting and just needs someone to talk to them. Other times, an old woman is struggling to put her groceries into her car or a friend needs a minute of your time to talk about what is going on in her life. If we are always running around from place to place with an agenda, we miss all of the opportunities around us this very moment to help.
Don't Engage in Negative Conversation.
Negativity has never helped anyone. Complaining only allows for procrastination or the avoidance of a problem. Gossip has only hurt other people. Negative self talk drowns confidence and keeps a person from growing to their full potential. Negativity is easier to fall into than positivity because it does not require work. But do not fall into it. Negativity actually brings us farther away from helping anyone, even ourselves.
Do Something Selfless.
Selfless acts are few and far between but why does it have to be that way? If everyone could reach out to another person or do something behind the scenes everyday, our world would be in a much better place. Selflessness can be difficult because it is doing a good thing even when no one is watching or no recognition could ever be given for it. But that is also the beautiful thing. It acts like the butterfly effect. If one person gives someone else something out of selflessness, that person feels inspired to do the same and the act only continues.
Open Your Eyes.
There is need everywhere. It can be easy to get trapped in our own lives and forget to look around us. The world is hurting every day. Our own country faces hardships everyday. By opening our eyes, we can pop the bubbles that we live in and finally find a way to reach out to people in need and change the world.
Changing the world is a hard task to do all at once. It can be hard to think about changing the United States with all of the issues that we face just in our country. But, little things can really make a huge difference. You might be thinking that there is no way these small things could change the world. But, hey, you can challenge that. Go out and try and see if anything is different afterwards.
