The Promise Of A Pencil

The Promise Of A Pencil narrates the story of how Adam Braun, well-bred, average college kid, working at Bain & Company, shook off what society expected of him and created a life of significance and success by starting his own charity, which now has built hundreds of schools for children in need.

Have you ever felt bad for following your intuition when it really mattered? Think about this for a second. Really hard.

All those times when you had to decide whether to quit your job, if you should break up with someone, where to move to, which school to choose, you know, the big decisions in life.

Have you followed your intuition and afterwards said: “Damn, this was a REALLY bad move.” or vice versa, went against your gut and it turned out to be the best choice? I guess not.

That’s because your intuition is your most powerful advisor. It knows what’s good for you, long before you do.

Therefore, no matter how often you do it already, you’re still not trusting your intuition often enough. Adam, for example, had a consulting job when he started Pencils of Promise. Eventually, his bosses noted his lack of commitment, and forced him to make a choice. On the way home, he came across a cardboard box with some graffiti. It said “Become your dream.” Knowing that the charity meant much more to him than any job, he took this sign as a confirmation of his intuition, and quit the job.

Note: Intuition is different from cravings. I’m not talking about giving in to the urge to eat at Burger King every time you walk by one. This is about the important things in life.

Four Minute Books was started entirely on intuition, so don’t wait once you’re gut knows what’s up. Take that momentum and run with it!

Too much confidence can be a problem. It’s often the reason the loudest person in the room makes the big decisions, and not the smartest one. While confidence and competence are two different things, it’s crucial for you to have an unshakeable belief in yourself and your dream. Confidence is what keeps you from throwing in the towel when the going gets tough, and even if it sometimes means being in the wrong, it’s the only thing that’ll get you past all the rain you have to sit through to finally get to the rainbow. Adam learned that confidence is especially important in those times when you have no clue what you’re doing. It’ll not only show yourself that you’re strong and unafraid, it’ll also keep you out of trouble. When Adam’s taxi got stuck in the middle of an aggressive protest…