Making a Difference

A good example has twice the value of good advice.
–Author Unknown

This very apt quote is on page 72 of Raam Dev’s just-published and free ebook  Small Ways to Make a Big Difference , a collection of over 100 ideas from 40 bloggers on ways to make a difference in the world, ranging from the small and personal to the bold and far-reaching. He asked each contributor to write about what they actually do every day to make a difference in the world, and there are many good examples indeed.

In Raam’s own words, “This book is based on the premise that everybody is generally good; that everybody wants to be part of a better world and that they want to make a positive difference in the lives of those around them. The fact that this book even exists proves those statements to be true.” I know that I felt honored when Raam asked me to contribute my own (admittedly tiny) efforts and have them appear amidst some amazingly far-reaching humanitarian ideas.

Some of the contributions are very similar, but sound so different when written by different voices. Acccording to Raam, “many of the submissions were nearly identical, but I decided not to filter them out. I wanted this book to reflect their collective wisdom and multiple submissions for the same idea meant that idea was especially important.”

The effect of reading Small Ways to Make a Big Difference from beginning to end is an almost musical effect, as each quote and contribution takes you to different places in your mind and back again.  It’s a surprisingly effective structure, and is enjoyable to go back to and re-read.

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