Comments on: Making a Difference

By: Gabrielle

Gabrielle — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 03:44:48 +0000

This whole journal is so great Swirly! I of course was drawn the the entry “Making a Difference”. Your ripple effect is astounding. I am so blessed to have met you and be a Swirly ambassador. You know your words, and work are everywhere areound me. My office, desk at home, on book shelves, even my little note pad. You ARE and artist! And you change the world with your beautiful gift – YOU.

By: Swirly

Swirly — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 18:35:35 +0000

Wow. I am blown away by everyone’s thoughtful and beautiful comments. I have not checked my site or email much this week with my mom visiting, so to find all of this waiting for me after feeling out of the loop all week is a real treasure. THANK YOU.

By: alex

alex — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 22:58:38 +0000

beautiful photo.

By: Marilyn

Marilyn — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 06:37:19 +0000

Two things came to mind reading this post: 1) we often perform tiny acts of activism every day without realizing or talking about them because they’re actions that have simply become a part of our way of being, and 2) “activism” covers a vast area and having others be inspired by your creativity is no less an act of it than anything else. My boyfriend’s father is a pastor, and my boyfriend STILL gets a lot of parental pressure to someday move back to his hometown to take over his Dad’s church. (Never mind that he doesn’t even GO to church!) I always say that he already HAS a ministry…he touches hearts with music. Touching people through art is indeed an act of activism in these United States in 2005.

By: Enid Yvette

Enid Yvette — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 07:14:00 +0000

I love the phrase you created. Creative activist is a wonderful way to think of yourself. I always struggle my ownself with my lack of activism. I’ve been struggling with how to incorporate it into my work, etc. In my 20′s, I felt more passionate about so many causes. In my 30′s, I just feel jaded and unsure. Your passage has made realize that I’ve had ideas how to break out of this funk.I just have to follow my inner voice. And I can be an active artist.

By: Holly

Holly — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 18:39:01 +0000

Wow! I was really touched by this-I had to read it twice. In the grand scheme of things art joins people in many interesting and profound ways. It is one of the things I love about being in this really great career, calling or industry-however one wants to call it. Well done Christine. And lovely quote.

By: liz elayne

liz elayne — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 09:58:45 +0000

Thank you for this post Swirly. I love when people begin to “own” the good that they are doing, the gifts that they give others. And as you own this, others will follow your lead. And I agree that we can make a difference, one person at a time, one dream at a time. (and I love your story – one tatoo at a time!)

By: kelly

kelly — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 06:25:15 +0000

the way you think makes me happy.
how true how true.

By: maria

maria — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 05:42:06 +0000

This wonderful post makes me want to share a quick story …
I was always into this idea of ‘making a difference’ through some major altruistic life work. I dreamed of being someone as selfless and giving as Mother Teresa. I knew I wasn’t doing THAT in my corporate work (… though a good friend pointed out that corporations are really the ‘hospitals’ of today; where people are getting sick), so I left and became a life coach … to help other people realize their dreams.
During a training call led by Thomas Leonard (who is considered by many to be the ‘father’ of coaching), Thomas said, ‘If I hear one more person say they want to make a difference, I’m going to puke!’ He went on to say that all any of us had to do was find what we loved to do, and DO it, and THAT’s how we would each make a difference in the world … not by thinking that we had to go out and ‘save’ the world, or pour all of ourselves into a cause, but by simply doing what we loved and were passionate about. That’s how we would be the pebble in the pond.
I must say, that statement (which totally shocked me and almost insulted me at the time), totally shifted my perspective of how one makes a difference in the world … and you definitely do, Swirly. Rock on.

By: teahouseblossom

teahouseblossom — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 21:56:08 +0000

Yeah, I’m sure that the impact you have on the world is greater than you can comprehend. Keep up the good work! We all have our own little piece to do.