Engage!

The aim of life is to live,
and to live means to be aware,
joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.-Henry Miller

Your life is an occasion. Rise to it.

"When King Lear dies in Act 5, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He's written, "He dies." That's all, nothing more. No fanfare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words. The culmination of the most influential work of dramatic literature is: "He dies. 

It takes Shakespeare, a genius, to come up with "He dies. " And yet every time I read those two words, I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know it's only natural to be sad, but not because of the words "He dies," but because of the life we saw prior to the words.

I've lived all five of my acts, Mahoney, and I am not asking you to be happy that I must go. I'm only asking that you turn the page, continue reading... and let the next story begin.

And if anyone ever asks what became of me, you relate my life in all its wonder, and end it with a simple and modest "He died. "

I love you.

Your life is an occasion. Rise to it."

I am AmeriCorps...

I originally wrote this as a piece of self-reflection but decided to share it here: 
AmeriCorps National*Direct. These three words follow my title of Site Coordinator on my e-mail signature and on my business cards, I rarely take the time to reflect on what it means to me and the work I am doing. As a Site Coordinator at LIFT, I spend a lot of time sharing Why I LIFT and what this organization means to me and those I serve, but those other 3 words they don't get the attention they deserve.

I guess looking at it one way, LIFT is my AmeriCorps experience. I was never tied in to AmeriCorps the way my other friends were, through events like pre-service orientation and gatherings of AmeriCorps volunteers and to be honest over the last year that part of my service experience generally faded to the back burner. I was a LIFT Site Coordinator and AmeriCorps was just how I got there.

However, in February the very idea of AmeriCorps was threatened as the US House was drafting a budget that completely removed the program from the American landscape, the very idea of service was threatened and what AmeriCorps meant to me and the greater nation became ever more apparent. Then in March, I had the distinct honor to sit in a room with John Gomperts, the current Direct of AmeriCorps State and National programs, along with the rest of the LIFT team. I left that meeting more inspired that I have found myself after months of a long and imprisoning winter. Hearing the vision from the top of the organization and what inspired him to a life of service really helped propel me forward.

AmeriCorps has changed my life and, as cheesy as it sounds, this statement is unbelievably true. An intensive service experience was always an idea at the back of my head, something I wanted to pursue after college, though at the time I never really had a clear reason to do so. However, I took a chance as I figured the time in my life to act on this was now and then I found AmeriCorps. AmeriCorps allowed this idea of mine to be a reality and immersed me in a culture of service and giving with a support network spread nationwide. AmeriCorps let me connect with organizations that matched my passion and ultimately introduced me to an organization I absolutely love. Without AmeriCorps none of this would have been possible, to be honest I have no idea where I would be at this point.

Service is one of those give and take experience. It's the cliche phrase that rings so true: you often get way more out of service than what you put in to it. It's hard to put in to words everything I have learned this year but I will hit on a few moments that really capture my AmeriCorps experience and hopefully provide some advice to those considering a year (of two) of service:

• Everyone has a story. Listen for it, it's there. My term of service involves working in a social service resource center of sorts. I listen to individuals tell their story, a lot, and some days it may be all I accomplish. However, it is usually on these days I feel the most inspired and motivated behind what I do. I have learned more by listening to those I serve than I ever thought possible and I know most AmeriCorps members share similar sentiments. In our world we often find ourselves talking way more than we listen, I have been fortunate to learn how much more is accomplished when you take the other approach. 
• You are a part of something bigger than yourself. It is easy to get caught up in the details during your term of service or just whatever work you are doing in general, so much is happening out there on the ground and sometimes in the day to day it may seem near impossible to realize your impact and why what you are doing matters at all. Keep the big picture in mind - the mission and vision of my organization is kept constantly in my view, it helps every once and a while to glance at it and give me a pick me up for the day. It helps me remember that I am combating poverty and expanding opportunity each and every day. 
• Hope can be found in the most unlikely places. I'll let this one speak for itself. It always comes when you least expect it. 
• Reflect and grow. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity in one way or another. Soak it all in and learn as much as you can. Check yourself if you find you are just going through the motions, in one way or another you should be growing, even if it is just to grow to find out you hate the work you are doing. Soak up the knowledge, take it all in and allow it to propel you on whatever career path you choose, the experience you can gain in a year or two is hard to replicate. 
• Make an impact. At the end of it all you should be able to walk away, turn around and say I did that. Leave you mark, your time may be limited but your impact does not have to be. All in all leave the organization in a better place than when you started, any small act can accomplish that. 

