Do You Want to Make a Difference – Part 2

Dear Reader,

I am following up on last week’s post because the topic, making a difference in the world, is so important.

Many of us want to make a contribution that will help others live better lives, but in our enthusiasm we often leave out one very important part of the plan – ourselves.

Specifically – in order to make a difference in the world, you must be willing to make a difference in your own life.

Think about it… if you really want to make a difference in others’ lives, shouldn’t you be completely willing to leave no stone unturned in becoming your own best self? Shouldn’t you be willing to pour your energy, your enthusiasm and your talent into overcoming anything that holds you back from contributing in the way that only you can?

Of course you should.

First and foremost, making a difference for the better in your own life is a great gift to yourself – you deserve that. Beyond that, anything you do to improve yourself will undeniably support the greater good for others as well.

When you show up for yourself, everybody wins.

I’m not saying you need to make yourself perfect before you can help anyone else. In fact, you don’t even have to start by focusing on yourself. Many people start on the path of self improvement by doing volunteer work, and their own generosity toward others begins to transform them from within. Volunteering played a huge role in my own path of self growth.

What I am saying is that sooner rather than later, you need to grow yourself in order to grow your ability to make a difference in this world. Furthermore, the bigger the difference you would like to make, the more you will be called on to grow.

In terms of what might hold you back, some obstacles are be internal – limiting beliefs, fears, habits – while others are external, including lack of information, a plan or a supporting team. In either case, your job if you want to make a difference is to do what it takes to identify the obstacles in your way and remove them.

Sound easy? It can be…

But often it’s not, for at least two reasons. One, we don’t see the obstacles or have a clue they exist. If this is the case, it helps to look at the evidence of our results in life; if we are getting the same results over and over again, there’s a good chance something inside is holding us back. This is a good time to get outside help. Two, we may on some level be aware of the obstacles, but we are ingenious at rationalizing why we should stay where we are and not grow. This is a good time to break our patterns and change our thinking.

If it’s not easy to eliminate the obstacles you face, especially at first, it’s OK. Really, it is. Why? Because the very struggle you go through to remove the obstacles will grow you into a person who can make a powerful difference for a lot of people.

To be clear – I am not saying that growth must be difficult. Sometimes it will be, but other times it will be a joy; most often it will be what you choose to make it. If you approach your own growth with the same passion and compassion you would reserve for others, you may begin to find that in reality there are no obstacles, only discoveries to make, opportunities to grow – and infinite ways to make a difference.

I honor your loving heart,

John