“I am only one, but still I am one, I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.”
–Helen Keller
How many of us are so overwhelmed by our problems, and the problems of the world, that we think we are powerless to do anything about them? How many of us too often conclude that one person cannot make a difference? Probably far too many of us are guilty of such thinking.
Helen Keller, who at the age of 19 months became deaf, blind and mute, was an extremely unlikely candidate to make much of a difference in this world. Yet despite the overwhelming odds against her, she became an extremely successful author and lecturer, who inspired millions and changed the way the world viewed handicapped people. If Helen Keller, who started out at such a great disadvantage, could make such a big difference in the world, can any of us credibly argue that we cannot make any difference?
We do not have to make a big difference, and certainly we cannot do everything. But each and every one of us can do something. We can be good parents, neighbors and friends. We can smile and be pleasant to those around us. We can lend a helping hand to those less fortunate than us. And we can help to spread kindness and cheer. Many people have always done such things. It is simply a part of their nature.
Instead of focusing on how bad the world is, perhaps we should consider how bad it might be if nobody was working to make it a better place. In the words of Bertrand Russell, “The more we realize our minuteness and our impotence in the face of cosmic forces, the more astonishing becomes what human beings have achieved.”
Like the individual raindrops that make a gigantic flood, or the individual sand grains that make up the world’s vast deserts, we as individuals, by making small contributions toward the betterment of society, can collectively make a massive difference. We must never forget this fact. If we are tempted to discontinue our small efforts at improving the world we live in, let us ask ourselves what would happen if all individuals in the world simultaneously decided to discontinue their efforts. Some individuals are called upon to do more in life than others. But none of us is exempt from the responsibility to do our small part. We all have talents of some kind, even though we may sometimes fail to recognize them. Don’t we have an obligation to use whatever talents we were given in an effort to make this a better world?
According to an old Ethiopian proverb, “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.” If all of us who are not doing our share would join those who are already using their talents to make a better world, the difference might be even greater than any of us can imagine.
Think about it.
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Copyright 2025
Allen W. Smith
