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Can We Change the World?
May 26, 2004
Welcome to Change Your
World!
Hello. My name is
Courtney Huntington, and I am the founder of Change Your World.
Is change really
possible? Can we really change the world we live in? There are many
ways to answer these questions. I believe that change really is
possible. I believe that massive change is possible. Why? I've
seen it in my own life. I've seen massive changes taking place in my world, and so I believe that
you can see it in yours. As I've been developing change in my life, the
positive changes have gained momentum, and I believe they will continue
to gain more and more momentum.
The level of change that
I have experienced so far isn't enough, however. I'm not satisfied with
it, and I wouldn't be satisfied with it for you, either. I want more
for me and for you. I want more for you than I have gained for myself,
and I want more for you than you want for yourself. How do I know we
can have more? Great men and women throughout history have had
more. They grew to be more fulfilled and fulfilling. They had more
themselves and they gave more to others.
Today, I want to tell you
about just one man who believed we really can change our world. And he
is a shining example of what is possible. W. Clement Stone was born on
May 4, 1902. By age 20 he had his own insurance agency. He grew that
agency into his own company, Combined Insurance. From 1958 until his
death in 2002, he gave over $275 million to charity through his private
foundation. He was a firm believer in maintaining a positive attitude
and acting in faith.
In his book, Napoleon Hill's Keys to Positive Thinking,
Michael J. Ritt, who worked with W. Clement Stone for over 50 years,
records this extended quote from Stone:
I
felt my blessings were
so far beyond what any individual deserved or could have ever expected.
I know I could give prayers of thanks, as I do. But I also felt I
could help to do the Lord's work on earth by sharing those blessings
with those less fortunate.
There
are many of us who
give thanks through prayers in the morning, at night, or during grace.
What would happen if more of us, instead of merely praying, would act,
sharing our blessings we have received, be it our experience,
knowledge, ideals, or part of our wealth?
All
I want to do is
change the world. That's all. Can it be done? It is being done. (pp.
150–1)
We all have blessings we
can share with others. What's stopping us? Perhaps it is fear. Perhaps
it is a feeling of worthlessness. "Why would someone else need my
help?" we might ask sometimes. There's only one way to find out: Ask.
You have gifts that were given to you so that you can share them. If
you look for opportunities to share them—to help others—you will find
opportunities, and as you do, you'll find that you're changing the
world. Can we change the world? Yes! It is being done.
With many blessings and
wishes for successful positive change,
Courtney Huntington
Founder
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