One year ago I shaved my head for cancer. I was 20. There was no reason, other than wanting to feel like I had some control over the tragedies of the world. I gave myself what I thought to be quite an unreasonable goal – $500. It seemed far too high at the time. How many people would really donate? Did I even know that many people? What if I had to shave my head for $10? I’ll admit that although I kept saying even one dollar made it worth it, I was terrified that I’d be bald for a twenty.
Was I wrong.
I fundraised for close to four months, and I not only raised over $3400, I learned some invaluable lessons. I learned that if you’re willing to be the leader, you will have followers. I learned that you really can accomplish anything if you believe in yourself. I learned that, though I sometimes feel alone in my compassion for the world, there are many, many people who care and also want change; you just need to reach out and find them. And I learned that we are all beautiful. I say with all sincerity that I felt most beautiful when I was bald. I was proud of what I had done, and I was proud of the people who had helped get me there.
The world is full of tragedy. There are wars, famines, diseases. I don’t believe in turning a blind eye. I don’t believe that I can use extreme optimism to forget all the pain in the world. But I do believe that I can acknowledge the pain and use it to motivate me to bring about change, instead of letting it tear me down. Instead of being that girl who was afraid she could only raise $10, I’m going to be the woman who knows she can bring about great change. All you need is to believe in yourself and the goodness of others.