Empowering Yourself While Lighting The World On Fire
As an empath and a highly sensitive person, I sometimes find that this world can be emotionally hard for me to handle. I can barely make it through a Hallmark commercial without crying, let alone a commercial about abandoned dogs or starving children. I choose not to watch the news because it never leaves me feeling good after. Watching these things is heartbreaking for me and if I’m not careful, the constant input of everything that is going on in the world can not only be overwhelming, it can be devastating.
My first instinct is to want to remedy every situation and I think that this is a perfectly human response. My second thought is, there are too many problems to fix and I can’t fix them. That is enough to leave anyone feeling powerless, but it isn’t any one person’s job to fix all of the problems. Humans are powerful and we can absolutely fix our current problems, but there isn’t a human being on this earth that can do it all. Realizing that can shift you from feeling hopeless to feeling empowered to make the changes that you feel compelled to make.
That’s where recognizing your own power comes in. You don’t have to be famous, you don’t have to solve all of the problems, you don’t have to even know how to solve a problem, all you have to do is care enough to make a difference. Pick something you’re passionate about and choose to make that your mission. It’s those passions that usually lead us to Putting The Pieces Together To Find Your Purpose. There are so many small and big ways that you can make a difference, in fact, it is almost near impossible not to make a difference of some sort.
Here is a list of a few ways you can change the world:
- Spread awareness. If there is something that you’re passionate about, raising awareness and educating others is the first step towards bringing people together to solve a problem.
- Volunteer. Donating your time is an amazing way to not only help a cause, it’s a great way to connect with like minded people, build a sense of community, and really make a difference.
- Donate money. There are so many great ideas out there just waiting to be implemented or that need financial support to keep up and running. It doesn’t have to be a lot, every little bit helps.
- Be a mindful consumer. Companies survive or fail depending on who is buying their products. If you don’t like their practices, quit supporting them through sales. On the flipside, if you see a company that aligns with your values, make sure to support them through giving them good reviews, buying their products, and recommending them to friends.
- Give off good vibes. Never underestimate the power of kind words or a smile. A compliment can be enough to change someone’s day, imagine if you gave them out freely.
- Believe in yourself. The first step to achieving anything is believing that you can. When you believe in yourself, you will find a way to reach your goal instead of finding excuses.
- Check your ego at the door. When you’re passionate about anything, there are always going to be people trying to get in your way or that disagree with you. Welcome disagreements as a chance to open up a conversation and gain a supporter through educating them. If you let your ego take over and you end up fighting instead of sharing information, you could miss a chance at finding a resolution.
- Be consistent. Change takes time so when you feel like giving up on something, don’t. The hardest part about starting anything news is getting the momentum going, but once that ball starts rolling, it will get easier. Stick with it and the results will come.
- Don’t feed into negativity. There will be days when you come across people that are just flat out crabby or acting pretty rotten and the absolute best thing you can do is brush off their bad mood and wish them well. We all have our less than perfect moments, but one person’s bad day doesn’t have to be yours as well. If we’re not careful, one bad day could turn into a domino effect of causing bad days, it’s better to make the decision to stop one in it’s tracks.
- Be The Positivity. Just like a bad day can spread like dominoes, a good day can too. Be the person that supports other people’s ideas, dreams, and happiness.
- Build A Team. Find your people that are just as passionate as you and share ideas, create a goal, and find a way to achieve it together. One of my favorite stories is the story of Imaginal Cells and how change happens when everyone comes together.
“The question isn’t whether or not you can make a difference in the world, the question will always be, what kind of difference do you want to make?”
It can be hard to wrap your head around the idea that one person can make such a huge difference in a world that feels so big, but imagine how one tiny little habanero pepper inside of a taco could get your attention, HA! Anyone that’s ever taken a bite out of a habanero pepper knows exactly what I’m talking about. If you think that you can’t make a difference, I dare you to try a habanero and then get back to me. The question isn’t whether or not you can make a difference in the world, the question will always be, what kind of difference do you want to make?
In those moments when you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a break. Take some time to yourself if you need it, spend time with people you care about, give yourself a chance to recharge, and once you’re feeling better, figure out how you would like to make a difference in this world. It doesn’t matter if you’re making small changes or big changes, it is up to all of us to create the world that we want to live in and the only way any of us can do that is to come together and be responsible for our part. Never ever underestimate the power of a tiny little habanero pepper. Go be that pepper! You make feel small, but you can still light this world on fire!