I'm sorry for writing such a gigantic entry but I really need to express my thoughts. You don't have to read this if you don't want to this is just for me to vent.
I know I sound crazy but I truly want to change the world. I want everything I do, everything I say, to influence the world around me in a possitive way. I've been slowly blending in to the world around me when I should be standing out and standing up. It takes something small to wake you up and make you realize what habits you've gotten into. So, last night after the young women's broadcast, after hearing the beautiful worlds of president Monson and felt tears coming to my eyes, I decided that I needed to change myself- in small ways- so that I can be a greater tool in God's hands. I've always known that I wanted to change the world, but I've never really known how. It's just something that seems so impossible and too broad a goal to be able to accomplish. You get yourself thinking, "how in the world can just one tiny person, who is so extremely small and insignificant compared to the huge population on earth, can change the world?" It seems hopeless. To quote Albert Einstein “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing”. Many of us are looking at the conditions of the world and saying, "seriously, someone needs to do something about this" and we catch ourselves just waiting for something to be done. The truth is nothing is ever going to change if we keep on thinking that we can just sit back and watch the world tearing apart. Change is not inevitable. If you think about it, in every type of change that has ever happened to the world, it always started with one person. One person. That's it. How come everybody expects someone else to do something. Maybe I'm just crazy. I don't know why I even think about this stuff. I'm telling you something is wrong with me- or right with me. I don't know. I just think about this strange stuff all the time! Why can't I just be like every other kid who only has to think about how hard the biology homework was last night. I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Sometimes I'll be eating dinner and start thinking about how horrible it is that I'm sitting there stuffing my face with delicious food while there are little kids who are starving and diseased in poverty in other parts of the world. I feel so bad. But even if I contemplate in my mind for hours about it I can't seem to figure out anything that I can really do... I hate it. But while I can't do anything specifically to end world starvation. I've realized that I can do simple things that will slowly ripple out to the world. Okay, say one person lifts someone who is having a bad day. Then that person is in a good mood and will lift someone else. Eventually if you think about it, with all the people we come in contact with on a day to day basis, your entire city has changed. It's just ever so slightly, but it's a start. We don't realize the capacity we have within ourselves to influence the people around us. Every single word you say is contributing to society. And when someone decides that they want to change their words- then something starts to happen to a tiny piece of that society. If society changes, the state of human dependance can change, and if humans can change, the world can change. I hope this doesn't sound completely crazy or totally useless- but I know that one person can change this world. It might be a slight change but if more and more people start to change then that "slight change" can grow into a large change. I know that there is a reason that I was born on the earth at this time in the worlds history. I might not fully comprehend what that reason is but I am slowly starting to figure it out. My greatest hope is that this will somehow somewhere inspire someone who reads it. I don't know, maybe I'ts useless to try. But, if there is anyone- anyone at all- who will be affected by what I'm writing, then I will feel like I haven't wasted my time and that I will be satisfied to know that I have done my part today-
to change my part of the world.
"We must be the chage we wish to see in the world."-Gandhi
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i'm fifteen years old.
i have a gift
and one day i will use it to
change the world.
{8.15.09}
Wonderful thoughts! I was also very inspired listening to the conference talks and thinking about how negative my thoughts usually are and how those thoughts are doing nothing but dragging me down, taking my family with me. How that I have a responsibility to lift my children and husband, to help each member of my family to feel like they are of worth, that I appreciate their wonderful qualities and that they are of value. My family deserves to know every day how much I love them, how much I feel lucky to be part of their lives and that I am so proud of each of them. In turn I hope that by knowing they are loved, they will take that into the world and make it a better place. And be strong enough to resist the evils around them.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I want you to know how very proud I am of YOU! I couldn't ask for a better daughter, even if you weren't born to me. I feel like our spirits know one another from so long ago, so much longer than we have known one another here. I am lucky to have you in my life. You set a great example for me.
You are wonderfully talented and your gifts lift everyone around you. Your music is beautiful and I have enjoyed watching you develope those gifts and look forward to all that will come from that. You are so creative and artistic, it really blows me away. This is an area I wish I could participate in but is not a gift Heavenly Father chose for me. Still I see these amazing things that you create and are so willing to give to others. I treasure the gifts you have given me, made by your hands, and I'm sure that many others feel the same way about the things you have made for them. You are a wonderful sister. Your brothers, all love you so much. They respect you and enjoy being around you. They love the attention they get from you. And I see what a loving friend you are. You truly care about each of your friends and try to cheer for them or cry with them, and are a support for them.
You are a very strong young woman. You may feel like you are quiet, and you are, but people notice you, admire you and respect you. They see your example and it's one that other mom's hope their daughters will follow. I don't think that you need to shout from the rooftops in order for people to be affected by your wonderful gifts of love and righteousness. It's noticed as you are your wonderful self.
I love you very much and I am so proud watching you develop into an amazing young woman. You will change the world and I have no doubt that you already have.
Keara,
ReplyDeleteThis post is amazing! I think that it is SO inspiring! You are the most amazing person I have ever met and I hope that you know that! Like Kristen said, you are quiet, but that doesn't matter to me at all! :) You are my best friend and no matter what happens I will ALWAYS have a shoulder for you to cry on, ears to listen to you vent and talk about how you are feeling. I love you so much and that will never change.