You Are a World Changer

We each have more impact than we may think.

Think of your own thoughts about other people for a second. There are people who have had great influence (positive or negative) on you that are still in your life. There are also people who you haven't talked to in years that have helped shape you into the person you are today. Let's think even deeper. Is there someone who you barely know who said or did something that stuck with you til this point? I can think about conversations I've had with strangers that I remember so vividly because they've changed my perspective, and they may not remember anything at all.

You are that somebody in many people's lives & you have no idea what impact you have made on their lives. You don't know what words you've said that someone repeats in their own head over & over again. You don't know what stranger witnessed you do something that left a mark on their heart. You are that somebody. Why wouldn't you be? What makes you the exception?

"Almost everyone is obsessed with leaving a mark upon the world...but the marks humans leave are too often scars," -John Green, The Fault in our Starts

You make an impact on people's lives whether you want to or not, whether it's good or bad, whether you realize it or are completely oblivious. Every single thing you say and do matters because you have no idea who is paying attention. Don't you want your mark to be a kiss rather than a bruise? Don't you want flowers to grow where you dropped a seed rather than weeds? Don't you want people to have benefitted from their interaction with you rather than hurt from it? You get to choose the flavor you leave in people's mouths. Make it a good one.

Just to paint the picture: going vegan made me realize how much of a negative impact I had on the earth & how one person really can make a difference. Everyday as a vegan, one individual saves 1100 gallons of water, 40 lbs of grain, 30 sq ft of forest, 20 lbs of CO2, & 1 life of an animal. Think about that in reverse now. Someone who doesn't eat vegan uses that much in one day. All of that adds up when you take into consideration how many people on the planet live a lifestyle that isn't friendly to the environment and its inhabitants. That is not the kind of impact I wish to have on the earth. One person CAN make a difference. We effect the people around us & they effect the people around them & so forth. If you've been around for awhile, you know my favorite image of this is "the domino effect". You can't change the world, but you can change someone else's world.

The point of this post is to help you recognize the impact you have. You hold much more value & influence than you know. Use it for good. Use it for glory. Use it to make the world a better place by changing your own world & the world of those around you. Jesus had 12 disciples & they reached nearly all the ends of the earth. How? They knew their impact was strong & so they made sure that the people they impacted knew the same things about themselves. Your life matters in the grand scheme of things. You are somebody's life saver or heart ache. Choose wisely.

Be happy, be healthy, be a Golden Vessel.