Making a Difference, One Stone at a Time

Have you ever thought about the difference just one person can make in this world? Mother Teresa said “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” Let’s think about just the past week and the things that have taken place during this time in history:

In 1801, John Marshall was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and is still considered today one of the greatest Justices in our country’s history.
In 1901, Queen Victoria died after 63 years on the throne.
In 1929, Martin Luther King, Jr. was born – talk about a man who made a difference!
In 1938, Thornton Wilder’s play, Our Town, was performed for the first time and influenced every stage production to follow.
In 1964, the Beatles released their first American album and changed the course of music in this country forever.
In 1981, President Reagan became the oldest President in US history.
In 1997, Madeleine Albright became the first female Secretary of State.
In 2009, Barack Obama became the first African American President in US History.

Did any of these people believe as children that they would become who they were (or are) as adults? Even Queen Victoria couldn’t have known from the start that she would be the heir to the throne, especially as a female. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a preacher, not a movie star or a politician, but he has become the very face of peaceful civil rights in our Country. Though some of these people were men and some women, some were born into prestigious families and some came from the poorest of homes, some were American and some were British, all of them have something in common. Whether they knew it or not, they all led their lives according to the teaching of Ghandi, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

The book, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, takes a centuries old teaching and brings it to life – every little thing you do, every choice you make, affects another person. I have been a mother for almost 19 years, a Girl Scout Leader for 12 years, a camp director for 9 years, and a novelist for the past few years. I like to think that I have been able to touch the lives of hundreds of people in some way through one of these channels. Every summer, I see the affect that my wonderful camp staff has on the 100 girls with whom we work. I have watched my own mother touch the lives of people she probably doesn’t even realize she has influenced, and believe me, there are many, perhaps thousands, who are the people they are today because she came into their lives in some way.

How are you making a difference in the world? It doesn’t have to be a grandiose gesture; it can be just a stone cast across the waters that causes a ripple. Every one of us has the ability to influence countless people each and every day. What is the mark you are leaving on those around you? In some way, it just may be the mark you are leaving on the world. Make it count.

Amy Schisler is an author of mystery and suspense novels. Her first book, A Place to Call Home may be purchased in stores, online, and through ibooks. Her previously published children’s book, Crabbing With Granddad may be purchased in stores and on Amazon. http://amyschislerauthor.com/amyschislerauthor.com/Books.html

You may follow Amy at http://facebook.com/amyschislerauthor on Twitter @AmySchislerAuth and on her web site http://amyschislerauthor.com