“Keep America Friendly” has been a passion that began as self-reflection. It began with an increase of my own awareness of how my acute lack of friendliness sabotaged a moment, a day, a month and even more. But not just in me, but what my lack of friendliness created in the people I came in contact with every day of my life. I saw it had an effect, a noticeable effect. I really started to see this through the eyes of my children, Zach, Jake and Lizzie. The look in their eyes when they witnessed me in an “unfriendly” moment. These are my children, your children, the children of America and ultimately, the children of the world. Along with all of the other children, born and unborn, our true legacy is what we all do TODAY to reverse the massive amount of animosity/hostility that happens momently every second of every hour of every day of every week of every year. And most importantly, how reversing animosity, and becoming a friendlier nation in our schools, in our work place, in public, in our homes, to ourselves, and in the thousands of opportunities we all have in a given day to extend an act of friendliness, will change EVERYTHING. It will change how you feel about yourself, it will positively change the feeling of those receiving those acts of friendliness. If enough of us get behind this simple concept, together we can change the music of America. We can change and tear down, to some degree, the archaic prejudices that so many of us hold on to, we can change the culture in our work places, we can change the messaging we give to our children who are our future, we can positively change the days of our lives and those around us. How do we do that?
WE PURPOSEFULLY AND CONSCIENTIOUSLY RAISE THE AWARENESS, AND THE HARMONY OF FRIENDLINESS, AND TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO DO IT.
It is my core belief that people are inherently friendly and inherently good. I believe people are inherently good. Every person in America has their own story, their own past and present; it is theirs, only theirs and they have an unalienable right to their life. And in that beauty of uniqueness is the sound of our opus. The music of our world. As a nation we should and NEED to embrace all of the unique notes that make up our home. We need to raise the awareness of how to be friendly. There are millions of ways to extend a friendly gesture and we can learn many more from one another. We can no longer stand on the sideline; we have to be an active member of the creation of a friendlier nation, in every corner of our beautiful lives.
CAN YOU REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
The answer is yes. Not just yes, but a resounding yes! I believe all of us would say that we would like to make a difference, a positive contribution to the world if it was within our ability. Well it is. How significant will an individual contribution to increased friendliness be? I don’t know. But what I do know, is that if we all get behind this very simple concept, and in harmony, we sing to the nation that hostility has no place here. Friendliness in every corner of our nation, will enhance our lives, the lives of others, and ultimately will make America a friendlier place. That kind of energy cannot be stopped, is undeniable and many would agree, acutely needed.
Please join with me and the others that have already embraced our chorus of positivity, and be a part of this needed “MOVEMENT.” Help us to change the world forever, by making it just a little bit friendlier.
Thank you,
Dan Verdin
Founder
“KEEP AMERICA FRIENDLY”