In this post, I will discuss my journey to change the world. How it started, how it’s going, and how I envision the future. I aim to give you another perspective and hopefully some clarity on the topic.
There are 5 main phases. In every phase, I share with you the thoughts inside my head.
Phase #1 - Pit of Despair
This is ground zero. Back when I was a teenager. Let’s say 14-15. I am exploring the world.
I want to be independent and free. I want to change the world for the better. I want everything to be faster, easier, and more enjoyable.
The older ones have made a world that I do not like. Everyone is goofy, tired, and sad. Problems are everywhere and no one is having fun. Everybody has to work all day to pay the bills day after day, forever. How can they all be okay with that?
I am starting my revolution to change everything. I have great ideas about how everything should be. But, the older ones do not listen to me. They just do not understand.
I am getting tired and desperate. How can I change all of this by myself?
Phase #2 - Eureka
This phase lasted from 16 to 19. I expressed my concerns in school, to friends, and on social media. Anywhere I could. After a while, I found I was not the only one feeling this way. Lots of young people felt exactly like me.
I was not alone anymore. We made groups and we collected our efforts. We all wanted to make the world a better place. We rejected the old things that did not work anymore. No more stupid rules, religions, traditions, and degrading society. We are making the new world our way!
We started meetings and developed plans. We organized protests. We wrote posts on social media. We made banners. We sent letters to every politician you can imagine. We talked to our friends and family about it. Damn, we even talked to strangers about it.
The activist phase went on for 3 in my life. Two in school, where I was the students’ president. One in the university, where I attended groups and teams.
Phase #3 - Deadend
Fast forward to 20. I have been the activist type for 4 years now.
Something does not feel right. Everything is the same mess. Maybe even worse. No significant change has happened. Same story again and again. Debates, arguments, and protests with no visible impact. Only hopes and dreams.
The negativity was too much and I was tired. I evaluated the situation.
I hated the present, and I could not imagine a brighter future happening this way. Day after day I was becoming less confident. Everything seemed meaningless. My dream to change the world was fading.
I was anxious. I was sad. Everything seemed too much and out of my control. I could not stand that existence. I was not willing to accept it though. So, I tried to find another way.
Phase #4 - Change
This phase starts at 20 and continues to this day (I am 24 on the day of writing). To change my situation I searched for people that I would like to be like. People that had already changed the world. I started looking in my circle and continued to celebrities, people on the internet, and even people from the past.
After I found some, I consumed everything about them. I read their books, consumed their content, and saw the podcasts/interviews they had them on. I studied their beliefs, their body language, and the way they talk.
I watched debates that tested those beliefs. I saw the opposite view and tried to understand it. After doing that with several people I started to change. My beliefs changed. The way I see the world changed. Most importantly, my actions changed.
Today, instead of trying to change the world and the people around me, I try to change myself. I take complete responsibility for my life and I try to improve it one step at a time.
I write down how I would like the people in this world to be. Then, I try to be that. I am far away from the ideal. It is still hard but things have gotten better. I enjoy the present and I can see a brighter future.
Phase #5 - A better World
But what about, making a better world?
If you don’t have your house in order, how do you dare to criticize the world? Jordan B. Peterson
Well, changing the world is not a small feat. You have to start from somewhere. I believe the best way is to start small and grow bigger one step at a time.
Start with yourself. What you don't like about yourself? Maybe you are too aggressive or maybe you cannot communicate well. Maybe you dislike your job, your body, your partner, or your friends. Maybe you don’t even have any of the above. Maybe you have everything. Whatever it is that you do not like about your life go and fix it. Be the person you would like others to be.
After you achieve that, you can do the same with your family. You can help them with their problems. After you help your family, you have a house full of love. Now, you can try to help your friends. Before you know it, **you have already changed your world** and their world as well.
If you do all of the above you are a rare one. You can now try to help your community. And if you help your community, well then, you can expand to the communities next to you. Finally, you can expand to the whole world.
Final Worlds
The problem is that most of us get it backward. We try to change the world first. Sadly, you cannot pour from an empty cap. You have to fill your cup first. I learned this the hard way.
I hope my story can help you to change your world for the better and you can help the people around you change theirs for the better. Hopefully, some of us change everyone's world for the better.
