i could change the world t-shirt

While I was leading a recent workshop about the importance of finding and sharing your inner sparks – the passions, talents or interests that light you up from the inside out – a woman (we’ll call her Linda) approached me during our lunch break, eyes glued to the carpet.

“I’ve figured out my spark is cooking,” she said quietly. “But I heard you say we can change the world one spark at a time. How can I change the world if all I’m doing is making dinner?”

Awesome question! 

I asked Linda to tell me how she feels when she’s cooking. She said her stress melts away in the kitchen; she feels relaxed, happier, in control. No surprise there; this is true for almost anyone who’s deeply engaged in something they love.

world peace must develop from inner peace - the dalai lama

When we find that thing that lights us up from the inside out, we experience an inner peace that softens the edges of our struggles and casts a glow on our life’s path. You may not even realize how that spark illuminates the best parts of you. But the people around you will.

When I mentioned this to Linda, she looked surprised, saying, “Yes! Actually, my daughter just told me the other day that on the nights I cook dinner, I’m a lot more fun to be around!”

I’d like to live in a world where everyone were more fun to be around. I’d like to live in a world where everyone leverages their sparks to serve others (like Linda regularly and joyfully cooks for family and friends). In a world like that, cooperation and joy would be the norm, not the exception. And every time someone like Linda discovers her role in that vision, we get a little bit closer to changing the world.