Impacts.

“To the whole world you might be just one person, but to one person you might just be the whole world.” -Pablo Casals

You may be told by adults that just one person can make a difference in the world. Although true, this doesn’t mean that everyone will make a worldwide impact. Not everyone can be a world leader or prime minister. There was only one Napoleon Bonaparte, one Genghis Khan, and only one Bill Gates. The average person rarely makes an impact upon their cities or country, let alone the whole world. But did any of those people really change your world? They may have changed history and could be the reason you live your life a certain way, but did any of those people make you feel love, pain, or happiness?  Think about it. Who makes a bigger impact on your life, your friends and family or a leader of another country? Although your life could be altered by an important figure far away from you, your everyday life is changed by those around you. That cute boy you bumped into and shared a smile with today could make you think more than a foreign policy made by a European politician. I’m not saying that what the politician did wasn’t important or that it didn’t change hundreds of people’s lives, but your world wasn’t changed. 

Although you may not be in a position of power or have a lot of influence on the world, that doesn’t mean you should brush off the idea that you don’t make an impact on the world. You may not make a difference globally, but you can change someone’s world. 

When you were born, you had already made an impact on your family’s life, even without being able to speak a word. Ever since then, every action and every thought made a difference in someone’s life, including your own. So why not make it a positive difference? Instead of brushing someone off when they try to have a conversation, why not give them a few minutes of your time and have a conversation with them? Don’t ignore the girl whose papers fell on the floor, all you have to do is pick a few papers up for her and be on your way. 

In that same sense, don’t go through life not committing fully to relationships, whether it be relationships with family, friends, or even a significant other. Spend time with your family, love them and take time to talk to them everyday. With your friends, help them through anything you can. Be there for them through thick and thin, don’t shy away from helping them just because it inconveniences you. Take relationships seriously. Don’t shy away from a date because it means you’re risking something. Take that risk, even if it means you could get hurt or people would start talking. You owe yourself the chance to be happy with someone and to love them. If you’re already with someone, don’t take a single second for granted. Enjoy every single happy, sad, angry, or frustrating moment with them. Love them with all of your heart if it feels right, don’t be afraid of being left behind or hurt. Change someone’s world for the better and they might just change yours at the same time.