Can one person make any difference in the whole scheme of things? Consider...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect
If you studied the above link it details how a small event such as the single flap of a butterfly's wings can initiate a chain of events leading to a massive hurricane. Is any one person not more than a butterfly? The better question may be stated as; "Do you or any single person have at least as much potential as the single flap of a butterfly's wings?" The answer has been evident from the very moment any of the rest of the world started to become aware of your very conception. Then and thereby you began to change the world forever in many ways - most of which you will never know.
One begins the true journey of Self-realization by first recognizing there is forever more unknown than known about anything at any time. This stands true even following a sense of having reached Nirvana, the proof of which stands as the ineffability of such an experience which is usually fleeting in and of itself even if long lasting, life changing impressions remain. If this seems a bit depressing... to actually realize any lifelong goal of obtaining ultimate knowledge is truly hopeless, the human mind is nevertheless wired to continue towards the distant horizon of "I know that" even if it does rapidly become "I knew that".
Consider, "I only know that I know nothing", which is a statement attributed to Socrates who is a founder of Western philosophy and regarded as one of the wisest of men who ever lived on this planet. This is in no way implying that Eastern philosophy or proponents thereof carry any less merit in the overall scheme of things but only that describing an ultimate goal or even reaching such a goal remains a very long way from actually "owning it" so to speak. In the absence of any direct access to something akin to the akashic record, however, let us assume that perhaps Socrates got this one right even if (or perhaps because) it is plainly a paradox.
A pyramid that is built from the top down usually describes a scheme that is predestined to fail. A pyramid which is designed to grow and last is built using a very broad and strong base whereby the broader the base, the higher the apex. Conversely, a newborn child perceives itself as the center of the universe, the the focus of all things, at the apex of the ultimate collection of conceptual pyramids. It is the task of each of us "children" along with the help of our family, friends, teachers and spiritual leaders to continually build the bases/basis by which we can grow.
One can have freedom of choice, but not freedom from the ultimate consequences of a wrong choice, and yet we generally persist in ignoring the lessons handed down to us by previous generations. Each generation is evidently determined to test whether we are now immune to such consequences. There is much to be said for karma to give a well deserved nod to those on the Eastern Philosophy side, even though the ancient Egyptian concept of Ma'at possibly predates most of such similar concepts having originated within the Spirituality of mankind's earliest civilizations.
Herein we'll start with some of the non-spiritual basics of cause and effect and follow up with a video regarding where all this knowledge that mankind somehow does manage to collectively retain is apparently leading us. It is now worth noting that some ancient mystics and modern physicists seem to be thinking alike in that while "all is illusion" is an ancient concept, we now have The Holographic Universe as a new way to view things... "highlighting parallels between ancient mysticism and quantum mechanics. Whew! Yet on the other hand it is good to remember that you can stub your toe smartly on that illusion of a rock.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causality
At this link some nice folks, each at the apex of their particular professional pyramid give us their glimpse/prognostication of how to prepare for the good times yet to come. I found the introduction quite moving, making the actual panel discussion rather anticlimactic in spite of its apparent potential.
