Mr. Weiss raun, Adam (2014-03-18). The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change (Kindle Locations 2977-2978). Scribner

Mr. Weiss

Braun, Adam (2014-03-18). The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create raun, Adam (2014-03-18). The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change (Kindle Locations 2977-2978). Scribner. Kindle Edition.Extraordinary Change (Kindle Locations 2977-2978). Scribner. Kindle Edition.

““Don’t ask yourself what the Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have world needs is people who have come alive.” come alive.”

Mr. Weiss


““The biggest difference between The biggest difference between the person who lives their dream the person who lives their dream and the person who continues to and the person who continues to dream is their decision to take dream is their decision to take the first step— even if the the first step— even if the second step is unknown. Honest second step is unknown. Honest and entertaining.” and entertaining.”

Mr. Weiss


““For years I had struggled with intense feelings of guilt. I For years I had struggled with intense feelings of guilt. I was born into the lottery of life with a winning ticket— a was born into the lottery of life with a winning ticket— a loving family, great education, good health. But what loving family, great education, good health. But what had I done to deserve any of it? Why was I born into had I done to deserve any of it? Why was I born into those blessings when so many others were born into those blessings when so many others were born into suffering? Why was I born into a booming city when suffering? Why was I born into a booming city when others are born into villages without electricity or water others are born into villages without electricity or water in war-torn nations? I was reluctant to admit it, but I felt in war-torn nations? I was reluctant to admit it, but I felt that I owed something to those who were less fortunate, that I owed something to those who were less fortunate, because in my mind I had never done anything to earn because in my mind I had never done anything to earn the good fortune I enjoyed.”the good fortune I enjoyed.”

Mr. Weiss


““As I traveled on twelve-hour overnight buses As I traveled on twelve-hour overnight buses through Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, through Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and several other countries Argentina, Chile, and several other countries during the next three months of backpacking, the during the next three months of backpacking, the pencils I handed to children allowed me to ask pencils I handed to children allowed me to ask their parents what they would want most in the their parents what they would want most in the world if they could have anything as well. Though I world if they could have anything as well. Though I expected to hear “less corrupt government,” “new expected to hear “less corrupt government,” “new roads,” or “a better job,” I was met with the same roads,” or “a better job,” I was met with the same answer nearly every time: “An education for my answer nearly every time: “An education for my child.” It was the same dream Joel had doggedly child.” It was the same dream Joel had doggedly pursued and the same one Apu had before him.”pursued and the same one Apu had before him.”

Mr. Weiss


““At certain moments in your life you just At certain moments in your life you just know that everything after will change. You know that everything after will change. You can ignore these moments by not acting on can ignore these moments by not acting on the new set of possibilities they enable, and the new set of possibilities they enable, and your life will stay the same. But if you say your life will stay the same. But if you say yes to their reverberating potential, your life yes to their reverberating potential, your life path alters permanently. This was one of path alters permanently. This was one of those unique moments that was about to those unique moments that was about to change everything. I could feel it in my change everything. I could feel it in my bones.”bones.”

Mr. Weiss


““We each bear responsibility to We each bear responsibility to prove ourselves day in and day out prove ourselves day in and day out and have no one to blame but and have no one to blame but ourselves for the outcome.”ourselves for the outcome.”

Mr. Weiss


““We exist because of the sacrifices of We exist because of the sacrifices of those who came before us, but how those who came before us, but how often can we make them feel the full often can we make them feel the full value of their impact? Through this one value of their impact? Through this one school, I was now connected more school, I was now connected more deeply to my grandmother than ever deeply to my grandmother than ever before. It was only by focusing on before. It was only by focusing on creating joy in her life that I discovered creating joy in her life that I discovered the greatest feelings of happiness in the greatest feelings of happiness in my own.”my own.”

Grandmother Grandmother was a Holocaust was a Holocaust Survivor.Survivor.

Mr. Weiss


““How many times have I missed an How many times have I missed an incredible connection that could incredible connection that could have been made because I had my have been made because I had my face in my phone instead of paying face in my phone instead of paying attention to those around me?”attention to those around me?”

Mr. Weiss


““I personally learned that failure is a I personally learned that failure is a necessary step toward achievement. necessary step toward achievement. In fact, it often accelerates it.”In fact, it often accelerates it.”

