So What If You Can't?

There are a lot of inspirational quotations online regarding changing the world.

In case you’ve been sleeping for the last decade, here are a few:

“Every single person has the power to change the world and help people.” – Laura Marano

“Remember, each one of us has the power to change the world.” – Yoko Ono

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, its the only thing that ever has." – Margaret Mead

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Gandhi

When this inspiration to change the world is coupled with frame setting, agenda setting, and goal setting, it is seemingly unstoppable. Seemingly…Yet we are apparently somewhat stuck.

Never before in history has there been so many people so free, wealthy, and determined to change the world as there are today. Even so, we are disappointed in leaders, disillusioned with economics, discouraged at work, and depressed at home (almost 20% of U.S. adults are on antidepressants).What happened to all that change?

May I propose something counter to the prevailing winds? Here it is. Are you ready? You can’t change the world. There! I said it. Whew! What a load off your shoulders.

You really knew all along that you couldn’t change the world. As you suspect, all the illustrations of all the leaders in history who have “changed the world” are a bit skewed. There was a lot of stage-setting that happened before the leader even showed up. There were a lot of helpers and advisers that made things happen for that leader. Options to change weren’t attractive at the time. And there were a lot of other factors in play as well. I know we all wish the world was different than it is. That’s why we see so many people marching, impeaching, publicly castigating, killing, and committing suicide. The drive to change the world can drive you flat crazy. Bonkers.

So what if you can’t change the world? There is something you can do that is effective and won’t drive you crazy. Are you ready? Here it is: Change your perspective. That’s it.

Changing how you see the world effectively changes the world for you. I’m not saying that you should ignore things that are wrong or bad.

I’m not saying that you hypnotize yourself into believing something false. Not at all. What I’m saying is that the value of paying attention to things you cannot change is mostly negative. It detracts from the actual value of the good things you have in your life.

How about an example? Let’s say you are convinced that human activity us ruining the environment. Let’s examine two scenarios. Scenario 1: Rave like mad on social media. Post half thought out quotes about climate change on Facebook. Blame somebody - anybody. The wealthy are always a good target because if they do anything to defend themselves they look like bullies. Insult anyone who disagrees with you. Worry yourself sick about your great grandchildren. Feel guilty about stealing the future from the next generation. See the world as a beautiful place that we messed up. Scenario 2: Encourage everyone you know to conserve every resource possible. Post conservation ideas and technologies on social media. Accept personal responsibility for every bit of carbon you release and live in austerity (stern self denial). Give to causes that are searching for solutions that won’t destroy economies and plunge millions into abject poverty. See the world as a beautiful place with many unspoiled vistas and amazing people. There are, of course many other possible perspectives besides these two.

I deliberately chose a very contested subject and extreme scenarios. I hope you see the point.

In this case, neither scenario really changes anything in the world besides the person who adopts that scenario. Both cases impact the mental and possibly physical health and well-being of the person who holds them.

At issue is how your brain filters information. It filters according to your perspective.

If you follow Scenario 1 you will perceive that most people don’t care, politicians are irresponsible, and disaster is imminent. If you follow Scenario 2 you will perceive that most people care but don’t know what to do, most politicians are struggling to balance climate needs with social needs like food production, and that there is hope for this situation. My point isn’t to “resolve” the climate change debate, but to use it as an illustration of the power of perspective. You often see what you are looking for. Looking for something different could change the world for you. And that is something you can do.