When we try to make change, there are two ways of doing so. One way is to change from within, and the other is from without. When we make change from within, we change the way we do things, the way we look at things: our attitude, beliefs, habits, etc. In other words, we change our mindset.
When we change things from without, we change the environment. That can start with our home, such as the decor, how we organize it, or the community, such as participating in public discourse, or the world we live in, such as when we donate our time or resources to volunteer with charities.
But which is better? Or do we need both?
If we change the world from without without changing ourselves, then we are not focused on our life. Maybe there are some habits we need to change–patterns that are keeping us from succeeding. And if we change ourselves from within without changing the environment, it’s as if we’ve withdrawn from the world–living in our own sanctuary. We might be at peace, but we have no influence in the world.
We can focus on one or the other, or combine both, letting them be a reflection of the values and beliefs we hold. When we do this, we not only improve our life, but become an example of the improvement we would like to see.
Fallton Havenstonne 