Being the Change
Ghandi said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” And he was absolutely right. But how many of us really believe him?
I find that most people are waiting for someone or something else to be the change they wish to see in the world. Let me give you some common examples:
Employer X wants Employee Y to sell more. Rather than being excited about the new products and offering more training and reward opportunities (i.e. being a better leader), he requires Employee Y to make more cold calls. You can force an employee to take certain actions, but they will only be effective if they do them with all their heart. They will only do that if you have inspired them with YOUR actions. Employer X can only get real change by changing himself.
Jill X wants more love in her life. Rather than working on being more loving or loving herself more, she tries to get Joe Y to love her more. This will never work. The only person Jill X can ever change is herself.
If you pay attention, you’ll see this phenomenon all the time. Years ago, I went to Utah and fell in love with hiking. When I returned home I wanted to join a hiking club. When I found none existed in my area, I took the next obvious step and started one. Over eighty people contacted me and all said, “I’ve been waiting for a club like this!” Starting the club wasn’t hard. But someone had to be the change. What change have you been waiting for?
Do you realize how much power you have if you simply act? Want to mend a relationship? Pick up the phone. Need a new job? Reply to some job listings. Want a better employee team? Start being a better leader.
What change do you want to see in the world? Be it!
