The Promise of a Pencil

How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change

Adam Braun

• Publisher: Scribner
• Year: 2014
• Topic: Business
• eBook ISBN:
  9781476730646
• Subtopic: Entrepreneurship
• Index: Business

The riveting New York Times bestseller about a social entrepreneur and nonprofit founder who built more than 250 schools around the world—and the steps anyone can take to lead a purpose-driven life.

Adam Braun began working summers at hedge funds when he was just sixteen years old, sprinting down the path to a successful Wall Street career. But while traveling he met a young boy begging on the streets of India, who after being asked what he wanted most in the world, simply answered, “A pencil.” This small request led to a staggering series of events that took Braun backpacking through dozens of countries before eventually leaving a prestigious job to found Pencils of Promise, the organization he started with just $25 that has since built more than 250 schools around the world.

The Promise of a Pencil chronicles Braun’s journey to find his calling, as each chapter explains one clear step that every person can take to turn their biggest ambitions into reality. If you feel restless and ready for personal growth, if you are seeking direction and purpose, this critically acclaimed bestseller is for you. Driven by inspiring stories, shareable insights, and leadership lessons this is the book that will give you the tools to make your own life a story worth telling.

*All proceeds from this book will support Pencils of Promise.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Dedication
• Epigraph
• Introduction
• 1. Why Be Normal
• 2. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
• 3. Know That You Have a Purpose
• 4. Every Pencil Holds a Promise
• 5. Do the Small Things That Make Others Feel Big
• 6. Tourists See, Travelers Seek
• 7. Asking for Permission is Asking for Denial
• 8. Embrace the Lightning Moments
• 9. Big Dreams Start with Small, Unreasonable Acts
• 10. Practice Humility Over Hubris
• 11. Speak the Language of the Person You Want to Become
• 12. Walk with a Purpose
• 13. Happiness is Found in Celebrating Others
• 14. Find the Impossible Ones
• 15. Focus on One Person in Every Room
• 16. Read the Signs Along the Path
• 17. Create Separation to Build Connection
• 18. Never Take No from Someone Who Can’t Say Yes
• 19. Stay Guided by Your Values, Not Your Necessities
• 20. You Cannot Fake Authenticity
• 21. There is Only One Chance at a First Impression
• 22. Fess Up to Your Failures
• 23. Learn to Close the Loop
• 24. Change Your Words to Change Your Worth
• 25. A Goal Realized is a Goal Defined
• 26. Surround Yourself with those Who Make You Better
• 27. Vulnerability is Vital
• 28. Listen to Your Echoes
• 29. If Your Dreams Don’t Scare You, They’re Not Big Enough
• 30. Epilogue: Make Your Life a Story Worth Telling
• Acknowledgments
• Reading Group Guide
• About Adam Braun
• Copyright