How to change the world.

I used to own a little charm bracelet that I picked up from Kohl's. Engraved on the little silver charm were Gandhi's wise words: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Honestly, I've always liked that quote but I'd never really thought about it much until I started seeing it on my wrist every day. Pretty quickly it became my favorite bracelet (and I own many bracelets haha). I lost it several months ago but I think I still need that reminder sometimes.

I think sometimes we focus too much on what's sad in life and in the world. We remember the people who have hurt us and the things that haven't gone the way we wanted. We see the selfish, bitter, and hurtful people in the world and forget that there are good people out there too. It's something that's pretty hard to remember at times. These past couple of weeks I definitely was dwelling on the sad things in the world and I started to get pretty bitter and angry about them. This morning at around 6 am that Gandhi quote randomly popped into my mind. It helped me remember that even though the world is crazy and people can be so cruel, me being sad about it isn't going to change anything. When I become bitter about it all, I'm only adding to the problems. Maybe I can't change the world in a big way or change my friends' minds about things, but I can change myself and I can make that change be exactly the sort of thing I want to see happen in the world. We need more people who show unconditional love, kindness, acceptance, happiness, forgiveness, etc. We have enough depression and anger. I'd like to be the sort of person who isn't ignorant to the bad in the world but doesn't let it drown out the good and the beauty of things. And I will stop ranting now. :) Thanks for reading haha.


"Love is the only force that can erase the differences between people, that can bridge chasms of bitterness....If the world is to be improved, the process of love must make a change in the hearts of men." -Gordon B. Hinckley