Change the World?

I was invited to speak at a meeting because people heard about the work I am doing to change the world.

I think all of us wanted to change the world at some stage. But then we try and then realise how difficult it is and maybe eventually give up. But why is it so hard to do good work? How can it be so hard to make the world a better place?

Well I discovered that I’ve been trying to change the wrong thing...

So I am currently doing a Masters in Water Management in Germany, Vietnam and Jordan. I have just come back from Vietnam, where I was working with a volunteer group for 6 months.

Typical work that we did was clean up trash, listen to old people and speak to children.

One day we visited an orphanage to teach about healthy eating. After the talk we handed out bananas and other fruit as gifts. We then altogether cleaned trash. After we cleaned trash, I see another group of volunteers handing out cheap sweets and chips…So I went to talk to them. I suggested that next time they should bring healthy food, not cheap artificial stuff. I said that we should do what’s best for the children, not what’s best for our wallets. They said that they don’t appreciate me telling them what to do and they are also just trying to do good. It makes them feel good to be able to give each child a sweet.

Let’s look at that. Both of us were trying to do good, but we had different approaches. Each of us was doing what made us feel better. But no-one was considering the children.

Afterwards, I spoke with the manager who said that what they really needed, was books.

You see I was trying to change the world to how I perceive it to be better. But that is not better for other people. The world is too complex for my idea of a better world to be the only one. What I actually need to do is ask the world what it needs and offer my resources selflessly.

So that is what I have been doing. I offer my time and resources to anyone who needs it and I am finding that the world is changing rapidly indeed.

Himkaar Singh