Had to share this
Got this nugget of inspiration from the amazing Barbara J. Winter in my inbox last night. Shows we don’t need any special magic powers to make a difference in this world:
Another source of inspiring stories is the highly under-acclaimed CBS SUNDAY MORNING. … Last Sunday introduced me to a young man I can’t get off my mind. After Hurricane Katrina struck, City Park in New Orleans was left in shambles and abandoned by the city. This bothered 13-year-old Jack McShane who decided something needed to be done. So every Saturday Jack and his crew of Mow-Rons tackle the 1300 acres with their push mowers. Interviewer Steve Hartman said to Jack, “Aren’t adults supposed to take care of this?”
“Yes,” said Jack, “but nobody was so I had to.” The Mow-Rons motto is Weeding by Example. “Our original motto was, ‘The Mow-Rons are in the park. The idiots are in city hall,'” Jack says. “But we thought that was inappropriate.”
Jack has also actively recruited the other mowing volunteers. His father says Jack didn’t get his passion for community service from him, but that he’s learned about the importance of volunteering from his son.
So there’s that old formula for success again: find a need and fill it. Not waiting for somebody else to give directions or permission is at the heart of every authentic entrepreneurial undertaking. It never fails to inspire me.