PEBBLE
Each of us is put here in this time and this place to personally decide the future of humankind. Did you think you were put here for something less?
-Chief Arvol Looking Horse, shared by Laura in Ohio
BOULDER
People are hard-wired not only to gratify their personal desires but also to care for others. So rather than ask, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” ask, “In what way do I wish the world were different? What problem can I help solve?” This puts the focus where it should be — on how you can serve other people.
-Angela Duckworth, shared by Sara in Madison, WI
PONDER
I recently had an opportunity to fire up a remarkable collection of AmeriCorps members who are at the beginning of a year of service (If you’re not familiar this national service program, they are celebrating 30 years of service around our country). It was not only exciting to hear about all the good work they are doing individually and collectively, it was a good reminder that the service we provide to others often ends up having a profound impact on us as well.
Besides the significant amount of help and hope they are offering to the individiuals and communities they serve, many of them shared stories about how their service is helping them along their own personal and professional journey. And the ripples keep flowing outward to me, because even though I was hired to bring some inspiration and energy to their event…I left feeling more inspired and energized than when I had arrived. It was good for my head, my heart, and my soul to remember that despite all the poopity poop going on around our country and around the globe, there are still really good people showing up to do really good things.
It doesn’t make all the poopity poop go away, but this infusion of hope fuels my optimism that it isn’t just possible we’ll find our way to brighter days…it’s inevitable. The future of humankind depends on it, and I think we’ve got this. For realsies.
Peace,
Paul
