--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My journey began with a single pencil…" description: "\"My journey began with a single pencil. While traveling through India in 2006, I asked a boy begging on the streets, 'If you could have anything in the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/adam-braun-9757_begging_my-journey-began-with-a-single-pencil-wh_1080445.jpg" --- # My journey began with a single pencil. While traveling… ![“My journey began with a single pencil. While traveling through India in 2006, I asked a boy begging on the streets, 'If you could have anything in the world, what would you want?' and he answered me with two words: 'A pencil.' Luckily, I had one in my pocket, and in the second it took me to give…” quote by Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/adam-braun-9757_begging_my-journey-began-with-a-single-pencil-wh_1080445.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/adam-braun-9757_begging_my-journey-began-with-a-single-pencil-wh_1080445.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/adam-braun-9757_begging_my-journey-began-with-a-single-pencil-wh_1080445.jpg) > “My journey began with a single pencil. While traveling through India in 2006, I asked a boy begging on the streets, 'If you could have anything in the world, what would you want?' and he answered me with two words: 'A pencil.' Luckily, I had one in my pocket, and in the second it took me to give it to him, a defining dream was born.” [Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A simple act of kindness sparked a larger purpose, showing how small gestures can ignite lifelong missions. **In simple terms:** A small kindness can start a big mission. Key Takeaway Seek to help others with what you have. Themes kindness purpose inspiration Mood hopeful reflective Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - travel - volunteering - gift-giving - starting nonprofits Key Concepts social entrepreneurship human connection empowerment Questions to Reflect On - How can a single act grow into lasting change? - What resources are needed to sustain a mission? A Different Perspective Impact may be limited without sustained resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Begging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begging/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Defining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defining/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [India](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/india/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [My journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-journey/) [Pencil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pencil/) [Pencil Luckily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pencil-luckily-2739759/) [Pencil Traveling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pencil-traveling-2739758/) [Pencils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pencils/) [Pockets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pockets/) [Single Pencil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-pencil-2598845/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-words/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Words Pencil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-pencil-2739760/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I always lose every single pencil I ever had. 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I'm just beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-thirlby/i-think-we-all-suffer-from-acute-blindness-at-times-life-is-a/) [Olivia Thirlby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-thirlby/) > [There are a billion ways to say I love you. And I'm always looking for a billion and one ways to express that very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ingram/there-are-a-billion-ways-to-say-i-love-you-and-i-m-always-looking-for/) [James Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ingram/) > [Dying to be Me: My Journey from Cancer, to Near Death, to True Healing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-moorjani/dying-to-be-me-my-journey-from-cancer-to-near-death-to-true-healing/) [Anita Moorjani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-moorjani/) > [I am a woman of substance and there's a lot inside me. 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I've never actually gone backward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-singh/my-journey-has-been-a-very-slow-build-up-each-year-has-been-a-step/) [Vijay Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-singh/) > [In my journey as a cartoonist, I seem to have accidentally stumbled into all sorts of traps, damnations and blacklists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leunig/in-my-journey-as-a-cartoonist-i-seem-to-have-accidentally-stumbled/) [Michael Leunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leunig/) ## More by Adam Braun > [Creating something new is easy, creating something that lasts is the challenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-braun/creating-something-new-is-easy-creating-something-that-lasts-is-the/) [Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) > [“Expectations are the daunting shadows that trail behind accomplishments; no matter how high one goes, the other follows on its footsteps.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-braun/expectations-are-the-daunting-shadows-that-trail-behind/) [Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) > [Your twenties are the time to both accept and fight your way into the person you're destined to become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-braun/your-twenties-are-the-time-to-both-accept-and-fight-your-way-into-the/) [Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) > [“Purpose is found when you stop thinking about how you exist in the world and start trying to figure out why you are here.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-braun/purpose-is-found-when-you-stop-thinking-about-how-you-exist-in-the/) [Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) > [“Dancing with these kids, I looked around and acknowledged that what you see around you is proof of what exists within you. 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With absolute conviction. The complete absence of doubt is so rare it generates a sense of excitement that’s so powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-braun/sometimes-you-just-know-with-absolute-conviction-the-complete-absence/) [Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) > [“Here's my best advice: make the little decisions with your head and the big ones with your heart. Do that, and you'll be just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-braun/here-s-my-best-advice-make-the-little-decisions-with-your-head-and/) [Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) > [I could enjoy the life that I had by virtue of the educational attainment that my grandparents and parents had pursued. Education was always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-braun/i-could-enjoy-the-life-that-i-had-by-virtue-of-the-educational/) [Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) > [Every person has a revolution beating within his or her chest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-braun/every-person-has-a-revolution-beating-within-his-or-her-chest/) [Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) > [For any movement to gain momentum, it must start with a small action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-braun/for-any-movement-to-gain-momentum-it-must-start-with-a-small-action/) [Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) > [There are many challenges in the global education ecosystem: from top-down systemic issues in how educational services are organized and delivered, to bottom-up issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-braun/there-are-many-challenges-in-the-global-education-ecosystem-from-top/) [Adam Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) [Explore all 70 Adam Braun quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-braun/) ## More Begging quotes > [“You are the queen, he ought to be begging leave of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/you-are-the-queen-he-ought-to-be-begging-leave-of-you/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [Daddy always said the only thing worth begging for was your life, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe sometimes your love is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/daddy-always-said-the-only-thing-worth-begging-for-was-your-life-but/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [How much more of the mosque, of prayer and fasting? Better go drunk and begging round the taverns. Khayyam, drink wine, for soon this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-khayy-m/how-much-more-of-the-mosque-of-prayer-and-fasting-better-go-drunk-and/) [Omar Khayyam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-khayy-m/) > [“Any fool that had once helped you will someday make known to everyone that you were once a needy. No matter how broke you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/any-fool-that-had-once-helped-you-will-someday-make-known-to-everyone/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“He kept begging God, “Please, please, please open my heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/he-kept-begging-god-please-please-please-open-my-heart/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [We long for our father. We wear his clothes, and actually try to fill his shoes. . . . We hang on to him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-pittman/we-long-for-our-father-we-wear-his-clothes-and-actually-try-to-fill/) [Frank Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-pittman/) > [The desperation was coming off you in waves. You were all but begging to dance with me. I am doing you a favor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/the-desperation-was-coming-off-you-in-waves-you-were-all-but-begging/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [While you're ignoring me, someone else is begging for my attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/while-you-re-ignoring-me-someone-else-is-begging-for-my-attention/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I would willingly stand at street corners, hat in hand, begging passerby to drop their unused minutes into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-berenson/i-would-willingly-stand-at-street-corners-hat-in-hand-begging/) [Bernard Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-berenson/) > [A man in love ... is the master, so it seems, but only if his lady friend permits it! 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