The FLEX TED Talk recommendation this month is by Mark Bezos, a volunteer firefighter in New York. To “get in on any action” at the scene, he says, you must get to the fire pretty early. He tells the story of his first fire, when he was beat by another volunteer who saved the homeowner’s dog. Meanwhile, Mark had the task of going inside and grabbing the homeowner a pair of shoes.

Although he didn’t receive as much attention for his role in the fire, the department received a letter weeks later from the homeowner that specifically noted “someone had even gotten her a pair of shoes.” Whether an act of generosity or kindness is small or large, they all matter.

“Don’t wait until you make your first million to make a difference in somebody’s life. If you have something to give, give it now,” Mark said. “Not every day is going to offer us a chance to save somebody’s life, but every day offers us an opportunity to affect one.”

Find this TED Talk at bit.ly/FirefighterTEDTalk.

This article were published in the Future Leaders & Entrepreneurs Exchange’s (FLEX) May 2019 edition of the FLEX Your Ideas (FYI) Newsletter.