Be the change that you wish to see in the world – Mahatma Ghandi

If you have read any spiritual blogs or books in your life, or followed any spiritual teachers, it is likely at some point that you have heard this famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi.

But what does it really mean?

How can you be the change that you wish to see in the world?

The answer is simple, and yet most of us find the practice of it quite difficult. The answer I am talking about is Personal Responsibility.

We all know that there are many problems in the world. There are wars occurring right now that have killed millions of people. We have an enormous amount of starving children and displaced refugees in many countries; there are countless human rights crimes happening every day, right on our doorstep. It is overwhelming to think about how many things are unjust in the world.

And it is really quite simple as a society to detach from our responsibility to these things that are happening across the globe or in another country, or even just in another town from us. Because if it is not happening directly TO us as an individual, it may affect us, but we don’t really think there is anything we can do about it.

But there is. We can all make a difference, every single one of us. We all have the capacity to be the change that we wish to see in the world. This does not mean that you must immediately set out on a vigilante path to stop all wars and end all famine across the globe, it would be foolish to even attempt that. No individual can solve the world’s problems.

To ‘be the change’ you only need to live to the example in your own life that is the opposite of all the horror that I have mentioned here. Instead of putting your head in the sand and thinking there is nothing you can do, you can be proactive – and you can teach others to do the same.

Have courage to speak up against things that don’t feel right to you. Take time to practice empathy and compassion, so you act from a place of forgiveness and love in your life, rather than from anger and judgement.

Create peace in your home by creating peace within yourself. Be kind to all of the people you come across by learning to be kind to yourself. Show love to your friends and family, and even strangers, by first showing love to yourself.

By taking Personal Responsibility for your impact upon the world you elicit, create and become change.

What does the quote “be the change that you wish to see in the world” mean to you? Share your ideas in the comments below.