The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change
Read The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change Online
Authors: Adam Braun
Advance Praise for
THE PROMISE OF A PENCIL
“For anyone with a big dream to transform the world, this book will show you how to get it done.”
—Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group
“A compelling and singular story filled with universal truths everyone needs to hear.”
—US Senator Cory Booker
“A remarkably inspiring story that shares the essential lessons to creating a life of meaning, passion, and purpose.”
—Deepak Chopra, founder of the Chopra Foundation
“Braun’s lessons are memorable, accessible, and powerful. This is a must-read, and a must-reread, and a must-keep-in-view-on-bookshelf kind of book.”
—Jessica Jackley, cofounder of Kiva
“An honest, compelling look at what it means to take the road less traveled and the rewards you will discover along the way.
The Promise of a Pencil
is a vivid, heartfelt account of the power of education and the ability of one person to impact the world.”
—Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach For America and cofounder and CEO of Teach For All
“Adam Braun is one of the most charismatic, energetic, forward-thinking people in the world today. This book is a perfect step-by-step guide to building the life you’ve always wanted on your own terms. Pay attention to the details and apply them to your passions. Go now! Start reading and don’t put the book down until you’re finished.”
—Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia and bestselling author of
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook
and
Crush It!
“Braun takes you on a mesmerizing round-the-world adventure, while sharing the concrete steps necessary to turn your own ideas into reality. He has his finger on the pulse of what’s next and when he speaks you should be listening.”
—Keith Ferrazzi, #1
New York Times
bestselling author of
Who’s Got Your Back
and
Never Eat Alone
“Adam represents exactly the shift our world needs—one where the brightest minds of our generation focus on addressing the most important problems of our time. The more people read his story, the more this shift will accelerate.”
—Ben Rattray, founder and CEO of Change.org
“Adam nails a truth we live by. The biggest difference between the person who lives their dream and the person who continues to dream is their decision to take the first step—even if the second step is unknown. Honest and entertaining. A great read.”
—Ben Nemtin, #1
New York Times
bestselling author and cocreator of
The Buried Life
“Adam’s story is iconic and riveting.
The Promise of a Pencil
will inspire the next generation of social entrepreneurs and persuade readers to lead lives of purpose.”
—Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org
“Grab a hot chocolate and read this book. No better feeling in the world than being inspired by a blazing story in one hand and a hot cocoa in the other.”
—Nancy Lublin, CEO of DoSomething.org
“Adam Braun has built a wonderful organization that provides education and a solid start to children around the world. His journey captured here should inspire others to similarly follow their hearts and passions in making the world a better place.”
—Lauren Bush, founder of FEED
“
The Promise of a Pencil
is a great read for anyone who has ever felt a restless idea brewing inside but lacked the inspiration or know-how to take the next step. Adam Braun distills the key choices he made on the way to executing an idea in an extremely accessible way.”
—Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of charity: water
“Adam Braun is a leader among an emerging generation of change makers who are proving that every person can be a force for positive change. His inspiring work is truly giving children around the world hope and the opportunity for a better future.”
—Ann Veneman, former executive director of UNICEF
“With relentless optimism and the idealism of a seasoned traveler, Adam Braun tells an incredibly personal story about his journey from student to philanthropist. What’s so extraordinary about Braun’s story is how he built a simple gesture of kindness—one pencil for one child—into a movement that has inspired and influenced a new generation of philanthropists and entrepreneurs. And he’s just getting started.”
—Jared Cohen, bestselling author and director of Google Ideas
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To my two greatest heroes, my mother and father
Don’t ask yourself what the world needs.
Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
—
HOWARD THURMAN
2. Get out of your comfort zone
3. Know that you have a purpose
4. Every pencil holds a promise
5. Do the small things that make others feel big
6. Tourists see, travelers seek
7. Asking for permission is asking for denial
8. Embrace the lightning moments
9. Big dreams start with small, unreasonable acts
10. Practice humility over hubris
11. Speak the language of the person you want to become
13. Happiness is found in celebrating others
15. Focus on one person in every room
16. Read the signs along the path
17. Create separation to build connection
18. Never take no from someone who can’t say yes
19. Stay guided by your values, not your necessities
20. You cannot fake authenticity
21. There is only one chance at a first impression
24. Change your words to change your worth
25. A goal realized is a goal defined
26. Surround yourself with those who make you better
29. If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough
30. Epilogue—Make your life a story worth telling
O
n a sunny autumn afternoon just before my twenty-fifth birthday, I walked into a large bank in my hometown. At the time, I had everything I thought would make me happy—the job, the apartment, the life. My closet was full of impressive corporate clothing, and my business card carried the name of a prestigious company that garnered respect in every room I entered. I looked like a guy on the right path who was most likely walking into the bank to deposit his monthly paycheck.
But deep down inside, I was no longer enamored with the life I’d created. The only purpose I was serving was self-interest. While I rarely showed it to outsiders, my happiness waned day after day. A restless voice kept me up at night, telling me that until I found meaning, the money wouldn’t matter. It told me that I’d find far more fulfillment if I measured my life in purpose, not profits.
And that I didn’t have to keep waiting, that now was the perfect moment to start chasing my biggest dreams.
It’s strange how you can sometimes feel a yearning that seems bigger than your actual body. That’s how I felt that day. I wanted to be a part of something that extended far beyond my two hands and the possessions they could hold. No matter how scared I was of getting off my safe path, I needed to see what would happen if I finally stepped into the uncharted territory where unbridled ambition and opportunity reside.
The scariest part was that I wasn’t some successful businessman who’d built and sold companies. I didn’t have a lengthy career to prove I would succeed. Nor did I have millions of dollars in financial backing. I was just a regular guy with $25 who wanted to prove that regardless of age, status, or location, every person has the capacity to change the world. So I used that small amount to open a new account in hopes of one day building a school. Everything that came after was a result of that first step. That leap of faith rippled outward, spanning cultures and continents.
Since then I’ve immersed myself in the field of global education. I believe that where you start in life should not dictate where you finish. And that no tool can more profoundly unlock a person’s ability to change his or her place in life than access to quality education. The good news is that we have the ability to provide quality education to every child on earth right now. We are not looking for a miracle vaccine or drilling for a hidden resource that may not exist. We have all the tools necessary at this very moment. Yet we still have 57 million children out of school, and millions more who sit in classrooms each day but remain illiterate.
Education is a complex issue, which requires a complex set of solutions. There is no silver-bullet answer to educating the children of the world, but the global education crisis remains the single
most solvable and important human rights issue of our time. The knowledge that it
can
be solved gives me hope and purpose. But no individual can solve the world’s problems alone. A collective effort is required, and we each have a unique role to play.
* * *
This is the story about what happens when you acknowledge that there’s more for you to become, and that you don’t have to have enormous resources to make a difference in the world. It’s a story about what can unfold when inspiration strikes and you realize that the rewards of living a purposeful life are rich and lasting. It’s the story of my life (although I have changed the names of several people at their request), but it’s a story that can belong to anyone.
Each of the thirty chapters in this book is titled with a mantra. These mantras have served as my guideposts as I’ve faced decisions both large and small. They have become my essential truths. I’ve written them with the hope that they will be carried forward, shared with others, and adopted in ways that help you on your own journey as well. Each story stands on its own, but taken together they create a roadmap that I hope will enable you to turn your own dreams into reality.
If one of these stories ignites something within you, listen to that restless feeling that your head may tell you to ignore but your heart will tell you to pursue. The biggest difference between the person who lives his or her dreams and the person who aspires is the decision to convert that first spark of motivation into immediate action. Take the first small step, then chase the footprints you aspire to leave behind. Every person has a revolution beating within his or her chest. I hope that this book helps you find yours.