I would like to change the world. I would like to see less violence involving guns. I would like to see more wild and rural land reclaimed from developed areas. I would like to see more tolerance and listening and compassion. I would like to see more curiosity and play and wonder and less capitalism, competition, and greed. I am never going to be an “expert” at anything, and I don’t want to market myself or make disciples. How can I make an impact?
“Integrity,” Steve says. Know your vision and live it. Don’t be afraid to do something and don’t be too busy to do nothing.
I can imagine myself being afraid to do something because I don’t have enough information, or I haven’t figured out exactly what the “right” thing to do is. I will never know the perfect solution, but I don’t have to settle for inaction. I can imagine jumping on some band wagon and stumping away at a project because others are encouraging me, without thinking critically or allowing time for observation to inform me. I can imagine myself feeling obligated or slipping into habit and just going on and on. I don’t want to do any of that. I really want to live out of a peaceful center, spontaneously responding with integrity to the issues that I face. And I want to be able to accept the fact that I may not be noticed…and that I may.
I am a visual person, too. I like examples, illustrations. Who lives like this? Gandhi. Thich Nhat Hahn. Pete Seeger. Anyone else? You tell me.
scillagrace 
All any of us can do is try to make active choices rather than reactive ones keeping personal integrity… I agree with Steve this is wise council.. Trust what your instinct tells you.. not your learned reponses but your gut instinct… Hugs X
“Active” not “reactive” choices…yes! Our society makes this difficult, pushing propaganda and sensationalism in our faces through the media all the time. A century ago, writers were left alone in the woods to listen to their inner voices….Thoreau, Emerson, Whitman, etc. All the “news” sources these days may work against developing that kind of integrity. Or maybe I just need to be more disciplined about how I read.
and of course that should have been counsel not council which is something quite different ! and yes society manipulates us or those that “run it” do