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October 2007
"Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you
volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in." -- Marjorie Moore
While I am always willing to lend a helping hand, I’m quite self-critical about not
donating enough of my time to a particular cause. There are so many important
charities, some that have even touched members of my own family. But, I wonder how
I can add one more thing to my list of commitments. How can I decide where to devote
my time? I often pray diligently and ask, "How can I best direct my resources to
contribute to our community, our world."
And here is what I’ve come up with, so far: Charity begins at home. Daily, I’m
devoted to building my marriage, raising four beautiful children, contributing to
the lives of my family and friends. Daily, I support and mentor other women to
achieve greater wellness in their lives and businesses. All of this love and
service, I am reminded, feeds my soul immensely and is the most important
contribution to the world I will ever make.
Being open to finding more ways to serve, I discovered an amazing opportunity to
use my voice in a big way to help others all over the world, right from my little
recording studio in Marietta, Georgia. A few years ago, I began writing and
recording my own library of inspirational Ringtones for mobile technologies, of
course to sell for a profit, but also to reach and inspire as many people as
possible using my gifts. From my research, I found and signed up to receive Daily
Good e-mail messages--written quotes sent to my in-box every day that inspire and
change lives. The messages came from CharityFocus.org, an organization who defines
themselves as "an experiment in the joy of giving." Their services enable hundreds
of inspired people to volunteer and contribute in meaningful ways to the world
around them. Their hope is to "be the change we wish to see in the world."
I just knew that I was supposed to give my voice to this organization; to record
an audio version of their messages for people to hear. This was my opportunity to
reach thousands of people using my passion—inspiring others with my voice. So, I
joined the Service Team at CharityFocus.org and began recording the
Thought-of-the-Week, beautiful passages that help people connect with their higher
purpose. I’m thrilled to say that since adding the audio feature, their
subscriptions have grown from 10,000 to over 20,000 people per week!
In a recent "thank you" note CharityFocus wrote to me and my audio engineer,
"it is powerful to reflect on the untold ripples of goodness that you help send out
to so many thousands of strangers each week." Knowing this feeds my soul. Even if
it’s just one other person whose life we impact.
My best friend says just smiling is volunteering, because of the difference we
make in others lives. I also love these words from author, philosopher and
theologian, Howard Thurman, "Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you
come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come
alive."
Check out CharityFocus.org and see what inspires you to "be the change."
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