The Promise of a Pencil: How an ordinary person can create extraordinary change

The Promise of a Pencil: How an ordinary person can create extraordinary change
Adam Braun with Carlyle Adler
Scribner, 2014
324 pages

I read this already many months ago. I just need to write something about it. This book tells of the journey of Braun from a promising wallstreet boy to becoming a CEO of a successful nonprofit organization which helps poor countries build schools as well as also engaging the community where the school stands. Braun is not only a dreamer but transformed himself as a dynamic leader along the way as he reach for his dream. He is also ready to learn from everyone he meets.

Each chapter of this book is titled with a mantra. Among my favorites are “Do the small things that make others feel big,” “Tourists see, travelers seek,” “Focus on one person in every room,” “You cannot fake authenticity,” “If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough,” and “ Change your words to change your worth.”

Just one warning: This book of kindness is infectious. Just get ready to be infected.

Here are the ones I highlighted as I went along reading:

The more we speak in the voice of our most aspirational self, the closer we pull our future into our present.

Joel Puac had once instructed me to always walk with a purpose. If you look like you know what you are doing, people will assume the same.

We are more often bystanders to conflict than we are victims or perpetrators, and with that comes the recognition that we have a moral obligation to defend others, even when the crosshairs of injustice aren't pointed at us personally.

The recovery period is just as essential as the working period if you want to be a peak performer.

In those moments when prorities clash, always stay guided by your values, not your perceived necessities.

Leadership isn't just about telling people what to do. It's about doing the right thing even when it's not written in the rulebook.

Failure is a necessary step toward achievement. In fact, it often accelerates it.

What you are describing is the state of bliss. Bliss does not come from materials or possessions, it comes from fulfilling one's purpose in this existence.


Start by changing the subjects of your daily conversation from life you are living to the life you aspire to create. By speaking the language of the person you seek to become, you will soon find yourself immersed in the converstaions that make you most come alive. You'll sense the energy you emit attracting similar energy from others.

I'll tell them that the most direct route to happiness is through creating joy for someone else.