Charlie’s only 7. But the Haitian earthquake deeply affected him and he wanted to do something. So he decided he would ride his bike around his local park and ask people to donate for each lap, with the hope of raising £500, the equivalent of about $761, for UNICEF. So far Charlie, and the publicity he’s gotten for caring and acting, has raised £209,584.69, which translates to $319,000! You can check out his webpage here. That’s the power of one person doing the hard thing and deciding to make a difference.
In Start Here, which I reviewed two weeks ago, the Harris brothers say this: “Many people . . . fail to understand a basic principle of life: changing something in your life requires changing something in your life.” In other words, do something! I fear sometimes I fall into the category of people Les describes as those who believe that saying you will do something is as good as doing it. I have a good idea, but often get distracted before I ever act on it. And that changes nothing.
Tom Henderson is another person who knows one person can make a difference. After watching a tragedy unfold a decade ago, he brought an idea for a disaster kit to his local Rotary Club. ShelterBox has been active in Haiti since the earthquake, providing boxes containing a 10-person tent, cooking supplies, blankets and even crayons. You can read the TIME magazine article or watch the video. Or visit the ShelterBox website to learn more or donate.
What hard thing have you thought of that now you need to actually start doing? One person does have the power to make a difference—and it can be YOU!
P.S. Congrats to Jacque Fessenden, the winner of the free copy of Start Here.