Forest Man: How One Person Planted a Forest Bigger than Central Park

It can seem so hard to make a difference in the world these days. When we flip on the news or read the headlines, we’re usually left feeling more paralyzed than inspired. We’re told of everything that’s broken and rarely offered actions we can take today to make the world a better place.

The story of Jadav Payeng is a different one. It opens our mind to the reality that one person can plant true seeds of change and that those seeds evolve into something much bigger. In 1979 he started by planting one tree in a barren landscape and now his forest has grown to be larger than New York’s Central Park.

Jadav Payeng’s forest started with a seedling.

The passion and actions of Payeng are bold and inspiring. Instead of finding an excuse for why he couldn’t create change, he found a way. He didn’t wait for someone’s permission. Instead he got creative and got to planting. It’s hard to see the forest that could replace a barren landscape or imagine the lush community garden growing in the place of an abandoned lot. If we are willing to take that step into the unknown between what is and what can be, a world of possibility awaits us.

Look around the streets of your community. Instead of seeing things as they are, start seeing what could be. What if one person in each city followed in the footsteps of Jadav? What if our streets and communities were lined in abundant fruits and vegetables? What if nobody went to bed hungry because a meal was always within walking distance?

A lush forest now thrives because of Payeng.

This world is possible and it’s being planted by people like you. We don’t have to wait for permission to change the world. Just start small and take the first step. Whatever you love to do, find a way to do it. Even if nobody is watching. Act from your heart and when others notice, invite them to join you in seeing what can be.

If you’re inspired considering joining Food is Free Project’s #OperationFruitTree and plant a fruit tree this year and invite 5 friends to do the same. We all have the ability to make ripples and when our ripples combine, we make стоимость кондиционеров в могилеве waves