World Changers.

   

         This is a blog post from my great friend Krysti who just finished a six month mission in Malawi Africa (a place we have both called home), and is now off to accept her first post-grad job in Uganda! Her words on changing the world couldn't have been said any better, so I won't try...I'll just let her do her thing :) You can follow her blog at https://krystiwilkinson.wordpress.com

Changing the World by krystiwilkinson It’s no secret that I want to change the world – I talk about it my blog bio, it was written on my college graduation hat, and ‘change’ comes up quite easily in conversations with me. This has always been a dream of mine since before I can remember; the only thing that has changed over the years is how I plan on doing so. Since I’ve moved to Malawi, that’s all I hear from my friends. I get emails with “So when you’re done changing the world….” and texts from my girls asking for advice with “I know you’re busy changing the world, but…”, and countless “I miss you, but I’m glad you’re changing the world!” messages. I’m really glad, and really touched, people think I’m so powerful (Secret: I’m not). But my time in Malawi has made me realize a lot about the reality of changing the world. The question isn’t IF you will change the world, the question is what will the world look like once you have. Because we are all world-changers. We all shape the world around us. Yet no one sees this. We all think you have to move to Africa or give away all your money or house a homeless person. We read Bob Goff’s book or watch Nate Garvis’ TED talk and think we’ll never be them, and we’ll never do anything of significance. We think the only way to change the world is to do some crazy, unheard of, mind-blowing act that will get an article written about us in TIME. The truth is a lot less glamorous: the world is changed everyday, by everyone - for better, or for worse. You change the world every morning when you decide if you are going to be nice to your Starbucks barista or not. You change the world when you decide between shopping at the name-brand store or at a local shop. You change the world when you decide whether or not to reach out to that friend who you know really needs you, even though you would rather let someone else handle it. You change the world, every day, with your choices - no matter how small they might seem. If you want the world to be more just, follow the traffic laws next time you drive. If you want the world to be more generous, buy a friend lunch for no reason. If you want the world to be a happier place, give a stranger a compliment. If you want to see less poverty in the world, donate part of your paycheck to a charity. Seemingly insignificant changes can go a long way. Seemingly small actions on your part can have a large impact. You have a change you want to see in the world? Be that change. How you treat people matters. How you spend your money matters. How you view those around you matters. And all these decisions – and more – shape the world you live in. Which then molds the world of everyone who interacts with you. Which, in turn, changes the world. The most frustrating thing for me as I was preparing to move to Malawi was when people responded with either “How cool! You’ll be changing girls’ lives over there!” or “Wow! I wish I could make the world a better place like you will”. Although I know both reactions came from pure intentions, and I politely smiled with gratitude, I really wanted to give them a sarcastic reply and a dose of reality. Because I wanted them to see that I was already doing good work – why does my heart and passion for teenage girls get glorified when it's in Malawi yet looked over when it’s in San Diego? I also wanted them to see that they can make the world a better place, without having to move to Africa. They can choose to live intentionally and work towards a bigger purpose, while working 9 to 5 in a cubicle. You don’t have to live in a third world country. You don’t have to feed orphans. You don’t even have to give away half your income. (Although those are all really cool ways to change the world!) You just have to be committed to being a better person than you were yesterday and to making a better tomorrow for everyone you will encounter. (...that's all us so-called "world changers" living in Africa with the orphans are hoping to do...)