Making a Difference - You have the opportunity!

In life the difference others make and the difference we make in the lives of others, all comes about because of communication and contact. If you have ever played the role of "you can't see me but I can hear you", then you will understand what I am about to explain. In life there are many things that can be done anonymously that makes a difference but the biggest differences or impacts in the lives of others often comes with an acknowledgment. Ease dropping into a conversation without others knowing you are listening can reveal more than you want to know, and you are not privileged to hear what you've heard, even after you've heard it. Someone sharing with another person in confidence is normally not intended to be overheard or shared with others. Ease dropping is not the key to developing strong relationships, confidence and trust. Now that this thought is out of the way, lets think upon making a difference in others lives, using communication and contact. Communicating can be a challenging goal. I know plenty of people that would rather do almost anything other than having a conversation or talking with someone, one on one. There are plenty of reasons why they feel uncomfortable when communication this way, but just because you are uncomfortable doesn't mean the activity is not the one to be completed. Having a conversation for many people is a wall breaker. A positive experience from communicating often leaves both parties glad that they both shared what they were thinking, or had thought. The most important part of communicating through conversation is that two parties are in mutual agreement to talk. If you are determined to make a difference in the lives of others then the first task is to understand the other's person's point of view. I am not going to say this is easy but it should be easy to genuinely listen to someone else. This is accomplished by being someone with integrity who honestly cares about others and their lives. It could be said the reason why most people are not making a difference in the lives of others is because they do not want to make a difference and or they simply don't care about the other person. Think about your life and the things that made a difference. I am confident that having contact with someone makes a difference. Just today I received in the mail a note with personal remarks and even a gift card. I was moved because I did not expect to receive a note of thanks in the mail. The personal note of gratitude and appreciation for assistance that had been rendered was personal, moving and because of their efforts to communicate and contact me it has made a difference. There are many acts of kindness that are completed and performed anonymously but we should never under estimate the power of making contact and someone knowing it was us. If you have ever participated in a secret pal type commitment, the anticipation and excitement to learn who your secret pal is, not only creates excitement, but appreciation too. By contacting someone things become personal. When you and I are personal with people growth in friendship occurs. Because of this identifiable contact we are able to see the value that others place in us. This realization can be a real ministry to ones self confidence and self-worth. The opportunity for us to make a difference in the lives of others is ever before us. The opportunity exist at our place of work, from within our circle of friends, and often overlooked within our own families. Our families might be the easiest to overlook for such an opportunity because we wrongfully assume they know we care. Even our family members deserve extra attention, acknowledgment and our thanks. Taking anyone for granite is like ease dropping, rarely does it turn out positive. There are 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week. While I am sure you know this I am not so sure that you will use any of your opportunities to make a difference for others. If you decided to use a part of your hours and days that sole express your thanks or helps another on their journey in life stand by for personal blessings without a doubt. Until then