How to Change the World

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ~Rumi

This week’s quote has the potential to completely transform your life. Many of us have reached a certain level of understanding regarding the true nature of reality. At some point, you may have believed that you could change the world, if only you could convince all of humanity to get on board with your ideas. However, this kind of thinking is missing the point. Ultimately, it’s not about changing the world, it’s about changing yourself.

Enlightenment, or awakening to the truth about life, can be compared to a blind man who suddenly regains his sight. The world at large would be unaffected by this turn of events- everyone else would continue living their lives as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The only difference being that the formally blind man is now able to perceive his reality with much more clarity. Similarly, reaching a higher understanding about your existence does not necessarily change your reality, it simply allows you to navigate it more effectively.

Many of us are operating under the false assumption that, once we awaken to the truth about our existence, all our problems and frustrations will disappear. But the world doesn’t stop coming at you just because you see it more clearly. You will still need to deal with the various inconveniences and adversities of life, no matter what personal epiphanies you come to.

Since changing the world isn’t an option, the best thing you can do is change yourself. Life will invariably present challenges, there’s nothing you can do about that. All you can really do is change the way that you react to those challenges. It’s not that your life suddenly becomes free of difficulties, it’s that you learn how to create a sense of ease inside your being wherever you go. So, let go of the idea that you need to bring the world into harmony and focus instead on maintaining harmony within.