Happy Monday!
đNew Podcast Episode with Brent Summers. He founded and recently sold a company called Code-Free Startup, which is an online learning platform that teaches others how to build a startup using visual design tools like Bubble.
In the 1980s, AIDS arrived on the world stage. It was a new, frightening disease with no cure and was rampaging through communities and countries. People believed that you could catch AIDS from touching someone who had it, or even sitting on the same toilet seat. Sufferers were shunned, and up to 50% of people polled in the US believed that those with AIDS should be quarantined.
On the 19th April, 1987, Princess Diana, one of the most famous people in the world, opened the first unit in the UK dedicated to treating people with HIV and AIDS. During her visit,Â
she shook the hands of a patient without wearing gloves, and changed peopleâs perceptions of the disease forever.
Today, such an act by a leader might not even be newsworthy, but I bet shaking the hand of somebody you know is HIV+ might still give you a little bit of anxiety. The fact of the matter, if weâre to become a better society that doesnât lead with its fears & prejudices, we need to become a society that leads with courage and empathy.
A small act like standing up to a bully or defending somebody in public can inspire others to speak up and change their ways in ways we canât fathom. So the next time a situation arises where you feel the inner conflict between fear and courage, which one will you choose?
âOne isnât necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We canât be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.ââ Maya
Angelou
đș to a great week ahead!
- Cody