Have you ever felt that the world is going to hell in a hand basket faster than you can believe? Have you ever looked around and the senseless violence in the world and feel completely helpless? What can one person ever begin to hope to do? I want to share a story with you that started me thinking about this. Do not get discouraged. Stick with me and we will look at the answer as to what we can do.

Above is a picture of a local hamburger chain. It is actually where I started my life of employment. Not this exact location, but same company. The food is not the best. The prices really are not either. What makes this place stand out is that it is open 24 hours. Many people visit after a night on the town to help them sober up or continue the party. The story we are about to share is neither of those.

A young lady had come in with her boyfriend one evening. They sat down and ordered some food. Apparently, the food was not coming as quickly as she had desired. This seems to happen a lot these days. Many places are short on help and the help they have is often not dedicated to the needs of the customer. This lady’s solution was to begin throwing things at the employees. I am not sure if this was packets of sugar or cups and silverware. Not the best move if you are hoping for quicker service. The employees began to throw things back at her. Again, not the best option even if the other party had started it. What did our friend do after that? She went to her car and got a gun. Yes, a gun. She came in and shot one of the employees. Fortunately, she was not well versed in the use of a hand gun and the magazine with the ammo fell out. Next she grabbed another employee, put the gun to their head and pulled the trigger…several times. Again, gratefully the bullets had fallen out of the gun.

When I read this story my mind was blown. This lady attempted to end the lives of two people, and pretty much threw away the rest of hers. Why? Because her greasy hamburger was running late. In what world does this make any sense? It was one meal. You eat three a day. You have almost 1,100 in a year. If one does not go to your liking you kill several people? It wasn’t even a good meal! Not that any meal is worth violence.

When we hear a story like this, we can ask many questions. “What is wrong with people?” “What is wrong with the world?” These are legitimate questions. It may also leave you feeling helpless. One person can’t fix the world. Can they? The answer is both yes and no. No person can wave a magic wand and make the world more kind and compassionate. Still, we have more power than we know. Yes, we can vote for change, but there is so much more we can do on a personal level.

One of the best ways to change the world is to change your little corner of it. What I mean by that is to lead by example. In this case, be kind and understanding when food is running late. Complaining will rarely, if ever, make it come quicker. My mother and I waited 30 minutes for a cup of coffee with our dinner the other day. Realize some things are beyond your control. Be a good example to those around you. Treat others with kindness and compassion. Also, do not get too fixed on the news. This story I read about online. There were many more just like it. Here is the thing you rarely read about – good things. They just don’t sell. Just because they don’t sell does not mean they do not happen. The more you read in the news, the more you will believe the sky is falling. Try reading something motivational every day. Create some balance.

Do not forget your power when it seems the world is falling to pieces. You can change the lives of everyone you come in contact with. Love, gratitude and appreciation can transform more lives than you could possibly imagine. Do not let the media convince you the world is as bad as they make it out to be. Look for examples of the good in humanity and the world. If you don’t find as many as you like, be one.