Last week I was talking to Marcus Mead, an assistant principal in my local school district of Traverse City, Michigan. Mr. Mead has a unique habit of asking middle school students if they believe one person can make a difference. Interestingly enough, they all say yes. He follows up this innocuous question with a tougher one, “You are one person! What have you done today to make a difference?” The answers usually start with, “Ummm, ahhhh,” and end with, “Nothing” or “I don’t know.”  Mr. Mead believes that if every child did one thing a day to make the world (a.k.a. the school) a better place, it would change the entire culture of the school… and he is right!

So, the question is, why don’t we do something, anything or a lot of things?  Perhaps we just don’t believe that we (little old me) can make a difference. Perhaps we just don’t know what to do.

http://onemillionlovelyletters.com/ Watch the video, read the letters and check out the book

One Million Lovely Letters: Jodi Bickley was depressed, alone and suicidal. At her lowest point, she realized that for her, the only way out was to help others. And that is what she did. She started a website called One Million Lovely Letters.com.  Jodi posted, ‘If you’re having a bad day or a bad week or a bad life and you need a little bit of reassurance or a little bit of love, I can do that. And if you just email me, I’ll send you a lovely handwritten pick-me-up that you can keep in your pocket.'” Within a half hour, she received over 50 emails. So…she began writing. She receives about 30 emails a day and writes about 30 letters a day. To date, she has written over 3,000 lovely letters to complete strangers from all over the world. She says that she will continue writing until she is simply unable. She gets donations for postage (it’s expensive to send letter half way around the world) and many have volunteered to help write these lovely letters.

She says that most people in this world just want to know that they matter.  People need a reminder that they are truly amazing and that they are not alone in the world. Sometimes all we need is a kind word or a hug. She hand-writes every letter and crafts each to the individual. “I write what I would write to my best friend on their worst day,”  and adds “It’s not about being a wordsmith or highly educated, it’s just about being a nice person.”

Author’s Perspective: Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones. With one simple idea, Jodi has changed the world for the better. In return, Jodi has given herself something to look forward to in her own life. She now has meaning and purpose and she knows that she matters. Her hope is to somehow find a way to turn her writing into a profession. She has even turned these letters into a book that you and I can purchase and give to someone who is feeling down.  Sounds like a win-win-win.

Your Turn: Please place your comments below, (2) like and share our Facebook page (character development & leadership) or (3) tweet to @CDandLeadership using #Kindness)

Keeping in mind that the best ideas are the simplest, what one, two or three things can you do to make the world a better place today!

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