“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” These are the words of Mother Teresa who used to live for the poor and served the underprivileged, homeless, and needy throughout her life.
Most people talk about changing the system to improve their lives but one thing that is often skipped is the discussion about change within oneself. Leaders, politicians, influencers, and even a common man often talk about bringing change to the system.
Change within oneself is all that needed to change the system because it is the human beings that make or break a system. If everyone starts realizing it’s part of responsibility then the system will automatically shift towards a positive change.
“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” —Malala Yousafzai, I Am Malala.
Mahatma Gandhi pointed the same aspect when he said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” How one can change one’s attitude is a crucial question that arises here. One can change oneself by attending to personal growth, by setting realistic goals for future and present life, and by spreading awareness among the other members of society.
Another very apposite facet is to accept one’s own mistakes. People sound so eager when pointing out others’ blunders but half-heartedly undertake their own faults. Acknowledging personal mistakes and wrong-doings is actually a first step towards reforming the overall system.
To accomplish the pre-requisites for a personal change one can take inspiration from other successful people who are doing good in their field of work and bringing a positive change through their acts. Honesty, devotion, time management, and adherence to one’s goals are some other attributes that can assist in bringing a change within.
A key demonstration of this personal change can be ascertained through this COVID-19 Pandemic as well. This pandemic is spreading really fast and infecting hundreds and thousands of people on daily basis. Literally, there seems no possible end in sight to the devastation it causes except large-scale vaccination of people and adherence to SOPs.
If all the individuals seriously start following COVID-19 safety protocols and contentedly go for vaccination then their individual participation can help defeat the pandemic and its fast spread early on. This is how the change in ones’ consciousness can help ameliorate the situation of global crisis and hence the system.
“And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time.” —Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing.
The late Dr. Pfau who is also recalled as “Mother Teresa of Pakistan” used to work as an ordinary healthcare worker in Germany and landed in Pakistan in 1961 with a congregation of educationists. It was her tireless efforts and devotion that lead to the declaration of Pakistan as the first-ever Asian country to be leprosy-free. She worked tirelessly to treat and prevent leprosy in Pakistan and dedicated over 55 years of her life to the noble cause. In essence, it was the change that she brought in herself to help the ailing people that changed the overall health conditions of leprosy patients in Pakistan.
In short, there is nothing to be disappointed about the system as long as you are doing your part of the work with responsibility and devotion. The founder of India very aptly figured out the criteria for bringing the change in ourselves saying that If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.
You can also read: Illiteracy – A Root Cause of all Social Evils
