This dream comes and goes and COMES and goes and COMES and STAYS.
I want to have my own non-profit that works to reduce poverty and create sustainable development. All during college, I dreamed of going with Help International. I even applied for a position as a Country Director last Fall and had a really GREAT chance of getting the position for Summer 2010 - however, I turned them down because it just didn't seem like the right opportunity at the time. I don't regret turning them down because I know it was the right thing to do; however, I do still check on their site frequently and am fascinated by the work they do.
Then, there's SHe. I love them as well! In fact, I'm currently brainstorming how I could take their expedition to Nepal. I'm sure that would help me in my career! I could consider it an educational AND life investment.
But when it comes down to it, all of these little expeditions only make me MORE convinced that I need to get the ball rolling and work towards my own Non-Profit. I have brainstormed this many times and have scattered notes about plans and dreams and how we would help. I've thought of recruiting, fundraising, networking, and administrating options. I've considered lawyers that I know that might be willing to donate some time to the cause and make sure everything is legal. As I'm typing this, I just thought of some accountants that I'm sure would be willing to help as well.
I have a quote on my cubicle wall that I read about 100 times a day. It says, "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible - the fear of failure." (The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo) I can't really think of anything that terrible that would happen from trying this. Failure is only failure if you don't learn anything from it. The best thing that could happen would be that I am able to help someone have a better life, hope, and a future of opportunity. And every volunteer who got involved would be changed because volunteering and helping others CHANGES YOU. And, little be little, volunteer by volunteer we could have more love and service in this world. More smiling faces. I like that.
I don't really care about having a lot of money. I just need to be able to support myself. I would love to run this dream Non-Profit (which will one day have a name) as my job until I have other obligations and then have someone else manage it and I just volunteer and remain on the Board. Oh, and my little future children would be able to go on these little expeditions as well. Beautiful thought!
I wrote an email to my BFF earlier to convince her to partner up with me (after all, this is her dream as well and she's going to Grad School to do this VERY thing). As I was writing I was envisioning myself up in front of a large group and my task was to motivate them and get them pumped and participating, so the words, "Are you with me?!? I said, Are you with me?!?" were meant to be shouted (although not the kind of shout that would lose my followers such as this one, bless his heart)
Anyway, now the question is, am I willing to make this dream a reality?
