life changing.

(why i do what i do)

the other night i got in a heated discussion with a self-proclaimed athiest. he was very current-event savvy, and had lots to say about earthquakes, the end of the world, who should run for president, etc. stuff, to be honest, i suck at. but i do like to engage in conversation, and we finally found a topic i could engage with him: changing the world for the better. he himself feels like he can do anything, and it's important that we get in there and Just Do It (nike/american mentality here). while i absolutely appreciate and love that about people (we need these sorts to change anything big, right?), i am not that girl. i am a 'make a difference in one person's life, one life at a time' kind of girl to see change. that is what really gets me inspired, motivated, encouraged, insert word here.

he didn't seem to understand that, and interestingly enough, kept trying to use my 'religious' side to pull me into the 'save the world' idea... saying things like, 'well, as a christian, don't you believe that you're called to...' and, 'as a follower of your religion, don't you think that...' etc etc. and again, while i can see his argument, i don't think it has anything to do with my stance on God or my beliefs: i think it's my inherent personality. i personally feel very overwhelmed at the idea of changing the world, policy, or anything bigger than one person. maybe from my experience of trying to change a lot of people, and learning i can't change anything but myself- i am hesitant to jump onto big ideas. my sister, though: that girl can jump onto big ideas and move and shake and make changes, and she does it on a large scale. which impresses the hell out of me, really. but i think that's her personality: she's a traveller, a worldy woman, needs the big picture, likes big visions, embraces the whole idea of the WORLD. i have a hard time enbracing things outside of denver.

that being said, i do feel like i facilitate change and make positive impact in the world, one person at a time. and i received an email today, from a client, which completley solidified this feeling, and brought tears to my eyes. i want to shout, 'look ma! no hands! i'm helping people change themselves!' instead, i'll just post it on my blog, cause my mom is a reader ;)