Change the World

When I was a young man,
I wanted to change the world.
I found it was difficult to change the world,
so I tried to change my nation.
When I found I couldn't change my nation,
I began to focus on my town.
I couldn't change the town, and as an older man,
I tried to change my family.
Now as an old man, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself,
I could have made an impact on my family.
My family and I could have made an impact on our town.
Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.
- Unknown Monk, A.D. 1100