As I get ready to propelcollapsing there on the spot. But the experience AmeriCorps provides for myself and thousands of other individuals each year is unmatched and for that I am happy to tell anyone I encounter that I am AmeriCorps. 

Yours in service. 

Some Inspirational Speeches...

So I may have stayed up until 3AM last night watching The 10 Most Viewed Commencement Speeches in the History of YouTube which proved beyond inspiring and motivating, something I definitely needed going in to this summer. It provided the pick me up I needed to charge ahead and make a huge impact at work this summer and in my personal life as I prepare to take the GRE in August and make the decision of I do next; grad school or otherwise.

I recommend 3 out of the 10 that I found most inspiring/enjoyable. All 3 speakers were highly engaging and great story tellers:
Meryl Streep, Barnard Commencement Speaker 2010, Columbia University

Lisa Kudrow's address to the graduating class of 2010 at Vassar

And Oprah's 2008 Stanford Commencement Address 

Enjoy! 

A well timed e-mail.

 Everything you want is out there
waiting for you to ask.
Everything you want also wants you.
But you have to take action to get it.-Jules Renard

"Lots of ripplers are graduating: some from high school, others from college, and still others are moving on in other ways: new jobs, weddings, etc.

No doubt about it: times are tough and some of you are beginning new chapters with more fear and frustration than you want. I wish I could wave a wand and make it better, but unfortunately I don't have a wand (note to self: purchase wand).

Instead, I'm going to remind you that some times we are waiting around until we feel better so we can take action when what we COULD do is jump in and take action so we feel better. I cannot guarantee you will succeed at everything you attempt this week, but I am confident that you will move forward even if you don't make it to the finish line.

On your mark, get set, GO GET IT!
Peace,
Paul"


I subscribe to the Ripples Project, weekly inspirational e-mails on Monday mornings, a great way to start your week and get your day off to the right start. I've been having a pretty rough time these past few days being overwhelmed with negative situations and work and in my personal life. This e-mail could not be more perfect for me and I wanted to share it with anyone else out there who could use a touch of inspiration to power through the week or whatever you may be going through in your life. 


Also, if you have yet to do so I would highly recommend you subscribe to his weekly e-mails. 

Peace out! 

In need of direction

"Isn't it the moment of most profound doubt that gives birth to new certainties? Perhaps hopelessness is the very soil that nourishes human hope; perhaps one could never find sense in life without first experiencing its absurdity."
- Vaclav Havel

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that" 

Why I LIFT...

Check out my page to support the movement! 

About a year ago, as I was getting ready to graduate college, I was planning for my next big adventure, I knew it had to be something impactful and to me a year of service was the most natural course. I completed my AmeriCorps application and began exploring different organizations, and then I found LIFT and knew I had found something special. I remember leaving my interview for the Site Coordinator position and realizing how crushed I would be if I did not get to be a part of this amazing organization, as I was not fortunate enough to be involved with LIFT in college, and at that moment I know I had found something special.

As a Site Coordinator for LIFT-Chicago’s Uptown office, I have the best job I could have ever imagined. I recruit, train and manage an amazing group of college students from Loyola University Chicago who continue to inspire me on a daily basis and this is why I LIFT. The work we do is by no means easy and it is difficult to imagine as a college student you would have to tell someone maybe twice your age, “I’m sorry but it looks like you will not be able to keep your apartment. Let’s look into some emergency shelter options” However, the student advocates in my office and across the network do just that and they do so with so much compassion and empathy that the clients we work for are given a renewed hope, a reason to move on and faith in what lies ahead, no matter how uncertain the future may be.

LIFT is as much about service to our clients as it is about the experience of the college students who help our clients navigate their path out of poverty. My favorite moments within my day are when clients leave their meeting, walk up to the front desk beaming and tell me “I need to me with him/her again, they just made my day!” One particular client, when I ask her how her meeting went, always tells me with a laugh and a huge smile, “Matt, you know I love coming in here! Everyone just makes me feel so empowered and motivated, this is the best appointment I have all week.” It’s always the same and some days it is hard to wrap my head around the impact these students are having, but it ALWAYS gets me up in the morning, excited to see what my day will bring, if no other reason than to get to be around such positive energy, despite often challenging situations.

It’s easy to look at the newspaper and feel hopeless for the direction our world and society is headed. However, when I read everything going on in this world, I am able to maintain hope simply by looking around at the student advocates I work with, if they and I have anything to do with the future direction of our world, we will be just fine.

I LIFT to inspire and motivate the next generation of leaders in the anti-poverty movement. Will you join them?

