I have a vision for humanity and it starts with me. As Pope Francis said, it’s up to each and every one of us to lead. It’s up to each and every one of us to think about how we want to walk through the world with humility, tenderness, and a respect for the other.

The other day I was in conversation with my friend Matt.

Matt is a healer, a spiritual teacher, a health expert, a convener, a connector, a wanderer, and a world traveler. He’s someone who defies any one description. I love people like that — individuals who choose to live and work outside of the box.

Every so often, Matt shows up at my door (yes, he does) and we get to talking. Our conversations open my mind and enable me to see my purpose in life with more creativity, more clarity, and more conviction. What a gift.

The other day I asked Matt, “Is there anything that connects all of the people you work with? All of the men and the women? The rich and poor? The strong and the weak? ” He said to me, “Yes, there is.”

Whether they realize it or not, he said, everyone the world over asks the same question: “Do I matter?” They want to know, “Does what I do have meaning to others? To myself?” And underneath of that, what they really want to know is, “Am I worthy?”

“If you can come to believe that you’re worthy,” Matt said, “then your entire life shifts.” The key to feeling that way is all in your own mind.

Change your mind about that fundamental belief, and Matt says you can change your world, and the world at large. Wow! I love that because it’s so true and so empowering.

As Pope Francis said this week in his surprise TED Talk (see video below), YOU are the future. You are the key and you hold the key. Think about that! Focus your mind on that concept. Wrap your mind around the power that resides within each and every one of us.

This message gets me so excited because I believe it 100 percent. I’d much rather talk about that than Donald Trump’s first 100 days. Focusing on what grade to give him takes me away from thinking about what I can do to make my world, and the world at large, better.

I have a vision for humanity and it starts with me. As Pope Francis said, it’s up to each and every one of us to lead. It’s up to each and every one of us to think about how we want to walk through the world with humility, tenderness, and a respect for the other. It’s doubly important to do this, he said, if you are in any position of power — perceived or otherwise.

I hope President Trump and all of our elected leaders from every party absorb the Pope’s message and challenge themselves over the next 100 days to walk out into our communities and into our world with the intention of making it better. I hope they think about the values that he spoke about: Caring, Tenderness, Respect, and the Intersection of Power and Humility. I hope they re-read the Parable of the Good Samaritan, as I have done, and think about how it is the story of today’s humanity. I hope they will think about the Pope’s message that none of us are any better than any other of us.

In today’s Sunday Paper, we share with you the voices of a few Architects of Change who are working in their own ways to make the world a better place. As the Pope said, we are all worthy of answering that calling. We are all worthy of challenging what is, imagining what can be, making a difference, moving humanity forward and ultimately, uniting it. We can do that by being the best version of ourselves and sharing that with one another.

Over the next 100 days, I’m going to double down on making the changes I want to see in the world. I believe that we all have the power within us to make this a better world — not just for you, but for everyone whose paths we cross. These are exciting, empowering, and inspiring days. Let’s get moving.

READ MORE ABOUT WHAT I’VE BEEN THINKING

SIGN UP FOR MARIA’S SUNDAY PAPER