Mahatma Gandhi. Madonna. Mother Teresa. Elvis Presley. Nelson Mandela. The Wright Brothers. Benjamin Franklin. Alexander Flemming. Isaac Newton. Socrates. Fidel Castro. Mark Twain. Albert Einstein. Princess Diana. Coco Chanel. Michael Jackson. Steve Jobbs. Walt Disney. Alexander Graham Bell. Oprah Winfrey…
These are a few of the famous people who have left their mark on the world. They are an embodiment of a deep rooted desire of the human condition; to leave a mark on this world before we fade away into oblivion. Even though we aspire to be like these world figures, many of us are intimidated by their strength, courage and creativity which seem like an anomaly of the universe. A glitch. Normal people like us don’t have the strength and integrity they posses, we think. But look closer and you will find someone just like you under all the fame and glitter.
Coco Chanel, the founder of a multi-million dollar fashion label, had her beginnings in utter destitution, later becoming the pawn of several thoughtless men. After being forced to single handedly look after her family after the death of her mother. Madonna was only 19 when she boarded a bus to New York with only $35 in her pocket; a bus ride that kick-started her career of empowering women through music. There is another thing these people have in common; they beat the odds. They kept trying and fighting through all possible forms of resistance.
Gandhi kept preaching non-violence through the blood and the pain. Steve Jobs was a college drop out when he founded ‘Apple’ in a garage. Later, when kicked out of his own company, he went on to create ‘Pixar’, the world famous animation studio.
Community service is about changing people’s lives for the better. This is exactly what these people did. They were ordinary people who made their mark on the world by making their mark on other people’s lives by changing the way they think and live. Alexander Flemming wasn’t thinking of being a joint reciever of the Nobel Prize for Medicine when he was working tirelessly in his laboratory and discovered penicillin, the miracle drug which has saved millions of lives. Nelson Mandela wasn’t aiming to be a world renowned statesman when he fought for the end of apartheid in South Africa. They simply wanted to make someone’s life better.
You can make your mark on the world too, one person at a time.
To find out how STITCH is helping to improve our future, or to find out how you can dedicate yourself to make your mark on the world, please visit our website at www.stitchmovement.com |
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