Month: March 2017

Postcards from the Past

March 28, 2017

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My strength has never been looking back. I’m one of those insufferable people who declares that she seamlessly closes chapters never to look back again.  Everyone knows those experiences are always with us, so I woke up in the middle of last night realizing that I must add some special organizations and people that inspired me and touched my life.  I’ll add them randomly over time to my Links.  To get started with just a few:

I had the pleasure of spending a moment in time with The Light and Leadership Institute in Huaycan, Peru. It touched my life and I’ve watched them grow and expand their impact over the years. Someday I’ll hopefully go back. I certainly didn’t want to leave. http://www.lightandleadership.org/ 

I also had to add a new category called Special Places.  I’ve traveled a bit but there are those stand-out experiences that you know you could never replicate.  These are small businesses driven by inspirational people living their passion and purpose. And they are spectacularly special.  From a magical week in the Gobi desert to a special B&B in New Orleans to studying Spanish with a family in Peru to a yoga weekend in East Texas– each of these moments inspired me. My only regret is not buying that shirt that read, “Namaste, y’all.”

 

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” –Susan Sontag

 

 

 

Moving Forward with MovingWorlds

March 26, 2017

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I wander. A lot. And I wander virtually. I peruse and click and read and save links and sign up for emails and newsletters. I follow people or organizations for years. Almost never does anything come of it except for the immediate nourishment from new information and the highs of inspiration and hope.  Until it does.  A year or two ago, on one of those evenings when I felt a strong pull to pursue something more purposeful, I somehow ran across MovingWorlds.  The more I read, the more I was compelled to build a profile as an expert volunteer and subscribe to updates…because one never knows when one might just be available for a 1-12 month pro bono project somewhere in the world!   (This also explains why I am a wee bit behind on personal emails.)

Then one night a few months ago I happened to see an email about a 6-month fellowship with MovingWorlds that involved learning and working on an international impact project. After a few days of analyzing and torturing myself, I was sold!

The quote MovingWorlds put on my business card confirmed what an excellent decision I made:  “Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Love them. Start with what they know. Build with what they have. But with the best leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say, ‘We have done this ourselves.'” -Lao Tzu

So for the past two months I’ve been working with the amazing team at MovingWorlds and 12 other colleagues in my cohort from across the world. They inspire me every day with their compassion, authenticity and determination to make a difference in that big ole world.  This eternal student gets to take in new information in a terrific format and learn from vastly different people and experiences. And in a few weeks, I will be off to Nicaragua for an exciting healthcare project…

 

For more information on fellowships (starting about every 6 months):  http://mwi.movingworlds.org/

For Experteering, volunteering your expertise in exchange for accommodation: https://movingworlds.org/.