When you look at the world today, what do you see? You might see houses, schools, hospitals, shopping centers, and businesses. You may picture people like Justin Bieber and Jennifer Lawrence. You might even see the earth for what it is: 7 continents separated by vast oceans that contain millions of species of organisms. What do I see? I see fighting, hatred, and animosity. I picture a world that can’t comply with rules, groups that can’t agree to disagree, and people who don’t understand compromise. Now, imagine what this world would be like if we all decided to love a little more: ourselves, one another, even our enemies. What do you picture?

I’m not talking about telling more people that you love them or giving out more hugs (though that could be influential), but actually acting with love. There are so many times throughout our daily routines that we go through the motions without thinking about others, or we act out of spite after someone has wronged us. If we all could decide in each of our hearts to start loving our own species more, then this world could be drastically different. But, it is up to us.

Acting out of love might simply mean holding the door for the person behind you, no matter what this person means to you. Showing compassion means that when your friend or coworker is having a bad day, you let them know how great they are and try to build them up with encouragement. Love means caring by paying for the person’s meal behind you in the McDonald’s drive thru. Loving others means saying thank you and showing appreciation. These are just little things that can go a long way.

Instead of seeking revenge when you get stabbed in the back by a friend, forgive him or her out of love and move on in life. Instead of fighting to get your way, find a happy medium. Instead of constantly putting others down to make yourself feel better, try building them up, and your satisfaction will be significantly greater. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a new car you don’t need, give it to an orphanage in Haiti.

If we all started to think with love, speak with love, and act with love, I can’t even begin to imagine how drastically different every day could be. It seems so simple, but learning to love is the hard part. Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world." If we decide each and every day to devote ourselves to seeking love, then it might just change the world.