Currently I'm experiencing, for the first time, the ability to make and form opinions on my own but I'm having trouble. With no one to tell me what to do and what to think, I find there are so many places in the world that need help. And even if I decided to follow something and make a difference in that area, what can I do to really make a difference? I'm confronted by the thought that I'm just one person and I don't have any power. No money and no fame and no influence.
Can one person change the world? Can one person change the world by just existing in it? How do you choose which battles to fight and which to let someone else take care of?
Is it wrong for me to acknowledge and say that I'm too busy? Is it wrong to take time for yourself and not give it to some cause? Where do you draw the line between your comfort and the comfort of others? Does giving comfort to others mean that I loose some of my own? Is that question selfish?
First of all, take a moment to pause and take a deep breath. Look around you in your own neighborhood. Are there people you can help without spending gobs of money? Like taking an elderly neighbor to a doctor appointment. Or picking up some groceries for someone who no longer drives.
Decide what matters most to you. If donating to a particular charity is beyond your financial ability, consider volunteering if it is a charity you feel is truly making a difference. They can always use people to answer phones and send out mailings.
Let your heart guide and direct you. You will find your niche where you are wanted, needed and appreciated.
I was a very lonely JW girl in school, not having much self-esteem or confidence. For one of my school projects, we were told to write a screen play. Mine was chosen out of the whole class to be acted out in our theatre class. The teacher wrote a wonderful note to me on the inside page of my folder. It said "You are one of my most talented students, and I am truly fortunate to have you in my class." It made a difference, all the difference, in my isolated world. It made me know that I was worth something, and I had something very special to offer. Yes, one person can change the world. If only for one other person. That's all that counts. If you can offer to enhance one other person's world, then it's all worth it. Every bit of it. I never forgot that teacher to this day, and I think that God has a special place for him..
