Be the Change [Guest Blogpost]

The following is a guest blogpost by my good friend, Zac Bean.

Now that I’m 27, I’ve realized a few things; first, I am not as young as I once was. That sounds cliché which it is but it rings true. I am sure I don’t have to tell everyone the difference between a night out drinking when you are 21 and when you are 27. The difference is in the morning after, but that is not why I am writing this time. 

The second thing I realized is that I have had a great hand given to me. I have great parents who loved me and gave me every opportunity to succeed and chase after whatever my dreams and desires are.

The third thing I realized is that because of that, there’s so much more I could do in order to give back and help make a difference someone else’s life.

I pondered this for a while and I knew I wanted to do something I was passionate about and what would make the biggest difference. I may be a little bit of a dreamer but I believe that stuff like this causes a snowball effect: one good deed will cause another and so on.

While there are so many great causes out there, it does not mean everyone is perfect for every person. Luckily I have a good friend who has been part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for a few years. I thought it was a good avenue for me to pursue because first I really like kids and I knew it would be something that I would enjoy. Secondly as people always say kids are our future, and in a world that seems so cynical at time and all you hear about is the bad things going on I think doing a little good can make a major change.

As Gandhi once said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This is one of the most powerful things I have heard. We all want this world to be a better place for us and families in the future but a lot of people do not do anything to change. Myself included.

I am not sitting here standing on a soapbox preaching. There are a lot of things I wish were different, but have made no attempt to change.

This is where my story of change starts. It is easier to change yourself (whether it’s your career, your health, your relationships, etc.); but to help change the world, it may seem like a drop in a bucket and for the longest time that is how I looked at it. How much of a difference can I make? That is what I thought and I still do not know the answer. Maybe it is because I have gotten older and more mature (depending on who you ask), but you have to start somewhere so why not here and why not now? I also thought I do not have to change the world, but if I can change one person’s life (See also: A Note on Treatment of Others and a Little on the Meaning of Life), and in turn he or she helps changes another person’s life. All of a sudden, change becomes a lot more realistic.

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I have recently gone through the process to become a Big Brother and while I am excited and nervous all at the same time I figure why not write about it as well. When I first started with this idea, I had some reservations about how I would do and if I would any good at being a Big Brother. I also did not know what to expect and to be quite honest, I still don’t. I figure I will write about it and let people the good things, the hard things, and the things I did not expect to come from it.

In the end, I feel I will gain as much, if not more, from this situation than I give back. I hope if one things comes from this, that I help someone become a better person or revive their belief that the world is a great place with endless possibilities. Hope is what leads to change.