Have you ever had an idea swirling around in your mind for a really long time? This happened to me recently. I am not sure what took me so long to move forward with it. Could have been procrastination, or maybe the idea needed a little longer to marinate. (The latter actually makes me feel a bit better!)
Like many ideas in life, they just need a bit of a nudge to become reality. My encouragement came in the form of a young man from Iowa by the name of Carson King. He held up a Venmo sign at a football game as a joke, and less than a month later, he donated $3 million to the Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City. Way to go, Carson!
I love this story for so many reasons. What really struck me was the way that ordinary people joined forces to do something extraordinary. Helping sick kids was the main focus of this incredible act of generosity, and the fact that it happened in Iowa ices a pretty amazing cake.
I applaud grass roots movements where people ban together to help others. After seeing this story unfold, I knew it was time to take my idea out of the crock pot and put it on the front burner. I had been mulling the idea of “Mari Made It Happen” for some time, and Carson King gave me that extra motivation to launch.
The main message of my book, “Mari” is to face the bully to follow your dreams. Truth be told, sometimes following dreams costs money. I wanted to create a movement where I would donate part of the proceeds from book sales to help people who were helping people. It might be donating to a school to purchase a “bully bench,” or it could be partnering with organizations helping those who don’t have enough hope to dream again just yet. The possibilities are endless, and I look forward to connecting with some fantastic individuals who are actively in the trenches with their sleeves rolled up. They are not just talking about the problems this world faces, they are doing something about them.
I have found that many want to help, but they simply don’t know where to begin. That is where Mari comes in! Each month I will select an organization who is committed to helping others follow their dreams. It is an amazing feeling to partner with some fantastic humans who are sacrificing their time and resources to help others and make a difference in the world around them. Just like Carson, however, I cannot do it alone.
Will you join this movement? To do so, you would simply purchase my book. If you’ve already done that, then thank you! If you want to continue to help, then you can share this message with others. Getting the word out is incredibly important! We see such great needs in our world, and this is one small act that can help make a big difference. One act of kindness creates a spark, and when joined with others, it can turn into a blaze. Who knows, maybe we will end up donating millions just like Carson did. I believe in miracles. After all, I have seen flying “worms.” Most people call them butterflies!