You can read books on how to make a difference. You have probably heard teachers, pastors, and speakers exhorting their listeners to "make a difference."

The fact is that everybody is already making a difference every day. The key question is, What kind of difference is each of us making?

To make a difference means affecting another person, group, or situation. It is nearly impossible to remain neutral as you journey through each day. Paying attention to others, giving them the respect they deserve, and politely serving them makes a positive difference.

In contract, neglecting, criticizing, and belittling others, whether intentionally or not, produces a negative difference.

The key is to pay attention to the kind of differences you are making. As my friend and motorcycle-riding buddy Jim Cathcart says, "To know more, notice more."

You shouldn't be asking, "Did I make a difference today?" Of course you did! You undoubtedly affected somebody, maybe slightly, maybe significantly.

The most important question to ask yourself is, What kind of difference did I make?