Mr. Weiss


““You have to find a mantra and live it fully. The one I’d You have to find a mantra and live it fully. The one I’d adopt right now if I were you is something I found on the adopt right now if I were you is something I found on the inside of a friend’s journal last year: ‘You may be safe, inside of a friend’s journal last year: ‘You may be safe, but I am free.’ Take advantage of the freedom that but I am free.’ Take advantage of the freedom that comes with your youth. Inhale life, exhale fire, and comes with your youth. Inhale life, exhale fire, and embrace the late, sleepless nights, because that’s when embrace the late, sleepless nights, because that’s when the magic happens— when everyone else is asleep and the magic happens— when everyone else is asleep and you’re awake thinking about the world as it is, and the you’re awake thinking about the world as it is, and the world as it could be. Make the most of those moments,” world as it could be. Make the most of those moments,” I said forcefully. “And in the coming years people will tell I said forcefully. “And in the coming years people will tell you that you’re too young to change the world. I’m here you that you’re too young to change the world. I’m here to tell you, that’s fucking bullshit.”to tell you, that’s fucking bullshit.”

Mr. Weiss


““Well, Adam, what you are describing— Well, Adam, what you are describing— what you have experienced— is what you have experienced— is something that sages have sought for something that sages have sought for thousands of years. It is what the Dalai thousands of years. It is what the Dalai Lama teaches. What you are describing Lama teaches. What you are describing is the state of bliss. Bliss does not come is the state of bliss. Bliss does not come from materials or possessions, it comes from materials or possessions, it comes from fulfilling one’s purpose in this from fulfilling one’s purpose in this existence.”existence.”

Mr. Weiss


““Certain people help you see a future that you Certain people help you see a future that you could never have envisioned without their could never have envisioned without their influence. They make you a better version of influence. They make you a better version of yourself. As the African proverb states, “If you yourself. As the African proverb states, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” It’s the presence of others far, go together.” It’s the presence of others who are smarter, kinder, wiser, and different who are smarter, kinder, wiser, and different from you that enables you to evolve. Those from you that enables you to evolve. Those are the people to surround yourself with at all are the people to surround yourself with at all times.”times.”

Mr. Weiss


“…“…while many perceive youth as a weakness, it’s actually an incredible while many perceive youth as a weakness, it’s actually an incredible strength. The single most powerful element of youth is that you don’t strength. The single most powerful element of youth is that you don’t have the life experiences to know what can’t be done. While others have the life experiences to know what can’t be done. While others highlight the value of wisdom, wisdom also remembers that achieving highlight the value of wisdom, wisdom also remembers that achieving certain things was hard, if not impossible. Young people don’t carry that certain things was hard, if not impossible. Young people don’t carry that burden. They’re too naive to realize what can’t be accomplished, and in burden. They’re too naive to realize what can’t be accomplished, and in that fact lies their willingness to try. Martin Luther King Jr. was just that fact lies their willingness to try. Martin Luther King Jr. was just twenty-six when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Steve Jobs twenty-six when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Steve Jobs created Apple when he was twenty-one, Bill Gates founded Microsoft at created Apple when he was twenty-one, Bill Gates founded Microsoft at twenty, and Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook when he was only twenty, and Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook when he was only nineteen. The most prominent voice in global education is seventeen-nineteen. The most prominent voice in global education is seventeen-year-old Malala Yousafzai, who against all odds survived being shot in year-old Malala Yousafzai, who against all odds survived being shot in the head while on her way to school, and who still stands every day as a the head while on her way to school, and who still stands every day as a powerful voice for change in defiance of Taliban oppression. For any powerful voice for change in defiance of Taliban oppression. For any young person reading this book, my message is clear. Never let anyone young person reading this book, my message is clear. Never let anyone tell you that your dream is impossible. No matter how big or small, you tell you that your dream is impossible. No matter how big or small, you can make it real.”can make it real.”

Mr. Weiss


““The key is to think big and then The key is to think big and then take small, incremental steps take small, incremental steps forward day by day…….forward day by day……. But you But you can’t keep saying, “I’ll get started can’t keep saying, “I’ll get started tomorrow.” The world has far too tomorrow.” The world has far too many problems, and you are way many problems, and you are way too smart and capable not to help too smart and capable not to help tackle them. Your time is now.”tackle them. Your time is now.”

Mr. Weiss


““I’ll tell them that the most direct route to happiness I’ll tell them that the most direct route to happiness is through creating joy for someone else, and that is through creating joy for someone else, and that change doesn’t happen through hard work alone. It change doesn’t happen through hard work alone. It requires strength of imagination. It relies on that requires strength of imagination. It relies on that ability we each possess to suspend belief in the ability we each possess to suspend belief in the restraints of today to enable the possibilities of restraints of today to enable the possibilities of tomorrow. Most of all, I’ll remind them each tomorrow. Most of all, I’ll remind them each morning that we make a choice to bring positivity or morning that we make a choice to bring positivity or negativity into the world, and that within every negativity into the world, and that within every single person there lies an extraordinary story single person there lies an extraordinary story waiting to unfold.”waiting to unfold.”

Documents

Mr. Weiss raun, Adam (2014-03-18). The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change (Kindle Locations 2977-2978). Scribner