Here’s the remarkable thing about Benjamin Franklin: he didn’t start his day by looking at the world. He started it by looking inwards, asking: “What good shall I do today?” The world’s issues didn’t set his agenda. His conscience did. His focus wasn’t on being busy, it was on doing good. A small shift in intention, but a seismic shift in impact.
Doing good—it’s an infinitely flexible goal. It accommodates grand visions and small kindnesses, innovations and encouraging words. It’s a compass that, no matter how far you travel, keeps you on a path that is fundamentally human.
Franklin’s choice to prioritize ‘good’ is a lesson for all of us. Our days are our lives in miniature. Choosing to do good, day by day, is a choice to live a life of impact. It’s a choice to move from success to significance, from getting to giving. And that is a ripple effect that extends far beyond our own shores.