“You must be the change
you want to see in the world.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
June is National Rebuild Your Life Month! We’re also living in a time when the world is burgeoning with challenges, and you can help. You can be the change you want to see in the world!
Today’s news and social media channels bombard us with many challenges facing humanity.
Although you cannot solve all the world’s challenges, imagine if you could change the life of just one person, or perhaps hundreds…or even thousands of people, by simply finding the solution to one challenge.
You can!
When you combine your passions with service to others, amazing opportunities will unfold. You can create the lifestyle you choose for yourself while making the world a better place.
Here’s a simple exercise that will help you create focus and clarify your purpose for being on this earth.
Acknowledging that challenges exist is the first step toward solving them. Start by making a list of all the challenges you’ve identified—personally, locally, and globally. Just write down the challenges that are speaking loudly to you right now. Here are some categories to get you thinking:
- Social
- Political
- Economic
- Educational
- Personal (mental, physical and spiritual health)
- Relationships
- Environmental
Now, write down your desired outcome for each of the challenges you’ve identified.
Focus on the vision you would like to create for each challenge you see. Identify the feeling you will experience when you achieve your desired outcome. For now, don’t worry about how you will accomplish this…just write down your vision and how you feel.
For instance, if you would like to end world hunger, imagine how it would feel to live in a world where every single person on this earth receives the daily nourishment their bodies and minds need so they can thrive.
Although you alone cannot end world hunger, your imagination is very powerful.
Stephen Covey shared a wonderful model in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. We all have a circle of concern and a circle of influence. Here’s an example of how this works.
Let’s say you have placed world hunger in your circle of concern. You could work the rest of your life to stamp out world hunger, but doing so is beyond your individual grasp. When you keep your focus on what you cannot do, you’ll get frustrated and discouraged.
When you focus on what you can do, your circle of influence grows and the circle of concern diminishes.
Think of ways to be more proactive with the things you can do something about. Putting focus on what you don’t want is dis-empowering. Focusing on what you can do is proactive and empowering.
When fueled by passion, your mind will come up with creative solutions that have not been implemented before.
For example, Dan West founded Heifer International to end world hunger and poverty by helping people become self-reliant through education and gaining the ability to support themselves. The Fair Trade movement was started in 1958, establishing the payment of fair wages, providing safe working conditions and long-term stable business partnerships for disadvantaged artisans and producers. Feeding America is fighting hunger in the USA with more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually. Meals on Wheels delivers meals to senior citizens who are unable to purchase or make their own.
Millions of lives have been positively impacted by these organizations, as well as many others. Each organization started with a creative idea that someone had about how to address a challenge.
You have answers inside of you that can help others to better their live right now. When you share your passion and wisdom with others, it will also inspire them to take action that aligns with your vision. As a result, your vision—your circle of influence–grows even bigger.
If you don’t know what your vision is for yourself–in your business or in your personal life–you’ll find yourself floundering when it comes to building anything. By clarifying your vision, you create alignment between your personal values and passions, your ideal life, meeting other people’s needs, and identifying your business goals.
What is your vision for a successful business and for the ideal life that your success will bring? To help you answer this question, here are four more questions for you to consider:
- What do you love doing?
- What do you do best?
- What does the world need?
- What will others pay for?
Lyrics to a song I wrote in 2011 guide my life today. “Listen to Your Heart” is very much my message to friends, family, and clients – and is the core principle around which my work as a Life Architect is aligned.
I’ll help you create your unique blueprint, which will set you free to live a purpose-driven and productive life.
Let’s schedule a NO-COST, NO-PRESSURE Discovery Call!
Did you like this article, Be the Change You Want to See? What action will you take that aligns with your values and creates change for the better of humankind? Please comment below.
Life Architect – Creating Blueprints for Purposeful & Productive Lives
Kathy@OrgCoach.net www.OrgCoach.net Follow me on Facebook
