I've been getting a lot of heat for going over a month without posting on my blog - people are threatening to stop visiting, so I promise I am going to get back in the groove and will try and update more regularly.
The first story I have been meaning to share is about the Global Village training program Joan Wellman and I went to in Chicago a couple weeks ago... I had been to this event before (a two-day seminar hosted by Habitat for Humanity International), but still I was amazed at the people we met and the stories we heard. College kids leading groups of strangers through African countries. Ministers uniting entire churches around build projects in Guatemala. Young professionals leading their 7th and 8th trips to Romania... It definitely put my small attempts at contributing to global change in perspective!
Beyond having a wonderful time with my dear friend Joan and gaining incredible insight from our peers at the training, I also left with a motivating message that I think may actually change my life. The message was to concentrate on "living in the present." I've heard this oh-so-simple statement countless times, but for some reason it resonated in Chicago... I realized that being present doesn't just mean being at an event; it means being truly engaged with whatever is directly in front of me. Conversations for example... I am the queen of talking to someone while still absorbing a nearby conversation or another activity in the room. I am fantastic at reading a book, while thinking about story lines for a book of my own. I watch TV and work at the same time. I write thank you notes while carrying on conversations with Mike...
So, one of my primary, short-term goals is learning to put things on pause - to turn the multi-tasking off at moments throughout the day - and to truly be present. Try it. It's harder than you think.
The first story I have been meaning to share is about the Global Village training program Joan Wellman and I went to in Chicago a couple weeks ago... I had been to this event before (a two-day seminar hosted by Habitat for Humanity International), but still I was amazed at the people we met and the stories we heard. College kids leading groups of strangers through African countries. Ministers uniting entire churches around build projects in Guatemala. Young professionals leading their 7th and 8th trips to Romania... It definitely put my small attempts at contributing to global change in perspective!
Beyond having a wonderful time with my dear friend Joan and gaining incredible insight from our peers at the training, I also left with a motivating message that I think may actually change my life. The message was to concentrate on "living in the present." I've heard this oh-so-simple statement countless times, but for some reason it resonated in Chicago... I realized that being present doesn't just mean being at an event; it means being truly engaged with whatever is directly in front of me. Conversations for example... I am the queen of talking to someone while still absorbing a nearby conversation or another activity in the room. I am fantastic at reading a book, while thinking about story lines for a book of my own. I watch TV and work at the same time. I write thank you notes while carrying on conversations with Mike...
So, one of my primary, short-term goals is learning to put things on pause - to turn the multi-tasking off at moments throughout the day - and to truly be present. Try it. It's harder than you think.
P.S. The picture is of Joan and I at a St. Patrick's Day Party in Chicago. Wild, green weekend that we weren't expecting, and a ton of fun.
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