If you’re reading this post right now, it’s probably because you read Monday’s article and decided to stick around to see what comes next. First of all, I’d like to say thank you all very much for taking the time to read what I know was a very long post. Secondly, I really appreciate all the comments and emails . . . hearing your thoughts on this stuff helps me learn more every day.
Since there have been tens of thousands of new visitors and nearly a thousand new subscribers in the last few days, I wanted to take a quick break from the regular writing routine and help you folks get up to speed. I know that many of you are just sticking around for one or two more posts, and if they’re not like the previous one, you’ll be on your way. And that is totally fine with me. In fact, I’m going to save you the trouble of waiting around if you don’t really want to be here. I’ll use the space below to outline the three main things I do on this site, and hopefully that’ll be enough information to decide whether you want to hang out with me for a while, or keep on cruisin’. I can tell you that everything I write is from the heart, 100% original, and free of charge. I make no money from this site — I do what I do because I believe in it.
I. What I Write About
Stories about people making a positive impact
My favorite thing to do is write about regular people with cool stories to share. Some stories I find on my own, others are recommended to me by readers or friends on Twitter. I’ll correspond with these folks via email or give them a call, and then I’ll share their story with my readers. Here are a few examples of what you can expect: Living For Others: Kenny Kramm | The Heart of a Soldier: Michelle Johnson | Paying It Forward: Jan Carroll
Lessons learned from my life experiences
I learn so much as I interact with all these people who are doing amazing things, and I also try to come away from my everyday experiences with valuable lessons to share. Like this: It’s Not About Getting What You Want | Be Remarkable (It’s Not That Hard) | 12 Simple Ways To Impress Your Boss (And Everyone Else) | I’m Not Your Mama Or Your Daddy (Guest post by Mike Summers) | 5 Things You Shouldn’t Be Afraid Of
Resources that help us think about things that really matter
When I come across a site or some other resource that has the potential to bring a lot of value to people, I’ll share it with the group: Spreading Ideas: TED | A Glimpse Into the Soul: PostSecret | Is There A Wrong Way To Do Good Things?
II. What I’m Building
The blog you’re reading right now is just Phase I of the site. Phase II is going to be an interactive tool for you to use. The idea for this site came about because I wanted to build a web platform that would help people make a positive impact in the lives of others. When I finish building the platform, ItStartsWith.Us will allow people to do two things: 1) Figure out what they’re good at and what they’re passionate about, and 2) enable them to connect with people who need the kind of help they can offer.
I’m just beginning work on this piece, so I don’t have anything to show right now, but you can learn a little bit more about the idea in the second half of this post.
III. A Secret
[update] The idea I originally discussed in this space has now been implemented. You can learn more about what we do and how to join us here.
