Start Something Today

Freedom Writers Foundation

This site is about people, just ordinary ones like you and I, who do extraordinary things. Some start businesses, some start a charity, some just help people but one of the best examples is a lady called Erin Gruwell. Ten years ago (roughly) she was appointed as a new teacher with a class of what appeared to be hopeless write-offs in the Longbeach area of California. Her passion for teaching and getting the best out of this class became a story that has been published in books, made into a film and is now a growing world-wide movement. It is called the Freedom Writers Foundation and is just about the perfect example of someone doing what this site is all about – Start Something Today. She did and many children and youngsters have been the major beneficiaries. I applaud her and support her work – go and take a look too. Buy the film – if you aren’t touched at a very deep level I’d be astonished. If you fancy it you can make a small donation to the Freedom Writers Foundation – it would help many people.

http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/site/c.kqIXL2PFJtH/b.5183373/k.DD8B/FWF_Home.htm

Random Acts of Kindness

On this mornings weekly team call we talked about the concept of  ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ and I used the examples of the Freedom Writers from Long Beach and the film Pay It forward.

In the Freedom Writer’s film Erin Gruwell,  a newly qualified teacher, takes on a class of ‘no-hoper’s and in the course of 2 years begins a movement, the freedom writers Foundation, that is definitely changing the world they live in and the world much further away – This film is in my top 10 and is a must watch.

In the other film, Kevin Spacey, challenges his class to come up with an idea that will change the world. One student suggests that if they get the Chinese population to jump up and down at the same time that it would knock the world off its axis. While the star of the film, Haley Joel Osment,  comes up with a concept where he would do something that would help 3 people (it was something they couldn’t do for themselves) and then hope that they in turn would pay it forward.

My challenge for the next few weeks is to exercise the idea of Random Acts of Kindness – do something for someone that is of no benefit to you but makes someone smile, helps them values them, inspires them.

It needn’t be large, often the small things are best, but see what you can come up with and post your experiences on the site.

Go on – make someone smile today!