It only takes one person to change the world, for good, or for bad. There are myriad individuals you could quite possibly name to prove that sentence true: Adolf Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr, Joseph Stalin, Jesus Christ and the list goes on. But as humans what is it that makes us cry out and say, "Hey! Over here. Take a look at me!"? What makes us so desperate to be noticed? What makes us want to change the world? And sometimes we're willing to be noticed or change the world no matter what the cost is.
You may have heard that in Oslo, Norway recently there was a massacre and bombings that claimed the lives of 77 people. The man who committed the atrocities was trying to make a point to the world and stand out, he wanted to change the world and he did at a heartless, inhumane price. But what exactly causes someone to go through with something so terrible, so drastic? Is it a deep longing from inside us as humans to be noticed? Now obviously taking someones life is the ultimate act you can fulfil to be noticed, but why channel your longing in such a negative way? Why not positive? Take Mahatma Gandhi for example: he was a great political leader, involved in the movement for Indian independence through nonviolent and peaceful means. Or Nelson Mandela: he led South Africa to becoming a multi-racial democracy in 1994, giving courage and freedom to humanity. As Martin Luther King Jr said, "the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek." So why preach love or peace through violence and hate? There are so many positive options to use if you want to be recognised in life. The three individuals I just mentioned have changed the world in a positive way and have done so by acting in a positive way. They have been noticed, respected and even loved for their nonviolent movements.
Each and every one of us have the power to change the world for good. We can all affect the world in a positive way if we just put our minds to it. We can all be noticed. Just think a little longer on your decisions and actions. What are you doing to be noticed? What are you doing to make the world a better place? As Gandhi said, "Be the change that you want to see in the world."
