Many who know me know that my health has gone through a significant challenge. At my lowest point, I was unsure if I would ever be active again, would ever be able to reach my dreams and goals, would even be able to continue working and supporting myself. At this low and dark time in my life, our country was also seeing a surge in youth school shootings and violence. In my personal life and in society, I saw an illness creeping in, and felt very helpless. But I still wanted to make a difference, to change all of that. I still wanted to leave a legacy, but was at a loss of how to do that if I could barely work, after years of chronic pain and fatigue. How would I ever have the energy and ability to make a difference in this world? Unsure if I'd ever recover from my illness, I started to do a lot of meditation and contemplating -- asking myself "If this is what my life is now, what do I still have in me to offer this world?"
The answer came so clearly, that it has become my life mission. You don't need a healthy body to be kind. You don't need a job. You don't need a nice house or a nice car or a degree or . . . anything. Kindness is the most basic thing anyone can do in any circumstance at any time. But kindness can also change the world. Kindness can be a legacy in itself. It is the most powerful force we have, but too few people notice this or know how to connect with that power they have. Legacy Builders is the result of two years of trying to put shape to this idea I had. My goal is to initiate a movement in the Reston, Va., schools to help our future generations build legacies of kindness. Maybe our futures can be less violent. Maybe our youth can feel empowered by kindness instead of violence. Join me in helping to make this vision a reality.
