Have you ever felt like you wanted to make a lasting impact? Have you spent nights worrying about your purpose in life? Do you worry about leaving behind a legacy?
If so, this blog post is for you!
We can get so caught up in the future and trying to figure out how to make a larger impact that we often overlook the impact that we currently have.
I love Jordan Lee Dooley’s perspective on this. After reading her book, Own Your Everyday. I walked away with a powerful realization. We can live out our purpose regardless of the job we have, because our purpose is not tied to our career.
Mind blowing right?! The world is constantly telling us that our self-worth and purpose in life comes from our career..while truthfully we have the ability to live out our purpose throughout every season in life.
During one season, maybe you are a teacher. In your next season, maybe you’ll be a stay at home Mom.
In each of those seasons, you are still living out your purpose because your purpose resides in you.
You are the one that approaches your teaching career with a gentle and loving spirit. You are the one that stays at home and takes care of your children while still embodying that loving spirit.
As you run an online store, you are still living out your purpose by sharing your products/message with the world and showing others that same loving spirit.
Your career is not your entire message to the world-YOU are!
However, sometimes we can still feel stuck and unfulfilled, especially when we are doing a job that doesn’t align with our morals or is just entirely toxic/draining.
This is why I’m sharing these 4 ways to make a difference right where you are because sometimes we need something extra in our lives to help us feel rejuvenated and realigned.
1. Start a side hustle that you are passionate about
Being stuck in a job that you are not passionate about can leave you feeling drained and unmotivated. One great way to reach out and help others is by starting a side hustle that you feel passionate about.
If you’ve always enjoyed photography, start a photography business. If you love making homemade items on your Cricut, start selling those.
Find something that does not require a lot of overhead and start creating. It’s amazing how life giving this can be.
You can always pair your business to support causes that you feel strongly about as well. You can consider giving a portion of proceeds to charity or you can use your business as a vessel to share about topics that you feel strongly about.
Either way, putting your products and message out into the world will help make a difference right where you are.
2.Sponsor a child through Compassion International
You already make a huge difference in the lives of the people around you, but maybe you are looking to do more. Compassion International is a Christian charity that makes a difference by investing in the lives of children in poverty.
By sponsoring through Compassion International, you make a direct difference in the life of one child and family by providing monthly support through money and letters.
For less than the amount of money that I typically spend eating out per month, I have been able to support a family by helping them pay rent and purchase food.
As Mother Teresa once said “if you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”
3. Invite people over for dinner
I think we underestimate the power of a home cooked meal and a warm, inviting host. Hospitality can be so beneficial for everyone involved. You don’t need a large, fancy house to host people either. A small apartment or outdoor space will work just fine.
Getting friends or family together to have dinner is a great way to socialize, share food, and make a difference right where you are.
Invite friends over for a weeknight meal, share a charcuterie board with family or try going out of your way to invite someone new. You never know how much of a difference this can make in someones’ life (especially your own).
4. Foster animals
Fostering gives many animals a second chance as they await their forever home and depending on which animals you agree to foster-, you don’t need a huge amount of space to help.
You can choose to foster cats, kittens or even small animals. Most foster programs even provide you with the materials that you need to get started, you just supply your love for animals and your time.
When the time comes, you get to watch that animal become part of a loving family knowing that you helped make that possible.
I hope these ideas sparked your interest and reminded you of the small ways you can make a difference right where you are. I also want you to remember that what you are doing is already enough and you do not need to compare yourself to other people.
Do the things that bring you joy and remember that you are already making a huge impact, just by being you.