I use a service called Sitemeter (see the little colorful square down to the left) to help me track statistics on my blog.  It’s a handy little service, and lets me know how many folks have visited, how long they stayed, and what the referring site was that brought them to my site.

Hands-down, the most common way new visitors find my site is from a search on the terms "making a difference" or "making a difference quotes".  Depending on the day, I’d say up to 1/2 of my visitors come from the results of this type of search.

I think this is really interesting, and relates to some of my central beliefs about people: that we are all looking for how to make a difference, a desire to have some positive impact on the world; and that we all have the capacity to do so.  How we each define "making a difference" will vary, but my sense is that in a world that can feel isolated, confusing and scattered, this drive to make positive impact is central and needs nourishing.

In writing here, I try to express some of my thoughts on what making a difference means to me, and hope to inspire others to clarify and take action on their own projects to impact positive change.

So, what does "making a difference" mean to you?
How do you act on it in your daily life?

As we start into the last month of the calendar year, we often are looking both forward and backward: towards the end of the year, the possibilities in a new year, and what’s to come, while at the same time glancing back at what’s been done, accomplished, or left on the side of the road. […]