Do you think that one person can change the world? Can you change the world? After you read the inspirational book, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, I challenge you to discover what you can do, in a small way, to make the world a better place!

In Pakistan, tea is an important way to communicate. With the first cup of tea, we are strangers, with the second cup of tea, we are friends but with the third cup of tea, we become family. Greg and his Pakistan village became family which makes us understand why he has devoted his life to helping to build schools.

In February, Lily and I met an ordinary American man who has become extraordinary by promoting peace through education in Pakistan. While attempting to climb the second highest mountain range in the world, K2 (on the border of China and Pakistan), he got lost from his group and ended up in the poor remote village of Korphe. The villagers nursed him to health and showed him great kindness. Although Greg felt he had failed in not reaching the K2 summit, his “wrong turn” has changed thousands of lives and inspired millions more. As Greg recuperated from his 80 days climb, he learned life lessons which, through his book, he imparted to the world. He was sad to learn that the small village did not have a school; therefore, he told the villagers that he would return to America, raise money and return to build a school. He not only kept his word and built a school for the children of Korphe, but he began a foundation which has enabled him to build 64 more schools and educate over 25,000 children in Pakistan, mostly for girls.

In reading the book, I wondered what made Greg risk his life, donate everything he had, become homeless, and volunteer halfway around the world. The answer is actually very simple. Greg had tremendous compassion and empathy for the poor villagers who showed him kindness. Through his talks in America, he continues to inspire thousands of children to donate their pennies to help build a school for children in Pakistan. The “Pennies for Peace” program shows children that their pennies buy lots of supplies in Pakistan. For example, a penny can’t buy anything in America but it can buy a pencil in Pakistan. Children understand the concept and they are among Greg’s biggest supporters.

Greg’s example caused me to think of my life and my passion. I have been fortunate to be a volunteer in San Diego for thirty years and I am motivated by people, like Greg, change people’s lives. I have been involved with over 30 organizations that are all doing amazing things. I recently met a woman, Barbara Metzler, who created the term, passionaries, which means turning compassion into action. She has written a book of inspiring stories behind 35 world-impacting nonprofits. Greg Mortenson will be profiled in her next book. She features 20 million volunteers in the organizations who are heroes, like Greg, who are making the world a better place and paving the way for millions of others (like you and me) to blaze their own visionary paths.

My son’s godfather, Jerry Davee was burned over 65% of his body when he was in a plane crash at the age of forty. Jerry has volunteered with the San Diego Burn Institute and has donated his time and money to help burn injured children. He started a fund to send burned children to camp, raise money for college scholarships and find new ways to help burn victims through medical research. Another friend, Jamie Tucker, started the Make- A- Wish Foundation (San Diego Chapter) in her kitchen with 5 women. From that small meeting, the Make a Wish Foundation has granted wishes to thousands of San Diego children and in some cases, the children survived their illnesses. Perhaps, the kindness of strangers raising money for their wishes caused the children to go into remission? Another example that I have seen is through Voices for Children, a volunteer organization that was started by two attorney women in the 1980’s who saw that children in the foster care system were not being represented. The children were taken from their homes, through no fault of their own, because the parents were either in jail or used drugs. This organization has represented thousands of foster children through Court Appointed Special Advocates and now these children’s lives are changed for the better.

These examples and others make me proud to be a volunteer in San Diego. I look forward to meeting each of you and having three cups of tea together! Let me leave you with one final thought, if you could change the world, what would you do?

If you want to learn more about individuals who transform their compassionate visions into positive actions that significantly change the lives of others, visit the website www.passionaries.com

Three Cups of Tea website is www.threecupsoftea.com

Make A Wish Foundation website is www.wishsandiego.org

Voices for Children: www.voices4children.com

Burn Institute: www.burninstitute.org