Can I Make a Difference?

I ask myself this question a lot. Can I make a difference? So many times I've heard "one person can make a difference." But I never think that the "one person" can be me. How can it be? I've never done something truly amazing like start an organization that feeds the homeless or given an inspiring speech that's uplifted so many or changed the world for the greater good of mankind.
I just want to share a story. This story is about one person who made a difference to me, and I'm pretty sure she never knew it. We've all had those hard times in our lives where things aren't going right and life seems so unfair. Where we feel lost and confused and like there's no hope. Those times are hard. It was my sophomore year in high school and I was going through a lot with school and friends and life in general. I stopped going to church, even though I knew that's where I should be. I felt unimportant. But then one of my leaders reached out to me. She talked to me every time I went and looked genuinely happy that I was there. She invited me to parties and activities and when I talked to her I felt like I was important, that she truly did care about what I was saying. For me, she was a role model of what I wanted to be. Her family wasn't perfect, but she seemed to always find the good in situations. Her perseverance and positive attitude were great examples to me. Because she cared enough to reach out to me, my life is different. She made a difference to me.
I just want to tell you (and myself, really) that you CAN make a difference. You can make a difference to one person. Or millions. You can show people by your example how they can be happy. You can uplift someone with your smile. There was a quote on a magnet that my mom got for me. It said, "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." You have the power to influence people's lives for good or for better, all in how you live your life. I want to try to be like this leader of mine, to uplift others everywhere I go and to brighten their days. I want to be a positive influence. And who knows, your positive influence could lead to another person's decision to change.
"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."