What Do I Want to Do to Make a Difference in the World? Start Here.
What Do I Want to Do to Make a Difference in the World?
For a long time, Jordan thought making a difference meant doing something big.
Start a nonprofit. Write a bestselling book. Launch a movement.
He’d scroll through social media and see people traveling to build schools in remote villages, raising millions for causes, or going viral with messages of hope and activism.
And though he admired them, a quiet voice in the back of his mind whispered:
“What about me? What difference can I make?”
Searching for Purpose in the Ordinary
The question followed him through college, through early jobs, and even into a few entrepreneurial ventures. Nothing felt big enough to matter.
Until one day, standing in line for coffee, he struck up a conversation with a young man behind him who looked stressed and overwhelmed. They chatted casually. Jordan listened more than he spoke.
As they parted, the man smiled and said,
“I really needed that. Thanks for seeing me today.”
That was the moment everything shifted.
The Power of Presence
Jordan realized that making a difference doesn’t require a global platform.
It starts with presence.
With listening.
With choosing to care when it would be easier to look away.
He didn’t need a foundation or millions of followers. He needed intention.
So he changed his approach.
He started mentoring a younger colleague who reminded him of his younger self.
He volunteered for a local program helping teens build entrepreneurial skills.
He began writing blog posts not for clicks—but for connection.
And the more he gave, the more meaning he found.
Legacy Isn’t Built All at Once
One afternoon, while journaling, he wrote a single question at the top of the page:
“What do I want to do to make a difference in the world?”
He stared at it for a while.
Then wrote:
Be fully present with people.
Use my skills to lift others.
Leave every person or place better than I found them.
Create things that make people think, feel, and grow.
Build a life that’s rooted in kindness, not applause.
That was it.
Not flashy. Not world-shaking.
But real. Tangible. Life-changing—for someone.
Make Your Kind of Difference
If you’ve ever felt like your purpose had to be huge to be worthwhile, Jordan’s story is proof that your impact doesn’t have to be massive—it just has to be yours.
Ask yourself:
Who needs your presence today?
What are you already good at that could help someone else?
What would it look like to start small, but start now?
Because the world doesn’t need another superhero.
It needs you—awake, aware, and willing.
