SUSAN JEFFER'S

YOU TRULY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
IN THE WORLD
by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.

As I look around, I notice that there are too few of us who have the understanding at the deepest level of our being that our lives really make a difference...that our actions really do contribute to the pool of energy that defines this world. If this describes how you feel about yourself, let me give you a wonderful exercise that I describe in Embracing Uncertainty to change this erroneous self-perception. I call it "The Act-As-If Exercise"...and it's a simple yet profoundly effective way to improve the way you feel about yourself. It goes like this:

---First, ask yourself a very important, and ultimately empowering, question...

"If I truly make a positive difference in this world, what would I be doing?"

You ask yourself this question in relation to all parts of your life that include your family, your friends, your job, your community, the world.

---Then, list all the actions you would take if you truly did believe that you made a positive difference. Let all your answers come from the best of who you are...your Higher Self...the part of you that is loving, giving, caring and all good things.

Let's use your job as an example. You ask yourself, "If I truly make a difference at my job, what would I be doing?" Your "act-as-if" list of answers might look like this...

1. If I truly make a difference, I would arrive on time.
   
2. If I truly make a difference, I would be a self-starter, advancing the goals of my employer.
   
3. If I truly make a difference, I would be respectful of my co- workers and help them whenever possible.
   
4. If I truly make a difference, I would stop complaining about things going on at my work. (That may be the hardest task of all!)

Your challenge is to create a wonderful environment for yourself and everyone around you. It doesn't matter at what level of the company you function - from the lowest on the totem pole to the highest. Your sense of caring and commitment is important no matter where you find yourself.

Now that you have your job handled, go on to make the same kind of "act-as-if" list for all the other areas of your life.

---Once you have created one or more of your lists, it is then time to, step-by-step, take action and "become" the person you have described on your lists. In the case of your job, you arrive on time, you become a self-starter, you advance the goals of your employer, you are loving toward your co-workers, and you stop complaining! In this way, you are truly "acting-as-if" you are making a difference!

---Now for the great news: There comes that great day when you don't have to "act-as-if" any longer. You truly KNOW that your life makes a difference. In Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway® I introduce you to a woman who transformed her experience at her job by using this wonderful "act-as-if" exercise. As she truly became involved in making a difference, the job she hated became a job that gave her joy. And ultimately she realized just how much of a difference she could make.

As we consciously and patiently focus on this confidence-giving game of "act-as-if" in all areas of our lives, we slowly begin to feel a sense of worth and purpose. We ultimately live into the awesomely wonderful understanding of just how large a difference we can truly make. We learn that whether in the enclosed space of our home or out in the vastness of the world, every action we take helps determine whether this is a world filled with negativity or a world filled with peace and love. Awesome, indeed!

You can see that for many of us, "acting-as-if" comes before "feeling-as-if". You can also see that the process of "acting-as-if" is simple, but it requires us to pay attention and constantly ask ourselves the important question, "If I truly make a difference, what would I be doing?" We do this until we truly understand that WE TRULY DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Every word that we speak, every action we take affects the world around us.

Along the way, we may notice that the lingering pain of past and present hurts can make positive actions difficult. Not to worry...as we begin radiating our love into this world, so many of the hurts of the past begin to fall away and are replaced with the joy that comes from a life of caring and involvement. Again, it is a step-by-step process and little-by-little our tears of unhappiness are replaced by tears of joy. That's certainly the way it was for me.

To know that we really make a difference...to know that we really count...is the most powerful and vital piece of information we can have. It introduces a whole new dimension to our being - that of responsibility. Understand that a sense of responsibility that comes from a realization of our inner power is not a burden. It enables us to leave behind the frightened ego and jump to the highest part of who we are. It allows us to create acts of love that make us feel alive and joyful...even blissful. At such times, we know we have found our true Home...that magical place within where we all yearn to dwell. We have only to begin the Journey and, with each step forward, we find ourselves a little bit closer to Home.

© 2008 Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.