by Anonymous
When it seems the whole world is in decline and that nothing good happens anymore, keep in mind that change is only an idea away.
A few years ago Dr. Paul Offit, chief of Infectious diseases at Childrens Hospital in Philadelphia, was frustrated by the hundreds of infant deaths he had scene from Rotavirus. This is a very common childhood disease that is often accompanied with only mild symptoms, but some children can suffer severe life-threatening diarrhea and dehydration. So Dr. Offit and his closest friends and colleagues, Stanley A. Plotkin, M.D. and H. Fred Clark, D.V.M., PhD went to work on a cure. Thanks to these men who had the courage to risk their time and their fortunes for a cure followed through on what began as just a humble idea. Now we have a vaccine that has potential to save the lives of 600,000 children around the world every year!
These American men of science are heroes to countless people around the world who will owe them their very lives. And it all began with an idea brought to reality by people who had the courage of their convictions.
Jonas Salk followed through on his idea for a cure for polio and we’ve all but eradicated that dreaded disease. Did you know Dr. Salk was the son of humble Jewish-Russian immigrants? Not only did he invent the polio vaccine, he was also a key figure in influenza research and his team developed the process used today for flu vaccines.
Ideas change lives.
Martin Luther had an idea about reforming the Catholic Church and his name is now synonymous with the Protestant Church. Luther’s theology challenged the authority of the Papacy by holding faith and redemption is God given and not mediated through the church. In the early 1500’s this was a very dangerous thing to do, but Luther had the courage of his convictions to bring his ideas to fruition no matter what the costs.
In 1900 if I told you that two guys with no formal education who made their living selling bicycles would revolutionize the world you probably would have thought me a fool, but in 1903 the Wright brothers made the first heavier-than-air powered flight at Kitty hawk, N.C. It began as an idea and it was carried through against impossible odds because they too had the courage of their convictions.
Are you getting it? This is about you, about your ideas, about your courage and convictions. Americans are known the world over for being innovators and inventors because this is a place that natures and encourages ideas! It attracts the worlds best and brightest to come and live out their dreams, and to put forth their ideas under the protection of our many freedoms… that also began as just an idea.
As I write, the world is in the midst of a great recession, the news every day seems worse than the day before and regional conflicts, the flash fires for war, are present in many places around the world. People are worried and frightened over what tomorrow may bring. But, remember this when life is depressing and seems almost too much to bare, have faith that change is only an idea away.
We should all have the courage of our convictions and step forward to make a difference.
Suggested reading:
Ideas That Changed the World, by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/11/21/tenthings.changedtheworld/
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20050404/ai_n13507083
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/12/20/1636229