We all hear about “making a difference,” but what does it really mean to “make a difference”? Benjamin Todd of 80,000 Hours gives us a definition: “The number of people whose lives you improve, and how much you improve them, over the long term.” And according to him, there are three ways one can make a difference:
Reading this definition, it seems like making a difference is a difficult thing to do, even impossible. The world is inundated with problems, and they all seem insurmountable. There’s government corruption, domestic violence, sex trafficking, world peace, cancer, mental health care, and the list goes on.
Can one person actually make a difference? Well, according Nelson Mandela, you can, as he famously said, “We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in our hands to make a difference.”
So, yes, one person can make a difference, but you might have to do something. What is this something? Finding your purpose.
Mark Manson explains why finding one’s purpose can help you make a difference: making a difference is ultimately what you think is most important to you—and this importance is your purpose.
You may just find that finding—and living—your purpose is making a difference for others.
Ways To Help Point You Toward Your Purpose in Life
Since finding our purpose is all important, if we want to make a difference in the world, here are some of the recommendations by Kendall Bronk, a researcher who directs the Adolescent Moral Development Lab at Claremont Graduate University, that can help point you toward your purpose in life:
1. Identify the things you care about
Applying your skills toward contributing to the greater good in a way that matters to you is what purpose is all about, so identify what you care about. This is an important first step.
Jim Emerman of Encore.org suggests asking these three questions to yourself:
By reflecting on these questions you will be able to repurpose your skills and pursue interests toward helping the world.
2. Reflect on what matters most
If your concern is far-ranging, singling out one or two things that matter most to you can be difficult. When you understand what you value most, you can narrow down your purpose in life, managing them to what truly resonates with you.
Prioritizing your values is useful for finding purpose. Look at your common values and rank which were most important, least important, and in between. This can effective in helping you clarify your purpose.
Once you’re clearer on your deepest values, find how you can put your values to use.
3. Recognize your strengths and talents
We all have strengths and skills that we’ve developed over our lifetimes. Think how you can apply them toward something you really care about.
Not sure what your strengths and skills are? Ask yourself these questions:
What do you think I’m particularly good at?
What do you think I really enjoy?
How do you think I’ll leave my mark on the world?
4. Try volunteering
After self-reflection, it is important to try out new things and see how those activities enable you to use your skills to make a meaningful difference in the world. Volunteering could provide you with some experience and do good at the same time.
5. Imagine your best possible self
Imagine yourself older and everything going well for you. Then answer the following questions:
What are you doing?
What is important to you?
What do you really care about, and why?
Your answer to the why part is particularly important as your purpose usually emerges from our reasons for caring.
6. Cultivate positive emotions like gratitude and awe
When you foster positive emotions, like awe and gratitude, can help you find your purpose. Why? Because these emotions is tied to well-being, caring about others, and finding meaning in life. This positive emotions will help you focus on how you can contribute to the world.
Developing gratitude and awe also has the added benefit of being good for your emotional well-being, which can give you the energy and motivation you need to carry out your purposeful goals.
7. Look to the people you admire
What we admire most in people will give us a clue to how we might want to contribute to a better world ourselves. Maybe you have a friend who volunteers to collect food for the homeless or a relative whose NGO work is promoting social justice, they can inspire you to do the similar thing and find your purpose in the process.
In finding the purpose of your life, you just need to look inside you, then start taking the steps in the direction that means the most to you.
Sources:
Manson, Mark. “7 Strange Questions That Help You Find Your Life Purpose.” Accessed April 20, 2024. https://markmanson.net/life-purpose.
Suttie, Jill Suttie, “Seven Ways to Find Purpose in Your Life.” Last modified August 6, 2020. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/seven_ways_to_find_your_purpose_in_life.
Todd, Benjamin. “Can One Person Make Difference. What the Evidence Says.” Last modified May 2023. https://80000hours.org/career-guide/can-one-person-make-a-difference/.
