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by Sadaf LaalDin
To make a difference in our fallen world seems a daunting task. How does one small person create peace in a big world full of hate? Maybe a change of perspective and inner will is what we need more than resources and power. If we can accept that hate is not abstract but stems form circumstances, which in many cases can be avoided, and that killers and rapists are not born, but made, creating peace and bringing change takes on a new appearance. Not only does it bring hope, it is also tangible.
Making a difference in the world does not necessarily require playing the roles of diplomats, politicians, policy analysts or even combatants, but of being willing individuals determined to build bridges of understanding with other people. With the inner will and courage to believe that difference can be made, influential agents of change come from own homes, our neighborhoods and our workplaces.
I am a strong believer that outward change stems from an inner will to change. Just as our faces mirror our inner spirit, so does our belief system influence our every thought, word, and deed. Change in the hearts and minds of individuals can bring great and far-reaching results. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, " You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
Making a difference is not necessary the re-enactment of previous measures, or walking in the footsteps of the great agents of change who have done before us. It is also the courage to take measures that have not already been taken. It's not just making a difference, but also doing something different. "If something has not been done before, it does not mean it can't be done; it only means that you could be the first to do it," says Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations. As with everything in life, every small and seemingly insignificant step counts. Robert Frost understood this:
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
I challenge you: Carry an inner will and courage to make a difference and become an agent of change. Travel the road that is less traveled and far less sought.
~ Sadaf LaalDin works with Summit Productions. She believes we should choose to walk the path as an agent of change.
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