Making Your Mark On The World Is Easier Than You Think

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My good friend Kim is right smack in the middle of building her dream farm.  She and her husband shopped for exactly the kind of land they wanted, and began the building process from scratch.  There was nothing there when they started—not even a driveway.  Every detail has been thoroughly and thoughtfully considered.

Kim hired a general contractor, and while progress has been made, the process has been pretty frustrating for her.  There have been multiple communication snafus with the contractor coupled with weather delays, and her dream farm project is now in its third year.  She and her husband and several large dogs are living in a small barn apartment that they built on the property.  Recently I asked her if she would do it again—if all the stress was worth it.

“You know, everyone asks me that,” she answered.  But she went on to explain that she had always wanted to make her mark on the world, however small.  By carefully planning and building a farm, she felt like she could do that.

I have no doubt that when her farm is completed it will be a stunning work of art.  She and her husband have both poured their heart and soul into this project with their purpose firmly in mind.  I hope they will enjoy their farm for many, many years.  And later on, someone else will also get to enjoy it.

All this got me thinking about what it means to make your own mark on the world. (Thank you, Kim!)

One of the things that kept popping up was the idea of expressing your unique self.  We may not all be incredible songwriters, musicians, artists or dancers (though I am honored to have some of each as blog readers!), but there are many ways to put your own special stamp on the life you are crafting.

Like Kim, we can strive to make our own corner of the world a more beautiful and productive place.  Even if we’re only helping one other individual, there is a ripple effect in the world.  And deeply helping one other person (parenting and elder care come to mind) can profoundly change that person’s world view, and how they relate to others.

I realize this is a very simple concept, and certainly not a new idea, but the more I think about it the more life-changing it becomes.  In our over-achiever society, many times we think we don’t measure up.  Our perception is, sometimes, that we haven’t done anything monumental and that we don’t matter.

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But this is so far from the truth! Our actions—especially the smallest ones—shape the world we live in.  How are you making your mark on the world?  I’d love to hear your comments.

Marianne M. Smith
Writer At The Ranch
Making You Look Brilliant One Word At A Time

http://writerattheranch.com
wordsmith@writerattheranch.com