A wise person once told me that this date is the most assertive day of the year. That’s because it commands us to March Forth!  So let us consider how we can March Forth to change the world.

I think we can. It’s just that our impact is usually small, and often impossible to measure.  But we can, and we do, change the world with every day of our lives.  I have noticed that the smaller the group is, the larger my impact. At a restaurant table with four people, one person might dominate the conversation, thus changing the experience for the other three, and not in a good way.  By the same token, one person can skillfully facilitate interaction at that table that gets everyone involved. 

Consider the relationships that you encounter every day.  At my house, it’s just me and Mrs. Dawg.  We affect each other. A lot.  The good news of this is that I can produce change in her by changing myself.  The bad news is that I can’t control exactly how or when she will change. But I know from experience that when I change, the relationship changes. So she changes also.

The same is true at the office, where I encounter a larger, but still finite group of people. 

I’m sure that teachers see this principle play out every day.  Obviously the teacher has an effect on every student in the classroom. But every student in the classroom also has an effect on every other student in the classroom. And on the teacher. We change each other.

With every step we take, every decision we make, every word we speak, we have our impact on the world.  So let us March Forth on March Fourth to take positive steps, make good decisions, and offer words of support and encouragement to each other.  Let’s change the world. 

DAWG BONE: YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.  YOU DO CHANGE THE WORLD.

Got a question or comment for the Dawg?  Let me hear from you at jwalsh@wabsa.com.