It’s Easier Now Than Ever to Make a Difference

Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of shifting from being a consumer to a producer to make a meaningful impact in today's world, where distractions are abundant and the means to create and share are more accessible than ever.

Abstract

The author reflects on the societal trend towards consumption and the plethora of entertainment options that occupy our time. They argue that while entertainment isn't inherently bad, overindulgence can lead to a lack of productivity and personal growth. The article advocates for becoming a creator, suggesting that by producing content, individuals can contribute positively to society. The author shares their personal transformation through writing, which has led to a sense of purpose and the ability to influence others. They highlight that with the right discipline and the abundance of resources available, anyone can overcome the distractions of modern life and achieve their goals, thereby lowering the bar for making a difference.

Opinions

The author believes that society is conditioned to be consumers rather than producers, which can hinder personal impact and productivity.
There is a critique of the disparity between producers (the rich) and consumers (the poor), with producers leveraging tools to occupy consumers' time.
The author values productivity over passive entertainment, viewing the latter as a potential waste of life if it becomes the focus of one's existence.
Writing is presented as a transformative activity that has allowed the author to switch from being a consumer to a creator, leading to a more fulfilling life.
The article suggests that the ease of spreading messages, access to information, and relative peace of our time provide an unprecedented opportunity for individuals to make a difference.
The author respects those who create for the sake of art rather than fame or money, emphasizing the importance of discipline in nurturing one's skills and achieving goals.
The "bar" for making an impact is described as lower than ever due to the availability of resources, but few people possess the necessary discipline to take advantage of these opportunities.

The bar has never been lower

Today is one of those days where I left my thoughts to go deep. It’s why I enjoy writing because it helps me to think clearly. Most of what I write starts from random thoughts that I allow to go deeper. And today, I would share one of those thoughts with you.

The more time passes, the more I see how there’s a general conditioning for people to become consumers and just sit back and do nothing. There are lots of tools in the form of entertainment that take hours away from us.

Each day that passes, we see more of them. It’s the classic saying of the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. To make this clear, the rich are the producers, so they keep producing things that keep the consumers’ time occupied. On medium, for example, there are the writers and the readers — the writers get huge returns from their $5 investments monthly and the readers get to keep reading. Apply this to every other industry and see the pattern.

I’m not saying blowing off some steam with entertainment is terrible, but if your life revolves around entertainment, you will struggle. I remember how I used to be okay with just sitting down watching movies from morning till night — then I started writing, and it was like a rebirth for me.

I started to obsess about productivity. If I stay too long watching TV or playing Video games, it would feel like I’m wasting my life. So, to kill the guilt, I wrote more — I moved from being a consumer to a creator — I switched sides.

Now, after almost every article I write, I get people reaching out to me with one form of commendation or the other — My favorite remains when people back those commendations with jobs, though.

All these wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t choose to produce articles every day. The funny thing is, I just started writing content for Medium not too long ago, but I’m already using my words to impact the next person’s life.

There are lots of things that can hold you back from making a difference. But when we can see that we are here to help, nothing would hold us back anymore.

I think at every point in history; there has been something holding people back from making a difference in their generation. For some people, it might have been that they didn’t have the means to reach out to people, while to some others, it would have been that they didn’t have a supportive society that allowed them to express their voices for some; wars and other unforeseen circumstances.

Today, our biggest challenge is distractions. There are millions of things that are fighting for your focus. Is it social media? The new business model that can bring in thousands of dollars every day? Gadgets? The pursuit of some faux happiness that we see on social media?

Many things keep us away from what we can render the next person, which makes us remain as mere mortals that would be forgotten when this our existence is over.

This is the first generation in history with the tools to spread messages easily. There is a reasonable amount of peace, and there’s easy access to information to strengthen your stance, but still, many people have not yet been able to unlock their mission.

Some people who seem to be doing something similar to a mission are just chasing fame or trying to sell something. These people are missing the point because it’s not about us, but rather, the people’s lives we are here to impact.

I respect the ‘starving artists” because of their will just to keep creating without any focus on money. These days, when I think about where I’ll be in 5–10–15years, all I see is myself doing is writing. I don’t know where I’ll be, but I know what I’ll be doing because I see this thing that started from me writing down my thoughts to my way of impacting the next person and the person next to the next person.

There are thousands of excuses you can give on why you shouldn’t nurture your skill, but one thing remains certain, which is, we’re in an easier time. A time that a significant skill you need is discipline. Once you can discipline yourself to focus on what you’re meant to do, you would keep getting bigger.

I get excited about seeing people create art because it’s their way of contributing to the world.

The bar is lower today because not everyone is ready to get out of their comfort zone to nurture their skills and achieve their goals every day. We have the resources; there’s are no more limitations. Now you are sure with the right dedication; you can become anything.

Even with all these, there are just a few people who can cross that bar because not many people have the discipline.