Watching or reading the news today can be extremely disheartening. Every story seems to involve some kind of death or despair. We are being programmed to believe that this is a normal occurrence and that we shouldn’t think twice about it. When Columbine occurred there were news stories for weeks with people’s reaction and thoughts. Today, a similar event happens and no one seems to notice. We have become numb to the world around us. Whether we purposely live in our own little sheltered world or we just don’t seem to care anymore. If this rapid decline in human decency continues pretty soon we won’t have anything left to live for. We are consistently on the brink of world war. Poverty and starvation aren’t going away. Add to that an increasing number of diseases caused by lifestyle choices and the future looks pretty grim.

I for one don’t want to have my kids grow up in an emotionless wasteland. It’s time to take a stand and start to make a difference. I know this may sound a little overused and over dramatic but we really can make a difference. Look to the past and you will see small acts that made a huge global impact. One of the most notable is Rosa Parks and her defiance toward the rules of the times. Whether she intended the outcome or she just didn’t feel like moving that day, the impact still is felt. So, if all you can do is perform one small gesture, it can have a ripple affect that can change the world.

Everyday there are opportunities to help people in need. There a homeless people on virtually every street corner that would benefit from acknowledgement. Are our lives too busy that we can’t even realize they exist? I guarantee there is money in your pocket that would provide much more benefit to them than to you, even if it’s just a penny. Think of the times when driving down the highway and there is someone stranded on the side of the road. Stop and offer to help, whether it’s changing their tire or allowing them to use your cell phone. Make an effort to volunteer at a humane society. These small acts of kindness will begin to change the world.

There was a movie that came out a few years back called Pay it Forward staring Kevin Spacey and Haley Joel Osment. The premise of the movie is that when a good deed is done, the person who receives the deed then has to perform a generous act for someone else. This is a message that, if applied, would transform the world for the better. Imagine if every single person in the world continuously performed and received acts of kindness. Instead of being so calous towards others there would be a sense of caring. Instead of disputes and wars over trivial matters there would be world peace. I know this seems like a far fetched idea, but it could work.

Richard Branson, the billionaire creator of Virgin Records, among other companies, just committed $3 billion of his own money over the next 10 years to fight global warming. That is an astounding amount of money for anyone to have, let alone donate it to fight a world problem. If he is willing to commit such a fortune, why is it so hard for the average human to contribute an hour or two once a month to a good cause? If everyone in the world contributed just one hour a month that would amount to over 216 million hours of community service a day. Can you imagine the amount of good that would come from that amount of work. One hour a month, is that really too much to give to make the world a better place?

One of my goal is to truly change the world for the better by opening peoples eyes and getting them to put forth some effort to help others. If people were willing to commit 10% of their monthly income to a charitable fund millions would be helped. Stop hoarding and lusting after material possessions and be willing to donate some of your money to help others. There are so many opportunities available, it just takes some human decency to stop and acknowledge the ways in which we can help. No one can ever be too busy to change the life of another individual.

In the next few months I am going to create a foundation for the betterment of man kind and the preservation of our environment. I want to create a movement that will inspire people to make an impact on the lives of others that will be felt for generations. Life is too short to sit idle and watch the lives of our children and others be destroyed by complacency and complete disregard for others. It’s time to make a change. It’s time to make the world a better place for everyone to live in. Please don’t read this and pass it off as another fruitless attempt to make a difference. One small gesture can truly make a difference. What can you do today?

Trackback URI |