Caledonia Village Ace Hardware sponsored Alex Sheen, founder of the nonprofit organization “Because I said I would” to share his story with TK students.
Sheen admitted to students his “Because I said I would” movement was something he never anticipated, but one that has changed his life forever. Now, he travels the world sharing his message and giving others inspiration, hope and a way to change the world and their own lives.
It all started after Alex lost his father to cancer. “My dad was a man of his word. He was a guy who showed up when he said he would. He was far from perfect, but he kept his promises.”
Sheen said he learned so much from his father and wanted to honor him. “One of his greatest qualities as a man was the value of his word and the importance of a promise.” At his father’s funeral, he handed out promise cards. On one side it said, ‘Because I said I would,” and the other side was blank for recipients to write their own promises.
Next, he made a simple Internet post, having no idea it would go viral and launch his life in a whole new direction. He posted that he would send 10 promise cards to anyone in the world at no cost. It didn’t take long before he was sending promise cards around the world. Since Sept. 4, 2012, “Because I said I would” has distributed more than 13.1 million promise cards in 178 different countries. “We all understand the importance of a promise,” he said.
Sheen said messages started pouring in and on his website, he wrote, “Heartwarming, humorous, inspirational and tragic – the stories of these promises teach practical life lessons that have inspired lives around the world.”
“The card is a symbol of my promise, my honor and my responsibility. When I fulfill this promise I’ve written on the card, I want the card back,” he told TKHS students who were encouraged to do the same.
Sheen said he’s used the promise cards many times himself. Just like his father, he always keeps his word and his promises. Some of his own promises have included walking 245 miles across the state of Ohio in 10 days for the Cleveland kidnapping survivors, volunteering at 52 different nonprofit organizations in a single year and donating all $7.1 million of his speaker fees to charity.
He also shared just a few of the memorable cards he’s received in the mail. “I promise to make life worth living for my sister with Down’s Syndrome,” wrote one person. Another wrote, “I promise not to text and Facebook while driving.” That person kept the promise card in their vehicle as a simple reminder of their promise each time they drove.
A dying father always wrote notes to place in his daughter’s lunch at school. When he learned he didn’t have long to live, he promised to write 826 napkin notes so she would continue having a lunch note every day until her last day of school.
“Why? Because I said I would,” said Sheen. “It’s that simple.”
“Before all this started, I was just a guy sitting behind a desk at a software company. I didn’t know this was going to happen, but I learned life is not just about making money.”
He eventually quit his job to start his nonprofit and spread his word. That day came after he found a letter on his desk at work from a young girl. In it, she expressed how “Because I said I would” helped her stay alive. In the letter she wrote, “I do have a purpose. I want to promise you I will not give up.”
Years later, he was invited to that same girl’s wedding - a girl who once considered taking her own life but was saved by promising not to.
“I believe there is a path to hope. “Because I said I would” is a nonprofit dedicated to helping people develop resiliency skills and mental health habits to face life’s adversities.”
“Change your thinking from. I don’t have to - I get to. This is about the one step at a time you take to become a stronger version of yourself because I believe it’s possible. The potential in you is greater than you might think it is,” he said.
“A friend of mine once told me “It’s ok to think you can’t do it, but it doesn’t mean you’re right.”
Thanks to Caledonia Ace Hardware for sponsoring this guest speaker to come to Thornapple Kellogg High School and share motivational and inspiring words with students about how they can use the promise cards to become even stronger versions of themselves even when they alone don’t think it’s possible.
Learn more at Because I said I would.