Be The Change

Whilst looking my friends’ status updates on facebook today, I came across one which gave me a lot to think about. A friend had simply written the words “Be The Change”. Now this particular friend is a singer and I suspect it may be the title of a song she is going to record, but these three simple words have made me reflect on their meaning a lot today.

There are a few ways that we can interpret these words; we can be the change in a difficult situation, the one that breaks a bad cycle of events and changes things for the better, we can be the one that starts a new trend or the one that sets a good example that others then copy. I didn’t realise until I sat to type this blog, but these three words form part of a quote by Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

In thinking of these words I was reminded of the Story of the Starfish, it’s serves as a great reminder that whilst we can’t change everything, every effort we make to make the slightest difference will help someone – or something.


... While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water. He came closer still and called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, “But, young man, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

So how can we make a difference or make a change, Edward Everett Hale, the American author and historian once said “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” Sometimes I think we are put off too easily by thoughts that what we can do will not make a difference at all and therefore it is futile to even try. Every day we see images on TV of war-torn countries, countries trying to recover after natural disasters and people facing their own private struggles with sickness, death, abuse, homelessness and unemployment. We look at these images and wonder how we can do anything that will make a difference to the lives of these people. It seems like the labours of Hercules and certainly I don’t think that in my lifetime these problems will be solved – but they can be helped, and we can be the difference.

This time of year in the UK, a national fundraising appeal is launched called Comic Relief. It aims to free the world from poverty by working on projects both in the UK and abroad to make a difference to peoples’ lives. Many comedians, actors, celebrities and general members of the public give of their time and talents to raise money to help fund these projects and help a great cause.

This is a noble thing to do and I support it wholeheartedly but there are so many simple things we can do on a daily basis to make a difference and be the changes....smile at someone who looks unhappy, hold a door open or give up your seat for someone. Send a thank you card or a “thinking of you” card to someone and show them you care – the possibilities are endless and may seem like such tiny insignificant acts but I can assure you, they will make a difference to someone. Sometimes, just like when we donate money to a charity, we may not see the results of our donation or our act of kindness but I do think they create a ripple effect that causes many other things to change as a result of that one act of kindness. And don’t ever be put off by the fact that you may not make a difference, Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

We cannot control all that happens in the world or indeed in our own lives, but we can do something about how we react to what happens. We can make a difference in our own lives, with our own problems and situations and also in the wider world. We can make a difference and even it is only a small change, there’s always the chance that it will grow – remember an oak tree didn’t grow overnight; it started off as an acorn!

So, take a look around you today and do one thing every day to make a difference – Be The Change!!

One great, strong, unselfish soul in every community could actually redeem the world. – Elbert Hubbard

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. – Ralph Waldo Emerson