When Erin and I set out to make a film about ordinary individuals who were doing extraordinary things to make our world a better place, we didn’t know we would be meeting the real heroes of our world.

Maggie Doyne and Bishal, Kopila Valley Childrens Home, Nepal

Each one of the people in our film is doing something that is not only courageous, but some would say, they are doing the impossible.

I suppose we could have chosen more high profile people or celebrities, but we opted to shine a light on the folks most people haven’t even heard of.  That was a deliberate decision because we wanted to show what the individual is capable of.

As I watch the footage of Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath, I’m reminded of the power of the individual.  I heard story after story about regular people who had put aside their own comfort and safety to go to the aid of others who were less fortunate.  These stories will fade in our memories as time goes by, but my hope is that people will take notice and think about their own actions.

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype and glitz of the world we live in, paying homage to the notables, and the large entities that have the power and money to make the biggest splash in the news.  And we talk ourselves out of the little actions that we could take, telling ourselves that we could never measure up.  How sad. Maybe that’s the downside of the culture we live in.

I can only hope that more people will take notice of the ordinary people and the efforts they make – not for money – not for recognition – but simply because it’s the right thing to do.

We created this film to move people to action.  The actions don’t have to be huge.  They could be helping a child with their homework, walking a neighbor’s dog who isn’t able to do that for herself or just listening to someone who needs a person to talk to.  We don’t have to be a celebrity, have a big name or have lots of money.  We just have to realize that sometimes it’s the little things we do that count and all those little things add up to make our world a better place.

Imagine if everyone did one small thing to make a difference.