The last 48 hours has EXPANDED and FOREVER changed my worldview on poverty, community and giving back (a BIG epiphany, here).
One of my favorite sayings is: You don’t know what you don’t know until you know. I am going to go another level beyond that concept…you don’t REALLY know until you have had your OWN personal experience with something (AKA, until you FEEL IT and it changes your perspective- your WORLDVIEW).
I have always felt deep compassion for others but this past week I SHIFTED beyond into a realm of understanding. You can read extensively on something, have intelligent conversation on a situation, even have a passion for it but UNTIL you have your very OWN experience you probably can’t become ONE with it.
Many of you know how PASSIONATE I am sharing tools, techniques, and resources for CREATING YOUR BEST LIFE but how can you BEGIN to change your life if you don’t have the basics covered: food, shelter and water.
This past January one the first day of my annual “Create Your Best Life” Retreat (Day 1 was focused on “Business and Entreprenualship combined with “Making a Difference in The World”) featured Frank McKinney, A Real Estate Artist, Best-Selling Author of 5 Books, and Philanthropist, who spoke about “Philanthro-Capitalism – the Dovetailing of Your Professional & Spiritual Highest Calling. Frank compassionately spoke about his own divine calling of not only building houses for the ultra wealthy but also for on the opposite end of the spectrum, for the world’s poorest too.
When he mentioned that you could build a house in Haiti for $4000 that could shelter up to 8-10 people, I was moved to tears to see a dozen or so hands go immediately right up to contribute by funding one. Not only did you get to fund a home, Frank in partner with Hope2Haiti (Scott who oversees and executes these and similar projects), takes donors down to Haiti to meet the families and see the homes that you build with your own eyes- aka, you get to EXPERIENCE all of it.
Well, I just got back yesterday from the trip. Not only was I able to share this experience with my son, Daniel but I got to connect with a community of 58 other ROCKING, HEART CENTERED, CREATIVE people (oh, and did I mention half a dozen of them were teenagers??)
We hugged the children in the orphanages and got to LOVE all over everyone we met.
Looking into the eyes of every men, woman, well, there are not enough WORDS to describe that feeling but here I go with an attempt to share with you:
HUMBLED; I knew I was blessed, I do focus on gratitude, and I was scratching the service of giving forward BUT now when I feel each of those feelings, I am COMPELLED and COMMITTED to take BOLDER and MORE CONSISTENT ACTION. I share the mantra; To those that much is given, much is expected, with Frank Mckinney. I will NOW live that in an EVEN BIGGER way.
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE for all; I have felt a strong connection to globally, to everyone, regardless of their race, religion, or background but NOW I feel it in my BONES. I feel it with every breath I take. I will now, OPEN my heart even WIDER to GIVE that LOVE away FREELY all of the time. That desire has moved from a conscious thought to ENCODED deep into my SUBCONSCIOUSNESS BEING.
ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is POSSIBLE; One thought, one idea, one vision can change the world. An entire world exists inside of each one of us. Shelter for one person is the ENTIRE WORLD to that one person and everyone of us can do something (even sharing a smile or a hug) that could CHANGE the world of ONE. I have now EXPANDED my worldview to include not only an image of PEACE, HAPPINESS and SUCCESS in the world but a daily vision of SHELTER, WATER and FOOD for those that live in poverty in even the poorest countries. (Thank you, Frank, Nilsa, Doug and Scott).
As I REFLECT back this experience, I am forever touched, forever changed.
One person, one idea, one act of courage and LOVE can CHANGE the WORLD. Already did (Scroll down to the bottom to see some of the photos of this incredible journey).
Love to YOU on this day (and EVERYDAY),
Wendi
P.S- And a big THANK YOU to my new friend Yanik Silver whom I had the great honor to get to know on this trip; Yanik and I are both totally down on the idea that EVERY word is POWERFUL, so when I read in his new book “Evolved Enterprise” about the the phrase “Give Back” implying that we took something away – a big light bulb went off; hence: “giving it forward” from this point on vs “giving it back”. (Don’t forget to scroll below to check out the photos from our experience).
