Too often people feel that because they can only do a little that they should do nothing. Ironically enough, the truth is that if everyone in the world just committed to doing a little, the world would actually be a LOT better place. Why? Because a little becomes a lot when it is a united effort.
I recently sat down and thought about how I could pay it forward and make a
positive impact in someone else's life. Despite the fact that I am currently incarcerated and that I have limited resources, I figured that with enough creativity and support, I could come up with a way of engaging in a productive and impactful effort of some kind. After discussing the idea with some
other inmates, a group of us decided to do a fundraiser to collect hygiene products and donate
them to a charitable organization call All Worthy of Love, which is a justice focused non-profit that reaches out to men and women enslaved by street-prostitution.
I know that our fundraiser may seem like a menial effort to some, but
it is really a selfless, earnest, and admirable act from men who are in various
precarious positions who just want to spark something good in the world. This our way of helping an organization that works diligently to fight against human trafficking. A deodorant or a bar of soap can mean the world to someone on the street who doesn't have one and we understand that. I commend all of the men at the Gus Harrison Correctional Facility in Adrian, MI who have embraced the opportunity to make a difference in a stranger's life. The
mere fact that each man participating is willing to put aside his own personal
agenda and consider someone else's needs....to offer a helping hand instead of
just reaching out a hand for help....means that the ability to be a positive
force still exist within each of them. It means that the innate goodwill in their heart hasn't been stamped out by life's
disappointments. Instead, it has preserved...it has survived.
If you're reading this blog post then you are probably already familiar with my
story. I am an 32-year-old inmate convicted to life without parole at the age of 17 for a crime that I didn't
commit. For the last 15 years, I have been painstakingly working to help prove
my innocence. Many people would say that I have the right to be angry....the
right to be jaded....the right to be cynical and uncaring because of my circumstances and the way the justice system has failed me. But I beg to differ. Bitterness is a choice that I have decided to reject.
I actually have more empathy for other people's pain, more compassion for
other's hardships, and more hope because of the love that my supporters continue
to show me. As a result, I feel it is my obligation to make an earnest effort
to do something good in the world because
my efforts have the potential to create a ripple effect of goodwill that can
positively impact someone else's life forever.
I am not writing this to boast about how good I am. I'm not perfect by any means. I am just a man striving each day to be a better person. So I am writing this piece to inspire everyone
reading it to take a look at your world around you. Maybe you don't have a lot
to give, but everybody has a little something to share. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "be
the change that you want to see in the world." You have the power to make the
world a better place and there's no better time to start then the present. So
get up today and do something good!
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