It's a broken system: Gender Roles

The world has changed a lot and often quicker than our social institutions can keep up with. Progress is slow in some areas and at times the world seems backwards because of this. When it comes to gender roles the social service industry is drastically behind the curve, stuck in a world of what once was. Yes, at one point, the services were desperately lacking for women and the situation was even worse for single mothers and thus countless services have sprung up, lead by visionaries in their field to address this problem and provide real help where it is needed. (And I will be the first to point out that in general the supply still does not meet the demand.)

In that world, men did not take care of the children if a marriage failed or they were often the ones to abandoned the relationship when a woman became pregnant,  the idea of child support was created for just this reason. However, the world has changed and gender roles with it, but the social service sector has yet to catch up.

Today, I witnessed and had the opportunity to meet a single father who was taking care of his 3 year old daughter after his wife passed away. The events in his life threw him into a world where we was both homeless and unemployed. His daughter and himself are living in a homeless shelter, not the ideal environment for a 3 year old, who by the way is the sweetest child ever. His focus was housing and getting his daughter into a better situation first, then and only then would he worry about focusing on himself. For this man his world was his daughter and you could see the love he had for her and the desire to protect her from the second he walked into the room.

It then became time to face the reality, as we entered what we knew would be a vain search. Phone call after phone call resulted in the same answer: "I'm sorry we only take women with children, men are not allowed." It appears we live in a world were men are not expected to be the care givers for their child. In fact, if you are living in poverty, the logical choice (if the mother is still present) is for the father to abandon the situation all together so the remainder of the family has a better chance of getting in to some sort of housing - an action I have seen several men have to take with no other options left for themselves or their family. It is sad that we are put in a situation where you often has to suggest splitting the family up as a means to get by and achieve basic necessities.

When this action occurs a stereotype is perpetuated and the system justifies itself. These fathers are then often given no other option then to live in a Men's Hotel, a place that has been described to me as both unsafe and drug ridden. This environment is especially detrimental to individuals who are recovering from an addiction. Thus, the cycle of poverty is recreated and for those lost within the system relapse is almost a guarantee.

And what about the loving father and his daughter? When will the system catch up? When will these individuals have someone speak up for them and allow this struggling father to give his daughter the life he so desperately wants to provide and the life they both deserve? When will people begin to realize that males care about their family too?

The current social service system and the countless agencies that make it up were created with the best of intentions, but it is time for change. It is time for people to realize that men are no longer the enemy and that they are not the only ones abandoning their children (countless women now sadly take this action as well.) We need an inclusive system, one that looks at the individual, at each situation separately . We need a system that can adapt beyond gender, because, as any anthropologist will tell you, gender will adapt to the society around it and in some cases change society. We need a country and system that realizes that gender is not static, now it's just a question of who will take the lead and it seems in this case the leaders have yet to emerge.

In a funk...

So I looked up from my work the other day and I felt kind of lost. For various reasons lately I've completely thrown myself into my work. It's provided a distraction that I've wrapped myself up in so I don't have to think about anything else. If I do well at work than I have succeeded and that's all I need to focus on doing, or so I've told myself. I've avoided personal reflection, I've avoided telling others how I'm really feeling and kept it all really surface level. This is the biggest flaw of mine, I know it and I have no solution to it.

I listen, all day I listen to clients, to volunteers, to friends, I listen and take it all in and provide support back, don't get me wrong it's something I love doing. I have real trouble taking the answer to "How are you doing" farther than anything but good or fine. As long as I respond that way I avoid having to go any further into analyzing my feelings and everything going on in my life. And now I have come to the conclusion that I lack any real personal connection with anyone around me, great right? Thus my funk.

So, when I looked up from my work the other day, all of this came crashing down on me and I felt lost. I am constantly surrounded by inspiring people; my volunteers, my close friends and those I serve, and I feel as if I do not fit in to this group. I feel lost and I feel beyond alone because of it. I fail at focusing on personal care and avoid doing it at all costs. Why? Because than I never need to confront my feelings and thus I throw my myself into everything else going on in my life. This has opened up my eyes a lot and I need to shift my priorities. For the first time in my life one of those priorities needs to be me. That's going to be one of the hardest shifts I'll ever make, especially when I focus my entire life on service to everyone else around me.

Well wish me luck!

How about changing the world this week...

‎"People who urge you to be realistic generally want you to accept their version of reality."


"Mountains can never reach each other, despite their bigness. But humans can." - Afghan Proverb 


"When your heart speaks take good notes." - Susan Campbell 


"It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn't matter who gets the credit." - Harry S. Truman 

Musings

"I believe that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have"


(Yes I did find this on the wall today while grabbing lunch at Jimmy John's)

Knowledge is power.

