Individuals Making a Difference.

Social media has made people think that they must do something extraordinary and on a grand scale to mean something in the world, not that they can lead a fulfilled life by making a small difference in their own communities. Fulfillment is often found when contributing beyond oneself, and we all have the capability to give. All that’s needed to make Better Progress are individuals having the courage or being inspired to participate in a unique, and often small, way.

Several examples have been reported on of late:

• Take Laura Moser who like many other women has jumped into the ring to participate in politics after last year’s Presidential election. Not only is she now running for a seat in Congress, she also started the program Daily Action, which sends a text with a single daily action people can take to engage with political leaders in their area. Read more on Vogue.
• Maria Shriver started a conversation series called Architects of Change to inspire us all to recognize that we can have an impact and contribute to our communities and society. She features individuals who are making positive change. Her website and newsletter is also a trove of encouragement for us to believe we can do it.
• This year Starbucks created a media series called Upstanders that tells a story in each episode of people doing good in America. The coverage is the creation of EVP Rajiv Chandrasekaran in partnership with Founder Howard Schultz. They are focused on telling the stories of “ordinary people doing extraordinary things to create positive change in their communities.”
• LeBron James and his wife, Savannah, continue to support and invest in their home town, Akron, Ohio. This Vogue article features how both are actively involved in their community to help others find their own success. For example, The LeBron James Family Foundationhas a program focused on increasing high school graduation rates. Mrs. James started “Akron: Women of Our Future” to provide mentoring and support to young women at her high school alma mater. They’re even working on launching a new public elementary school for at-risk students.

There are many more local heroes, especially in the wake of recent tragedies, that are worthy of mention and should be championed. May we quietly or publicly honor them all for demonstrating how we can move forward in a positive way.