The title of this blog post is the first half of my all time favourite quote by John F. Kennedy: One person can make a difference and everyone should try. It holds both a truth and a promise.
These people made a difference
What do they have in common?
All of the above people have in common that they NEVER EVER gave up on their dream.
Be that a dream of love, flying, equal rights or wanting to understand the mysteries of this world. They forever held on to their powerful dreams. In their minds, hearts and souls.
Sometimes through 27 long years in prison, or by crossing a blue atlantic ocean. Others again risked their lives by speaking up and standing up.
Never take ‘No’ or ‘Not possible’ for an answer
Just now I received an email from AVAAZ – The World in Action. I have at times supported campaigns organised by AVAAZ:
- against the killing of whales and saving the oceans
- or against a possible US bill to limit our internet freedom
- and of course against slavery, killing, natural disasters and more.
Supporting the campaigns is easy as all you have to do is sign an online petition.
Too easy? Maybe so.
But I also know, I cannot fight every single cause on my own.
There are too many.
And that’s where AVAAZ and numbers come in.
Numbers and volumes make a difference
As I am typing these words, AVAAZ has over 14 million members world wide. People who speak up when needed and who care about freedom. Freedom for each individual to live a free and safe life, caring about this planet. I am grateful for organisations like AVAAZ who make me aware of some of the atrocities happening on this planet. The power of our current communication tools allow for larger masses of people to take action.
Why should we take action?
I’m back at square one here. Back to JFK.
Back to the fact that I support his quote and that yes: everyone CAN make a difference. And everyone SHOULD try. If many “everyones” try, CHANGE WILL happen.
I am most certain of that.
Not overnight and not always the easy way, but change will happen.
Our world is in quite a transition.
One single vote won’t make a difference, but millions of voters will. And each wave of change starts with one single individual that wakes up one day and decides to pursue a dream or that enough is enough.
Change itself is a funny thing: every twenty years you have a new heart
Most people don’t know but every cell in your body (and as such, every group of bodies or country full of bodies…), renews itself every 365 days whether we want to or not!
- Our eye cells renew itself in just 48 hours.
- Our livers in just under 6 weeks.
- The 9,000 (!) taste buds in our tongue renew itself every 10-14 days.
- Our heart apparently also renews itself though this seems to take a little more time: every 20 years according to new research.
Change is part of our every day life. It is happening inside your body as you read this.
The sad thing is: our brain does not change.
Read and check out the research.
But our brain does not regenerate
Some brain cells die.
Some stay.
But little to no renewal.
That’s why we need dreams.
And that’s why we need those single individuals who pursue their dreams.
So they can be our wake-up call to shake & stir our sleepy grey matter into action!
What is your dream?
Me?
I wish to achieve that more organisations apply true project leadership to project management. That business allow for more use and recognition of intuition, emotional intelligence, team work and leadership from the heart. I hope that one day all we do is about heartcore leadership & results: good for you, me and our shared ecosystem.
