If anyone understands the impact of a simple act of kindness, it’s Ole Miss alumni couple Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy.
The family is best known for being the inspiration behind the hit movie, “The Blind Side,” which tells the story of Michael Oher’s rise from an impoverished inner city youth to a millionaire NFL superstar.
But the family matriarch can now add another accolade to her list of accomplishments: writer of a first-class devotional book.
Leigh Anne Tuohy recently released “Turn Around,” a full-year devotional book that uses scripture as a springboard to reconsider what it means to give generously.
“People ask me ‘how can I get plugged in?’ You may not be able to adopt an underprivileged child, but you can certainly do something, and this book will give people a road map,” Tuohy said.
At the end of each daily entry, the book offers “Daily Difference Makers,” which challenge readers to engage in activities that will make a positive difference.
“There’s no book like it on the market,” Tuohy said. “It has something people can do every day to improve the life of others — something everyone can do every day. That’s a whole lot better than doing nothing.”
Tuohy wrote the book because she saw a need for more goodness in the world today.
“I pick up the news and I see that we need kindness in this world more than anything else,” she said. “No kid wakes up and says ‘Hey, I want to be in foster care’ or ‘I want to live in poverty.’ This book gives the ordinary person a way to plug in and engage with other people who don’t look exactly like you.”
The book’s title has significant meaning to Tuohy and her family, as these two simple words founded a mindset that changed their lives forever.
While driving down the road one day, the Tuohys noticed a lonely teenage boy standing outside of the school. “He looked completely out of his element,” Tuohy said. “So I looked at Sean and said ‘turn around.’”
The young man was Michael Oher, who soon became an adopted member of the Tuohy family and was later drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
“’Turn Around’ just seemed like an appropriate title,” Tuohy said. “You never know when one simple act of kindness can completely change someone’s life.”
To coincide with the release of the book, Tuohy is organizing a “Turn Around Challenge” video contest to encourage the public to go out and perform good deeds.
Tuohy said the purpose of this contest is to fill the Internet with wholesome and inspiring content.
“I want us to try and out-kind each other with positive, one-minute videos,” she said. “A lot of media-driven views give a warped impression of our society. I want us to try and erase those bad ones and replace them with good videos of people doing good deeds.”
Participants will record and submit a video, 60-seconds or less in length, telling the story of a time they helped someone else. The participant with the winning video will receive up to $10,000 for his or her favorite charity. A winner will be selected from the top 10 videos that receive the most votes from fans. To submit a video or to review the official rules of the contest, click here.
For more information on “Turn Around” or to purchase a copy of the book, visit Leigh Anne Tuohy’s website.
Beth Harmon is managing editor for HottyToddy.com. Email her at beth.harmon@hottytoddy.com
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