Can we change the world by changing ourselves? 
I think it is a great deed to do charitable work and help others. Going out into the world and making a difference can be an honorable thing to do. It is also important to look at the reasons why you are giving. I believe it was Anthony De Mello in his book Awareness that said that most people are giving for self-satisfaction. What does that mean to give for yourself? We need to be seen as a good person; trying to get the acceptance of others, needing to create community or trying to even up Karma, etc. could be a few reason we might give for our own satisfaction.
I think even if it has a touch of self-serving, it is still nice to participate in charitable events. It is just a good idea to check in with yourself to see why you are giving and see if you can shift it if it is self serving.
The biggest way we change the world is through being self-aware. If you are not working on becoming more awakened, you will project your woundedness all over the people you are working with in the organization and the people you are helping. I have been a part of a couple of organizations that were for peace and awakening, with people volunteering there that were often triggered and acting out.
When we act out of our triggers onto other people, it makes them feel crummy as well as us and it spreads negative energy throughout the group. It is very critical that we do our inner work so that we don’t take our junk and projected onto others.
The most basic part of waking up is being able to not blame the outside world, and not project our feelings outside of us in an unhealthy way. It’s important to contain the reaction to the trigger and go to a deeper place and look at what is going on in us.
If we were all looking to become more awake and not project, imagine what the world would look like. It would be a beautiful place to be with many open hearts.
In all of my retreats, the individual intensive, the couples retreat, or the mother-daughter retreat, you will learn about yourself and how to clean up your past so you can move through this life with love and passion.
