What Can I Actually Do?

How to create change when the world feels unchangeable

“What can I actually do?

In a world addicted to division and reaction, with high entitlement and low personal responsibility, I ask myself this question often.

Being aware of the pain in the world and of those who cheer it on is exhausting. Not just on the nervous system and psyche, but on the spirit as well. Constant breaking news, angry talking heads, and the sheer digital overwhelm of modern life are taxing enough.

But there’s something we’re all living with that’s much worse.

A feeling of helplessness.

I know you see the suffering in the world, your neighbors, your family members, and yourself. Some days you think about it a lot. On other days, you ignore it as an act of self-care.

Big problems make the individual feel small. Seeing so many people addicted to anger makes it feel like there might not be a point to bringing more harmony to the world. And this is when the question we started with arises.

“What can I actually do?”

See, the problem is that the mentalities that drive much of the suffering in the world aren’t changeable from the top down. You’ll never be able to argue or logic your way into changing someone’s point of view. Asking a person to question their personal beliefs is like asking them to question their own god.

The front door is not the way in.

If top-down doesn’t work, if our words of compassion won’t trickle down from the brain into the heart, then what are our other options?

Bottom up.

The only way we can bring more goodness into the world is by leading by example. We have to stay rooted in compassion, integrity, and wholesomeness. We have to not just think about it, but truly embody these qualities in big and small moments.

Sure, love when people are watching you. But choose compassion when nobody sees it too.

Then, when life lines up just right, for the right person, they will observe you embodying human dignity, compassion, and selflessness. They won’t choose to be kinder for the sake of others. But they might choose to be more wholesome because you radiate inner peace, love, and genuine happiness. And they want that for themselves. Not really so they can be helpful, but so they can stop feeling so much spiritual pain.

Once they try to soften for their own sake, compassion starts to creep into their other thoughts. When they revisit their outlook on anger and judgment, the filter they look through might look different. And they start to choose something closer to kindness.

This is a slow process. The longest game there is. And it certainly isn’t going to affect everyone. But as an individual, if you think about it, this is what we can actually do on a daily basis.

By being a sturdy example of the goodness in human nature, we not only help ourselves but also guide those around us. We can leave a blueprint of what compassion and higher thinking look like.

We can’t walk people onto the path. But we can show them that walking such a path is possible, and no matter what, there is always room for another traveler.

That’s all for today, friend.

Sending love and slowness,
Cory

- Want to get more and support my writing? Upgrade.

Did this resonate? Share with a friend.

Would you like more? Subscribe.