Difference makers are highly calculated, intentional, ever-evolving, selfless souls, committed to the art that is difference making.
“Difference makers are highly calculated & intentional.
It takes time, study, effort, energy, consistency, & discipline to make a difference.
The opportunity costs of selflessness aren’t cheap, either.
But I can promise you making a difference is worth the price.”
-Ray Zingler on X
You don’t (consistently) make a difference on accident.
You don’t just put your teacher, coach, or mentor hat on and start changing lives by default.
Making a difference is relentlessly hard work.
And the main reason it’s so tough is because it requires selflessness. Heaping volumes of it, too.
And when you recognize we are organisms who are hardwired to be selfish, you can see that to make a difference, you first must overcome yourself.
And well, many just aren’t willing to do that today.
So, they can wear their teacher or coach hat all day long, for years, but still never make a real difference.
This is the trap that many fall into by thinking that difference making comes by way of happenstance.
“I’m doing the valuable job! I’m making a difference!”
No, you aren’t.
Not unless you’re being highly intentional about it.
Not unless you’re highly self-aware of the responsibility and skill that is required to make a difference.
Not unless you’re actively evolving.
Not unless you’re putting immense time, effort, energy & study into building and cultivating relationships so that you can be a rock of a resource in the lives of others.
Not unless you’re actively practicing listening to others and working to better resonate with their feelings.
Not unless you’re becoming a more empathetic soul who can offer timely wise counsel.
Not unless you truly give a shit. I mean truly give a shit.
“You got this bud!” ain’t it.
The recycled, “overcome adversity” spiels that grown folks repeat year after year isn’t making a difference.
It’s beating a dead horse.
It’s cheap is what it is.
And cheap never makes a difference.
I’ll explain why:
When you factor in the opportunity costs of making a difference, they add up. Quickly.
Selflessness isn’t cheap.
Remember, when you say yes to something (in this case consistent selflessness) you’re saying no to everything else that could be taking place during this time.
And when you dedicate your life to truly making a difference, there are a lot of no’s to you and yes’s to them.
That’s the way it works.
I don’t know it all, but I do know the costs of making a difference are damn worth it.
Selflessness >.
