Thursday, March 26, 2009

Nourish a Cause: The Maiden Voyage

Well, here is the maiden voyage of my blog experience. I chose the title, "Nourish a Cause," because I believe everyone should "feed" at least one cause in their lives, if not one every day! A cause can be anything from using a talent to help a neighbor, to volunteering time for a non-profit group, to tithing part of your paycheck to make the world a better place. Better yet, doing all three! No effort to nourish a cause is too small or too insignificant.

If you haven't had the chance to read the book, "Be the Change!" it is a quick read and a wonderful reference guide for getting yourself jazzed up about changing the world. The book features hundreds of people talking about how they have found meaning in helping others. The book is edited by Michelle Nunn, the co-founder and CEO of the Hands On Network.

In the introduction, Nunn says, "Individual acts of daring and creativity will ultimately determine the fate of nations and our increasingly global society. And those acts will change us in return...While a single moment can be a catalyst, a lifetime of preparation helps create the framework for our service lives...the first steps of our service journey are the beginning of our own personal transformation, opening us up to experiences beyond anything we ever imagined."

One of the brief stories in the "motivation to serve" chapter was submitted by a woman that notes, "I play the flute and my sister plays the violin. When we were both younger, we would go with our grandmother to visit an elderly friend of hers...we would always be asked to play at least one song for the woman. I was not thrilled to do this, being shy, but we continued for about a year. When the woman passed away, my sister and I did not really think much about it and went on with our lives as usual. Later that week, my parents got a phone call from the woman's lawyer, saying that she had left her piano to my sister and me. Each time I play it or even glance in its direction, I'm reminded to take a little time to do something nice for another person."

What is your reminder to do something nice for another person? I think about my mom, who has been deceased for 14 years, and picture what she would have done in various situations to help another person. Then, I try and follow through. Forget the busyness of your life, and find a way today to nourish a cause. You, too, may find experiences beyond anything you've imagined!