fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that
which mattered, and that I will have given help to those who were
in need; that I will have left the earth a better place for
what I've done and who I've been. -C. Hoppe
What shall I achieve this year? I guess that depends on what I try to achieve, and whether or not my focus is on things that will benefit only me, or things that will benefit many more people other than me. I can achieve a lot simply because I'm a human being and I have many chances to affect other people, but do I take advantage of those chances, or do I squander them in favor of doing other things, in favor of playing things safe all the time, in favor of withholding my help in an effort to make life easier for me?
How can I leave the world a better place? It's tempting to think that I can't, since I'm simply one person in a very large world filled with billions of people, animals, and plants of all kinds. When I think on that scale, though, life can seem to be overwhelming, and we may get discouraged before we even start trying to do anything. Life is much easier if we're able to look at our own worlds and decide what to do there--do we work with other human beings? Then we have the chance to encourage them and help them to see their own value, and we can trust that there will be a ripple effect of goodness that will affect their children when they get home, and other people whom they encounter.
Do we see something that we know is wrong? Even though it's a very small thing, something that I feel very good about is the number of times that I've stopped to pick up the glass of broken bottles, for I know that it's the right thing to do. It's made the world a better place in a seemingly insignificant way, but I don't need to be trying to make the world better in broad ways that are significant to millions. Picking up broken glass is an achievement and a contribution to the world, and a decent one at that.
When we go to restaurants, my wife and I like to actually talk to waiters and waitresses, and find out something about them. We like to compliment them and try to add something positive to their work time. It's a very minor act, when all is said and done, but if we can make someone feel better about being at work, perhaps that achievement will also have ripple effects that we'll never know about.
I also try to take risks, though the risks I take are hardly earth-shattering. Last summer I decided to move from teaching at college to teaching high school once more, because I knew that there's much more of a need for teachers in public schools than there is for college teachers--and that as a public school teacher I can make much more of a difference in my students' lives, especially academically. Teaching college is much easier, but when I teach high school, my contribution is much broader and much deeper. The risk was real because the job is extremely difficult these days, but it was worthwhile because I know I have the chance to do much more good for many more students.
There are many things that we can achieve that can help many others in very simple ways. We can plant trees. We can compliment sincerely and provide encouragement to those who need it. We can stand up for someone who's being treated poorly. We can pick up litter and recycle. We can volunteer at an organization that helps others. We're only limited by ourselves, really, and our fears. What can you achieve this year that will be good for others? What can you do to contribute to this world in a very real way, even if it is also a very small way? It's important to remember that even the tiniest contribution is much more helpful than no contribution at all--so what will your tiny contributions look like, and how might they add up to or grow into something much larger?
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