Sometimes I wake up at 3 a.m. and wonder if I am making a difference.
For me, making a difference is one of my core values, so it is really important. I want this world and the people in it to have benefit from me; from my presence, from my contributions, and from the lessons I have taught. I want to leave a legacy.
This week, with the start of another school year, I have been thinking about this a great deal. Teachers make a difference in the lives of children every day: they literally have the power to change lives. As I have spent time in education administration, it is harder to see that immediate evidence of impact. As a parent of young adults, it’s also harder to see in my kids, as we have moved away from bedtime stories and snuggles on the couch and into “won’t be home for dinner” texts.
This week, I have spent time talking with my father as I worked on an essay about my grandfather. My grandfather’s legacy included a business that he started in 1929 and a powerful example of fiscal conservativism. He also was a pioneer with a strong sense of adventure, which was evident in the home movies he made in the late 40’s and early 50’s. While I didn’t experience that part of him directly, I am still impacted by learning about the things he has done.
So, maybe the impact is in the learning? Maybe the evidence of impact is more on my own learning than what I share with others.
As much as I want to make a difference on a larger scale by sharing my learning and my life lessons with others, it is the way that I live my life every day that I have the best opportunity to make a difference. I may not change the world, but I can change my world by continuing to learn, grow, and experience everything I can in whatever amount of time I have.
And that, my friends, is enough.