Everything you need to know about being fearless you can learn from watching children. They play with each other without ever knowing each other's names. They run, jump, climb, fall down and get right back up again. They hug each other. They speak their minds, however politically incorrect or comical what comes out may be. They grab life by the horns and take it for a ride. Yes, indeed, the children are our future. They are also our greatest teachers.
We have all come across things in the world that we feel should be different, things we would change if only we could. Whatever our opinions may be on gay rights, a woman's right to choose, making laws about our "sugary drink" intake, taxes on alcohol, cigarette bans -- the list goes on and on -- we've all commented on how we think things should be. Many of us, as we become adults, become a growing part of the population that says, "But what difference does one person make?" And so we live by the laws of others and continue to just complain.
One 9-year-old, Martha Payne, has taught her school, her peers and other children around the world (and me!) just how much of a difference one person can make. Dissatisfied with the quality (and quantity) of her school lunches, Martha started a website called Never Seconds and began uploading photos of her school lunches, including stats on the number of mouthfuls, healthiness, cost and, of course, tastiness.
Martha's blog launched big changes in her school's lunch policy -- including unlimited fruit, vegetables, salad and bread. In addition to inspiring changes at her own school, Martha's blog impacted children around the world who have sent in photos and posts about their own school lunches. Similar blogs have popped up from around the globe as well. And when Martha's blog gained huge momentum (as well as a few comments about children around the world who don't have any lunch at all), Martha did something else inspiring: She set up a link on her site so that visitors could make donations to Mary's Meals. (She also donated the money she'd made for allowing a magazine to post her pictures.) There is so much that we can all learn from children.
The truth is that one person can make a difference, especially with all of the technology we have today. With email, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, text messages, etc., our thoughts and ideas have the ability to spread like wildfire. One person can become a movement of many in mere moments. It's time that we all stopped talking about what we would do and started actually taking steps towards being the change that we want to see in the world.
Of course, standing up to make a change isn't easy. Not a single person who has made great changes in our country or around the world has done so without facing criticism and judgment. And yet, I shudder to think where we would be without these courageous revolutionaries. A friend of mine said to me today, "Only the mediocre are never criticized. Those who never do, or who say things can't be done, should get the hell out of the way of the ones who are getting things done." What will you do to make a change in the world?
For more by Kaylee Scottaline, click here.
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