I started to write this post several days ago and paused. When Pam Atherton asked me for a thought on business during my interview last week on A Closer Look, I told her that one of my biggest pet peeves is when people say “they need to do something about that.” My response to that was in today’s world, “you are they.” We now have the power to create things and to make a change in the world.
This post was never designed to be about Steve Jobs so I have waited several days before finishing it and posting it. The sentiment that I was trying to express to Pam was that people can make a difference in the world if they want to. As I watched the news, I read Facebook, I read Twitter over the last week, I see a world touched by one man. One man who knew that HE was THEY.
Many people have made some beautiful comments about Mr. Jobs including Mark Zuckerberg, Seth Godin and even Barak Obama. This post was not intended to be a tribute. As I said, I started to compose it this a few days ago, but I can’t help but mention someone who lived this philosophy. That said, here are my thought on how YOU can be THEY.
Seven Ways to Make a Difference.
1. Put your friends and family first. Duh!
2. If you see something, say something. This is the motto of The Department of Homeland Security. It is designed to encourage the public to contact local authorities if they see suspicious activity. I ask you to look at this bigger than that. If you see someone drop something, help them pick it up. If you see a friend in trouble, help them and if you see a way to change the world, do it.
3. Donate or volunteer for a charity. This week you might consider a donation to The Lustgarten Foundation which supports research for pancreatic cancer.
4. Don’t “think outside the box.” Forget that there ever was a box.
5. Ask why. I was always getting in trouble as a child for asking why. “Because I said so” was never good enough for me and it shouldn’t be good enough for you.
6. Walk the talk. This is one that I remind myself of everyday. It’s easy to give advice, it’s much harder to follow your own advice. If you are smart, it’s amazing what can happen.
7. Finally. The next time you think to yourself, “they should do something about X,” remember YOU ARE THEY.