Keep Calm & Carry On

Today... today is post-Easter food/candy coma and I am being attacked by all things pollinated.

It's times like these that I feel most disconnected from what I like to refer to as my "real-life" which consists of: working to pay the rent and my "real, real-life" which is more: everything I do unrelated to my career and my paycheck. Lately, I've noticed that my real life is becoming very overbearing on my real, real-life. So, I'm going to take a moment to think about those in my real, real life who inspire me.


my co-hort in this whole experiment de vida. She is the ying to my yang. She is nice without thinking about it, kind without thinking through it and generous without a second's thought. I sometimes struggle to be kind. It's true. Maybe, because I was an only child for so long, I have an inherent selfishness that is hard to shake. But she takes no moment pause to say kind things about people and gives a lot of people more second, third and fourth chances than I give out first chances. I learn from her everyday and I try, a little bit harder every day to reach down and find the good in any person.

my mom has been through more than I hope to ever experience. Her eyes are deep with the lessons of life, love and family. Everytime I pause to compare our lives, I realize that when she was my age- she had a two-year old child. I think of the sacrifice and selflessness that required of a woman who I know I inherited so much of my independence and drive from.

I have a friend who is an amazing activist. Right now, he is traveling the country teaching other young folks how to be an activist and what it means to fight for something you believe in. He inspires me because sometimes I find myself wavering from my own beliefs. I like to change my mind alot- perhaps it comes from a flexibility I have to have in my job and being a twenty-something, adapability is key; however moral and ideal flexibility probably isn't the most sound policy. My friend inspires me because he's been able to turn himself into a machine of activism, a person who wakes up everyday and gets to inspire people to be more than their ideas, to become a megaphone for their ideals. his days must be truly rewarding.


last but not least, scott harrison. about 5 months ago I spoke at event where Scott was the keynote. He talked about his organization charity:water and their work in remote countries, installing water wells that completely transformed communities and brought hope. I think hearing him was the first seed that was planted in my decision to leave and go to Rwanda.

On a closing note, the other day a friend of mine asked me "So, you're going to Rwanda because you want to work in humanitarian stuff now?" and I realized: for the first time in my life, or my life after age 16, I was doing something that had absolutely nothing to do with my career. I was doing something that wouldn't be a line item on my vitae. I was doing something for the sole purpose of myself, a decision I made without being guided by an obsession with a career. I recently heard about a friend from college who had studied his way through b-school, passed up weekend parties and bar crawls for b-school networking events and more studying-- he was offered a six-figure salary, moving costs and a bonus to help cover a great upper-east side apartment. He lost his job in the middle of the financial sector meltdown and moved home.

A career will only get you so far.

Finding happiness and worth in everything you do lasts forever.