“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead.

It was my birthday last week and I took the opportunity to pause for a while and reflect on the past year. I concluded that much in the world has changed over the past 12 months.

Personally, I had to cope with personal loss, following the sudden death of my mother, shortly after my birthday last year and so soon after I lost my father. It has taken time to adjust, adapt and come to terms with and forces you to evaluate so much in life. You realise that good health is the real wealth in life, and you deeply appreciate someone’s value when they are no longer here.

The world has changed a great deal since last November. We have seen inflation hit double figures in the UK, we have seen much political change and turmoil, fuel and energy prices have soared and sadly Russia invaded Ukraine, and this has caused many deaths, destruction, anxiety, and uncertainty.

During last week, I listened to Michael Jackson’s song “Heal the World.” Some of the lyrics that I have detailed below seem like a great antidote for the current mood and energy of the world.

“Heal the world make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race. There are people dying if you care enough for the living, make it a better place, for you and for me.”

These lyrics helped to inspire me when writing this piece and build on the theme of last week’s blog about making a difference.

I genuinely believe that we can all play a part in making the world a better place. Although things like inflation, political turmoil and war is outside our control, there are things that we can control and influence. These are the areas where we can place our attention.

Every day we have a choice about where we put our focus and energy. It is within our gift to choose how and where we can make a positive difference in the world. We can all take small actions and collectively create a positive ripple to counter the negativity, fear, and nastiness that is prevalent in the world.

Detailed below are some thoughts about where we can all have influence and help the world to be a better place. We can: –

  • Choose to count our blessings and be grateful for what we have in life rather than focus on what we lack.
  • Do things to make our part of the world and our environments more pleasant.
  • Be compassionate to our fellow human beings. Keep in mind that greater compassion creates better relationships and inspires others to follow this approach.
  • Carefully consider the impact on others of our actions and decisions before we speak or act. Ensure that our language and words are always temperate.
  • Be less judgemental and have greater empathy for people suffering challenges and hardship.
  • Be present and give people our full attention. This includes listening more than we talk. This will help people we interact with feel heard, valued, and important. This can include spending less time on technology in the virtual world and more time in the real world.
  • Be kind and nice to people. Look at what is positive about others. We can ensure we are encouraging and supportive of other’s endeavours and happy for their success and achievements.
  • Give credit where credit is due. Recognise people’s value and contributions and express gratitude for the positive impact they have on our life.

A final suggestion. We can regularly perform small random acts of kindness. This can be simple things like letting someone go in front of us in a queue, holding a door open, offering a compliment, giving an unexpected gift, or even making someone a cup of tea or coffee!

This week, why not reflect for a few moments and consider what actions you can take to help make your part of the world a better place. Are there are other people you can encourage to do the same?

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk