Making a difference
“Words cannot describe the sense of spiritual awareness that we receive when we
have given something, no matter how small, to another person.”
Basic Text p. 100
Sometimes it seems as though there is so much wrong with the world that we might
as well forget trying to make a difference. “After all,” we think, “what in the world
can I do? I’m just one person.” Whether our concerns are so broad that we desire
global peace or so personal that we simply want recovery made available to every
addict who wants it, the task seems overwhelming. “So much work to do, so little
time,” we sigh, sometimes wondering how we’ll ever do any good.
Amazingly enough, the smallest contributions can make the biggest difference. To
gain more from life than an ordinary, plodding existence requires very little effort on
our parts. We ourselves are transformed by the deep satisfaction we experience
when we lift the spirits of just one person. When we smile at someone who is
frowning, when we let someone in front of us on the freeway, when we call a
newcomer just to say we care, we enter the realm of the extraordinary.
Want to change the world? Start with the addict sitting next to you tonight, and then
imagine your act of kindness multiplied. One person at a time, each one of us makes
a difference.
Just for today: An act of kindness costs me nothing, but is priceless to the recipient.
I will be kind to someone today.