Day 34: Your average Joe

What does it take to make an impact in the world?  In the past, I may have thought that the only way would be to become the leader of a large company, or to make lots of money, or perhaps become the president.  Be someone with lots of power, making lots of money, with a well-known name.  Which seems impossible, and so my dreams would become less than super-sized, scaled down.

But over and over, as I research for this blog, the people that are inspiring are people like me.  No millions, no significant power or over-inflated egos.  Just your average Joe or Jane.  But they have the vision to see what gifts or interests they have, and are able to see how those gifts can be used to fill a need in the world.  Rodney Watkins developing a program to rescue bikes from the dump in order to give them to kids in need.  Brent Green improving the life of his Los Angeles neighborhood by planting trees.  Evans Wadongo bringing solar light to villages in Africa.  

Another fantastic example of this is John Thompson.  He is a diving instructor and former soldier, who wanted to offer something to wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  And what developed was a program named SUDS, Soldier Undertaking Disabled Scuba.  "The program is designed to help improve the lives of injured veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  By training the warriors in a challenging & rewarding activity it can help facilitate the rehabilitation process & promote mobility.  Offering this venue provides the soldier with a sport they can enjoy throughout their life." SUDS mission statement.

Doing what you love, where you are at, may just be the key to making a positive impact in the world.  

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