Skip to main content

What I really want


I woke up in my small apartment in Los Angeles the other day with a nostalgic feeling; it was my one-year anniversary of having moved to the big city, all on my own.  I sat on my balcony with a sense of accomplishment and reflection while I watched the morning colors fade in, reminiscing about the past year.  
What I realized in that moment was that I have been given so, so much.  A beautiful place to live, in a beautiful city with a steady job and a good group of friends.  I mean, don’t get me wrong: I am not living the celebrity life by any stretch of the imagination.  I see people drive by in their shiny cars that could be sold to support a small village and it makes me get a small, perplexed lump in my throat.  But I have food to eat every day and a little to spare, which makes me one of the richest people in the world. 
Anyway, I was thinking about all of these things when I realized that I have everything I THINK I need… and yet I’m still not totally happy.  When I say happy, I mean like, the fulfilled kind of happy.  Not the Disneyland kind of happy (which is great! but only lasts so long).  And I wondered: when are the times in my life I remember being the most fulfilled-happy? Right away, I knew what was missing. 


Whenever I have been able to give to someone, it makes me happy.  Whether that is inviting a friend over to cook them a meal, donating my time at a homeless shelter, serving at my church, or visiting an orphanage in Mexico, I have been the most fulfilled by living for something other than myself.  Whenever I have been able to live with PURPOSE, it is amazingly fulfilling.
So, after all is said and done, I could have more money to buy more shiny things, but I won't be as happy as if I am able to really help people.  And I don't think I am at the place to quit my job and go into full-blown Mother Theresa mode, and I think if I wait until I am a really rich philanthropist I'll be waiting for maybe ever.  But if there is a way that I can do something right now, with what I have, like, every day, to help make the world better... that's what I really want.
How about you all?  What is it that you really want in life?  It's good for us to think about, right?
Xoxo, Al 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fundraising Guide- the power of fundraising

By creating a fundraising page on Sister India, not only are you showing somebody they're worth it, you're giving the people you love the most a chance to experience the deep fulfillment that comes from giving. This guide should empower you with the tools you need to have the most successful fundraising page possible!1. Lead the way in giving.
Show your potential supporters that you're serious about this cause. Be the first to click that big DONATE button on your page and watch your thermometer rise!
2. Personalize your page.
Add a profile pic of yourself. Many people may not care about neglected people in India yet, but they DO care about YOU! Add your own photos, videos & text that express your PERSONAL passion for education in India. Write about why you care!
3. Send your first email.
Click the email icon on your fundraising page. A basic email that's already been written for you will pop up. You can edit it to make it your own, enter your recipients and send! If you…
Post a Comment
Read more

It Takes a Village

You’ve heard the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child,” but in this story, a little girl is making waves in hers. 
Lily is a 12 year-old-girl who comes from a poor family in India. She is the third child of five with three other sisters and one brother.  Her father works as a mechanic earning very little; what money he does make is put toward his alcohol and tobacco addictions, leaving her mother to provide for the family.
Lily’s mother earns 100-150 Indian rupees per day cutting pieces of cloth, which is roughly $1.44 to $2.15 American dollars. With this meager amount, she must provide for her family of seven. Lily and her sister often help their mother with her work cutting cloth. 

Lily learned about our classes through her sister and started attending regularly. She is always on time and eager to learn! Our teachers encouraged her and taught her literacy skills, and she is now able to read words in Hindi. Her teachers say that she continues to improve, and she spends two hours …
Post a Comment
Read more

How to create a fundraising page on Sister India

This post will give you step by step instructions on how to create your own page on SisterIndia.org. To register click this link:Let's get started!

1. Set Up Your Account
Enter your information to create an account. Click “That was quick!” to submit.








2. Create Custom URL
Replace “yournamehere” with a unique name for friends to find your fundraising page. Then click “Create my URL now”. Click “OK” to reload page with your information.





3. Verify Your Account
You should have received an email with a link to verify your account. IMPORTANT: Your page will not be live to the public until you complete this step.



4. Congratulations, you've created your page!From here, you can customize and personalize your pageby completing the checklist on the right, or click “View My Page” on the upper left.  Customizing is OPTIONAL. If you wish to skip customizing, click "View My Page" on the upper left and scroll down to Step 8.




5. View My Page
This is your fundraising home page! Let’s customize …
Post a Comment
Read more