I would like to preface this piece by mentioning that I adore Taylor Swift. Her "Speak Now" album is the reason I am a songwriter. I grew up admiring her as a lyricist, a business woman, and most importantly; a good person.

It's no secret that her "1989" album took over the pop culture world (key word: pop culture) and she reigned for a couple of years, only to reach her inevitable demise due to drama with the help of Kim Kardashian & Kanye West. Taylor recently released her first song off her next album, and it has caused quite a bit of buzz. While I was skeptical about "Look What You Made Me Do," I absolutely love the music video she released for the track. What I don't love about the video is that when I went on Facebook the next day, I saw a handful of people and publication saying that Taylor Swift released a music video and the world is saved.

While I understand that "the world is saved" is a phrase often used in pop culture in reference to celebrities doing arguably normal things, I think it sends the wrong message. Celebrities reign the pop culture world, not the actual world, even if it seems that way in our minds sometimes. Taylor Swift is shrewd, eloquent, and influential, but in a world of white supremacist rallies and category four hurricanes, Taylor Swift doesn't stand a chance.

There are countless situations, values, and people in the world that don't hold the majority in their best interest. There are barriers and miles between us. The magnitude of our issues are daunting and on many occasions I have thought to myself, "you don't have to speak out, you're just one person - it won't change anything." But if one mildly snide remark to a friend can affect the way they view themselves for years, a single, positive statement about something important can surely be held in the same person's mind of enough time to make a difference.

While I'm at it, Taylor Swift's new music video may not have the ability to save the world, but her sexual assault court case does. It holds the ability to empower women to stand up for themselves and their similar situations, include the public in a conversation about this type of crime, and to provoke thoughts on a matter that isn't given enough attention.

So, you don't have the following that Taylor Swift has. You can still be shrewd, eloquent, and influential.

Here is a small list of things you can do to help the world:

1. Show grace in graceless situations.

Be kind to everyone. If someone doesn't deserve your respect, think about what you deserve: peace and love. Why fight back with negativity if you deserve more than violence and heartache?

2. Donate money to your cause.

A great example is the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund which is administered by the Greater Houston Community Foundation and is endorsed by the mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner. A donation as small as ten dollars still goes a long way. Pro-tip: make sure to research where your money goes when you donate to ANY cause in order to avoid scams!

3. Take action.

If you pray, pray for the people/things who need help. If you don't pray, do something else that holds weight in your heart (i.e. volunteering, mentoring, etc.)

4. Start by helping yourself.

It has been said many times that you can't love someone until you love yourself. The same goes for helping others. You must be building on strong foundation in order to lift other pieces up. Make sure you are emotionally resilient and that you have a good sense of clarity on the world, the specific situation you are trying to help, and your sense of self.

5. Stand up for what you believe in.

This is meant to be slightly vague, because how does one go about doing that? Should you tweet your political beliefs? Should you start a club at school? Should you simply discuss your thoughts with your friends or family? It's your decision. I don't comment on the world on social media, but that doesn't mean I'm staying quiet. You shouldn't feel like one option is too big or too small. After all, you can't truly help something if your heart isn't fully in it. So, just follow your heart. Always follow your heart.