The time in which we live is a time of great change. We can see all around us –socially, culturally, politically, financially – that many old ways of thinking, doing and being are dying. Some are quickly passing peacefully, and others are going painfully through long, drawn-out struggle and conflict. But because it is a time of great change, it is a time of great opportunity to make a difference.
Perhaps the greatest, most important change we can make is, as Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” How do we do that? What change should we want for the world? To answer that, I have a slight twist on Gandhi’s quote: “Be the change you want to see in YOU, and your world will change.”
I don’t think anyone aspires to irrelevance. There is a strong human drive to make a positive difference in the world, or at least our immediate piece of the world. We want to matter, to leave things just a little better than we found them, to leave a legacy that says, “We cared, tried to help, did our best.” I believe this drive is divine in its nature.
Whether the difference any of us chooses to make is modest and limited to our immediate family and friends, or broader – even global – every effort to leave a positive imprint is worthwhile and noble.
Who do you want to be known as? What do you want to be known for? When your children or loved ones look into your eyes and see your soul, what do you want them to see? If each of us lived by our deepest, most inspired answers to those questions, what a different world we would make!
Satyena Ananda has lived these questions throughout her life. In 1986 she cofounded Starseed Sanctuary, a 130-acre retreat and healing center in the Berkshires devoted to inner peace, self-acceptance, self-sovereignty and empowerment. Her calling has been to guide people to find and embrace these qualities for themselves and to bring them out into the world for the benefit of all humanity. She has dedicated her life to making a difference.
When we first met in the mid-1990s, I knew I was facing a formidable woman whose courage and compassion would become the bond of a long friendship. We have worked together many times, and when she called and asked if I wanted to co-create a retreat on transformation, I jumped at the opportunity.
So we designed “Creating Yourself, Transforming the World,” which will be held at Starseed on September 22. There is more about the retreat in the “Upcoming Events” section at the right, and on her website http://www.starseedsanctuary.org/ . I hope everyone who can come will come, because this will be an amazing experience!
But whether you attend or not, here are some differences you can make in yourself, your life, your world every day. Many of these you may be doing already; others may be new opportunities for you.
- Practice kindness to yourself and others.
- Lighten up and loosen up – play, laugh, sing, dance… bring more joy into your life.
- Listen deeply to others, without interruption or thinking about your response.
- Be curious about everything.
- Keep things as simple as possible.
- Be creative – experiment, explore, invent a new way to do something.
- Volunteer – be of service to someone or a group in need.
- Take very good care of yourself, your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
- Learn something new and then teach it to someone else who wants to learn it.
- Take responsibility for your life and give up blame, complaint and negative thinking.
- Be grateful for what you have and take nothing for granted.
- Share generously (but don’t deplete your resources).
And perhaps most the important one of all:
13. What difference do you want to make personally? Whatever it is, begin it now and persist in it in some way every day.