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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The Promise of a Pencil summary
Adam Braun
How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change
18 mins
What is The Promise of a Pencil about?
This book tells the inspiring story of Adam Braun and Pencils of Promise, a charity he founded on just $25, and which has built more than 500 schools in developing countries all over the world. The book is divided into simple lessons that show how everybody can find their passion, make the best use of their potential and live a life full of meaning, joy and inspiration.
Table of Contents
The Promise of a Pencil
summarized in 11 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 11
Follow your dreams, even if they seem unreachable or if people tell you not to.
How often have you wondered how different your life would be if, instead of choosing the safe path, you were courageous and decisive enough to take certain risks?
Well, what exactly is stopping you?
Firstly, the dreams you wish to pursue will often contradict the expectations society has of you, which might discourage you from following them.
But, since this is your life at stake, why should you care about the opinions of others?
Consider Adam Braun, who, in 2008, founded the charity Pencils of Promise. When he began, his goal was to raise enough money to fund the building of a school in a Laotian village, but his family tried to convince him to focus on his career instead.
Although Adam's family considered his dream a waste of time, believing that he couldn't possible raise the $10,000 required, Adam ignored their criticisms. Instead, he ploughed ahead in pursuit of his goal, and, within a matter of months, he'd achieved it.
Secondly, we are often discouraged from following our dreams because they appear unattainable at first. But ask yourself this: Will I ever stand a chance of realizing my dreams if I don't even try?
By 2013, for example, Pencils of Promise had grown so fast that they were breaking ground in Ghana for their 100th school. When Adam started the organization, no one – not even Adam himself – had believed they'd achieve such overwhelming success.
However, by believing in and committing to their idea, Adam and his team transformed an apparently unreachable goal into a concrete reality.
It's crucial that we allow ourselves to dream more often, and – even more importantly – to not delay the work required to turn our dreams into reality. So take your life into your own hands, and start living your dream today!
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Who should read The Promise of a Pencil?
- Anyone with a dream that they’re afraid to pursue
- Anyone who wants to contribute to making the world a better place
- Anyone who wants to make the most of their lives and fulfill their true potential
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