Often after reading an excellent novel or a quote so eloquently stated, I wish that I had that natural prowess and was so adept that I could carelessly toss out a statement and everyone around would be in awe. To be an Edgar Allan Poe, Fyodor Dostoevsky or Shakespeare would be phenomenal. Alas, it is just I, Laura, the novice striving to put her mark on the world in some way. Perhaps if I could sing beautifully I would inspire thousands with mere verses. Or if I had raw talent in any sport, I could encourage athletes all over. Basically, I am trying to find a means of putting my average talents and common qualities to use in a meaningful way.
I want to make a difference. I want to improve the lives of those around me and leave this world better than I found it. It's cliche, but it is my heart. Sometimes I feel so small and insignificant in this grand place. How can I make any lasting impression or change? I still don't know yet. I am searching different passions to find the right fit for my characteristics. I have at least narrowed down the field a little.
I wish to work in a non-profit organization or an organization that focuses on children, music or athletics. I am quite fond of each of those categories and would be beyond content to partake in a career devoted to any of them. Currently I am awaiting news from Teach For America to see if my application qualifies me for the phone interview stage. I would most like to teach younger children. I love how innocent and capable kids are at that early age. The world is still so full of mystery and little discoveries are much more exciting. I would love to be part of that wonder.
Thinking of how to impact the world in a large way also lends my thoughts toward small difference makers and how they are just as important. I think of my parents and how they have challenged and encouraged me from birth to present. Without them I would be a lesser individual. I think of bad days and how one smile or kind comment turned the entire day around and changed my mood instantly. That is something I, we, could all do on a regular basis. If I was just a little bit kinder, a little slower to anger, a little more hesitant to judge, a little quicker to lend a hand or a little bit more encouraging, I could impact people in a prominent way without the glory. We rarely remember the small souls that intersect our lives and change it for the better. But that doesn't make their presence valueless. It is the best way to make your mark on the world, anonymously.
All that jibber jabber to simply say I want to value the way I affect others more than I value my own praise. I think often of the character Melanie Hamilton Wilkes from Gone With the Wind. She was the kindest person in the film and loving toward everyone regardless of how they treated her. She didn't always receive acclamation for her good deeds, but she was always happy and she changed those around her for the better by simply believing in the good in them. She made a lasting impact because she helped change people in her life and with their renewed spirits they changed others. She started the ripple of good. Much like the movie Pay It Forward, where the main character dies, but his kindness lives on in hearts of those he touched. He too saw the good in each person he met. "There is good in everyone," is what my Nana always used to say and I agree. I am going to strive to find the good in others and treat all as if they were a cherished friend or family member.
"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!" -Anne Frank
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