Light the World on Fire - Carrie Filion Introduction

Aloha, my name is Carrie Filion and I'm a sixteen year old co-founder of Lunchbox Notes and a sophomore at the Downingtown STEM Academy. I volunteer as a juniour counselor at a children's art camp and plan to bring Lunchbox Notes to the children I teach to (hopefully) have them create notes of their own. I hope to someday work for NASA - but before I can explore the depths of the unknown, I need to create a happier and more meaningful environment on the beautiful planet we call home.

I truly believe that happiness radiates through actions: if you make one person happy you can spread that happiness to the world. It isn't about traveling to third-world countries or spending a lot of money. It's the simple act of writing someone a note to say that it's all going to be okay and that they are something special. One's happiness and sense of worth is not reflected by how fortunate they are or where they live, and we as founders saw this truth of life and created the the Lunchbox Notes project to reach all who need happiness. Within the next few months, Lunchbox Notes will be brought to our schoolmates, our fellow city dwellers, and beyond. Wherever we are going, we are taking Notes - from Italy and Guatemala to Philadelphia and our own neighbourhoods.

By dreaming big and starting small, we hope to fulfill our dream of spreading happiness - not only to those surrounding us, but to those in the farthest reaches of the globe. If we each perform one single act of kindess and give one single bag a day, over 3,000 lives will be reached by the end of a year. If, in turn, half of the people that receive a bag give a bag of their own to someone else, over 6,000 people will be reached. Our one simple act a day sets off a butterfly effect that can eventually and hopefully reach across the globe. A simple note may not be life-changing to some, but to others it could be exactly what they need to stay alive and stay dreaming.

By making Lunchbox Notes anonymous, it allows the project to be about the happiness of others instead of one's own pride. As Siddhartha said: "Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of that candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." A wildfire is started with a single ember, one match can ignite a forrest. You have the power to spark happiness in one person - and in turn start a wildfire. Now its our turn to light the proverbial match, and we hope we can inspire others to light their own.

~ Namaste 
Carrie Filion
youmatterlbn@gmail.com
youmatterlbn.tumblr.com
Follow Lunchbox Notes @YOUMatterLBN
Follow me @CarrieonWayward