As long as people can change, so can the world.

There is a lot of darkness in this world I so desperately search for light in. Ignorance, greed, and hate casting shade over what shines. Blocking the beauty that exists all around us. Blinding the path to progress. Often I hear, “That’s just the way the world is.” As if we’re stuck. Like it HAS to be this way forever. I challenge the people who think this way with one simple question. Do you believe a single person can change? 


My answer is simple. I know a person can change because I did, drastically. I believe each and every one of us can mature as individuals. Learn new information, gain knowledge and insight that can change our perspective and in response, change our actions. As long as people can change, so can the world. 


Whenever someone from my past - who maybe I wasn’t the biggest fan of - gets brought up, my first thought before judgement is I don’t even know that person. If someone were to compare me to myself ten years ago, heck even one year ago with 2020 instigating heavy processing, I wouldn’t even be recognizable. Obviously my appearance has differed with my weight-loss transformation, but what’s even more dramatically different is how I feel and how I live. The mark I leave on the world. 


I used to live a life where I relied on others. Only functioning when I was “playing.” I might have been able to appear “happy” when I was with my friends, even at school on occasion. But when things got tough, which they did a lot, I was broken. I’m sure my emotions took a toll on the people around me. I didn’t want to live. I couldn’t adapt because I didn’t know how and I wouldn’t learn how because I didn’t realize I wanted to. I didn’t put in effort because I didn’t see my potential. I felt like a complete lost cause and I would have told you the same thing, “that’s just how it is.” But then I caught a glimpse of my potential. It took a change in perspective to start my journey into daily growth and becoming, but that is exactly what happened.


With every day I am wiser, stronger, more loving and understanding. I wear a smile I mean, and I see through optimistic eyes. I try to make a positive impact in as many lives as I can each day. The me from ten years ago barely had the energy or the will to survive my own days. The me now trusts I can survive anything. I can even share my survival tips and reach out my hands for others to hold onto.


I changed my life. Transformed my world. Found my light and shine a path others might be inspired by exploring. I have received messages and testimonials from the people whose lives I have been able to positively impact since my own discovery. Lives around me benefitted from the personal changes I made. 


The world is us. If we have the ability to change, the world can change too. We must do our best to continuously work on ourselves, encourage growth from others, and believe a better world will result from this work. I know if we work together, we can all take part in changing the world.