Life lived for a greater purpose, greater than ourselves, is life well lived. It is a life that pushes us out of our own cocoons and thrusts out there, thinking of others and how we can positively Impact their lives. This then begs the question of how to make a difference in People’s lives?
Before we delve even deeper, be sure that making a difference in People’s lives isn’t anchored on financial status, it is simply anchored on attitude and intentions. Intention wins, the thought wins. Making a difference can be realized from working with what we have, currently. Therefore, drop any excuses!
It is also important to establish that making a difference can look different for different people. It depends on people’s culture, environment, upbringing, traumas, needs and wants. Just because what you are doing doesn’t make sense to another person it doesn’t mean it is not of impact.
Making a difference in people’s live can be discussed by addressing these three W’s, Who, Why and What.
Who
A number of us are consciously and unconsciously running away from this question, Who am I? This is not entirely based on the professional hut you wear. It goes deep beyond the surface. Who are you? Do you know and appreciate your true self? What is your personality? What are your strengths and what needs some working on? Are you doing what you truly enjoy?
What makes you tick? What throws you completely off balance? Life is what you settle for, what you agree to. If you don’t dig deep, you will remain superficial. Knowing who you truly are will give you room to be authentic while making a difference in others. Your Identity will not get lost, because you know yourself.
Why
Why is making a difference important to you? Does it align to you values?
What
In this lies our answers to the question of making a difference in people’s lives. Understanding who we truly are helps us to appreciate the presence of other people. What then can we do?
Growing Genuine relationships.
Consistency is key for this. Relationships take time to grow. It takes intentionality to give time, emotional and mental space to another person. We all need friendship, companionship, someone that we know got us. This comes from growing the friendships we have. You can go for drinks, adventure, movies, games all will the aim of building the friendship.
Helping them through their Who, What and Why.
Another way to make a difference in people’s lives is helping them navigate their own. While we are in the middle of an Identity Crisis with Influence from social media, an overhaul of information and pressure from every direction, we may lose ourselves. Walking with others in discovering who they truly are is making a difference in their lives. Take a journey with them into clarifying their Who, What and Why.
Listening.
A problem shared is a problem half-solved. Listening is a skill that comes in handy in making a difference. Listen to what others are saying. The negative and Positive statements they are making. Listen to their ‘Wish’ statements. It is easy to tell when someone is not listening to you, be the one who listens. Sometimes, the greatest difference can only be made by remaining silent and giving your ear.
Giving.
Giving could be in the form of giving time, giving extra food, giving care to others. In giving, it is important that you do so without expecting anything in return. It is not only liberating, but also comes with no strings attached. It simply goes to say I love and appreciate you. Even giving a smile is a way of making a difference.
Express Gratitude.
Simply saying ‘Thank you’ means a lot. Seek to see the positive things. To express gratitude for them. Say thank you to a friend who calls to check up on you. Thank someone for sharing a meal with you. Look around even for the small things like holding out the door for you, it is a reason to say Thank you. It is an encouraging word for people to continue doing the good they are doing.
Mentorship.
Making a difference in people’s lives could simply be by mentorship. Mentorship creates a ripple significant impact to the community at large. Mentorship doesn’t also need to be through a seat down. There are people you encourage simply by being you. They look up to you without your knowledge. Considering how you handle things and they are able to draw empowerment from this.
Using our skills and Knowledge.
The skills and knowledge we have can also be tapped upon to make a difference in people’s lives. For example if you are talented musically, you could teach others how to sing, play an instrument, compose music. If you know how to program, you could teach someone the skills and even help them build their website.
All these go to show that for us to create a difference in other people’s lives, we need to first look within.
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