Ignorance is dangerous. I feel privileged to work with so many motivated individuals empowered to fight said ignorance. When it comes to poverty and homelessness this ignorance adds to an every growing struggle to bring a real end to the poverty epidemic. Increases the struggle to pass influential and important legislation and inspire everyday people to make a difference.

During lunch today I was doing my usual quick look over the days news and my twitter feed, glancing at some and reading other articles to stay up to date. A tweet via Mother Jones caught my eye and an article lit a fire within me. I will admit a year ago I would have looked it over sighed and moved on, not truly understanding it.

You can find a link to the original post I was here. 

The post alludes to an article from a Mississippi news paper that claims overall, through the above chart, that due to government "handouts" families making around $14,500 (a single parent with 2 children) have in the end more spending money than that same family making $60,000 a year.

I'm not going to go into technical details of how wrong this is, the post does a nice job of that itself. However, looking at a personal level this is beyond insulting to the people I work with everyday. As always there will be people who free ride any system, rich or poor this will always be the case. But to say everyone enjoys having to receive help to get by and reap the benefits is disgusting.

For many people, receiving public benefits has a huge stigma attached to it. To most having to accept public benefits says that you failed and you can not do it on your own. From where I stand that is not a very good feeling for most people to have. I know this to be true from the countless times I have had to beg clients to apply for Food Stamps and have them argue back that they are too embarrassed to have to use a LINK card in a neighborhood where their community will see the help they need. And do you really think those kids are proud eating their government funded lunch at school sitting with other children who had a choice in what they could eat today.

I won't really get started on the Section 8 Rent Subsidy, since the bulk of families currently in poverty (there because of the most recent economic depression) will never see or experience the benefit of a rental subsidy.  Decisions made during the last presidential administration drastically cut this funding and the huge opposition those making $60k plus have to public or affordable housing make certain that very few affordable housing options have been built in recent years for those struggling to get by can afford a place of their own. But by all means if the creator of that chart would like to provide my clients access to this overwhelmingly accessible "government give away" by all means prove me wrong and show me those rolling in the cash in their small government funded apartment.

Having to beg is not something those in this country thrive on, we have created a culture that looks down upon those who have to ask for a hand out, so much so that people are embarrassed to do so. I ask you to consider the last time you had to ask for something because you couldn't acquire it yourself. How did you feel? I bet there was a good amount of shame mixed in there and I would bet that you waited until the last second to ask for said help. So if for one second you think that those receiving public benifits are beyond excited about this, please seriously reconsider what you are basing your opinion on. I think a LIFT client put it best:  “Once you lose your job, you lose your identity and self-worth.  Joblessness and depression?  They go hand-in-hand.” 


I think more people need to take the time to understand instead of just making assumptions based  off numbers that do not tell the whole story. My boss, leaders within our volunteer base and myself are wary of numbers, things people are so quickly to turn to in-order to find and answer. Try some personal experience before you make your decision, try and volunteer, make a difference, then see what you think. Besides it's what you do and not what you say that really counts. 

Peace Begins with One Person

On the train today I was reading an essay from This I Believe II and came across an essay that truly inspired me, so much so that I had to put the book down and really reflect and what I had read. It may be because of my AmeriCorps service and how closely it relates to it what I do but I feel that this needed to be shared with as many people as possible. So read on:

Peace Begins with One Person 

By: Ivory Harlow 

"I serve coffee at a counter-style dinner in Texas. I often see a look of isolation in my customers' eyes. They come in the front door, wander to the counter, pick up the menu, and look around the diner for something they can't short-order: a connection.

      In an age of online chat, online shopping, and even online school, it's no wonder people come into the diner starving for human connection. Most of my customers can remember a time when the milkman came to their front door. As I serve up their eggs and bacon, they offer updates on their grandchildren. They ask me about the happenings in my life. 

     One day, I walked to the back of the smoking section to pass around a fresh pot of coffee. There was a woman who had been sitting in a corner booth for at least three hours. She asked me, "How much is just one breakfast taco?" I told her I didn't know, that I'd never served just one by itself. Going back to the kitchen I thought about her rotted teeth and tired eyes, and how she'd consumed enough caffeine for three people already. I offered her a free pancake breakfast. I fibbed that it was left over from an order I had messed up. She asked to borrow bus fare and promised to return and pay me back. I handed over tip money from my apron pocket. She smiled a ragged grin on her way out the front door. 

     Three weeks later she returned my two dollars. She had gotten a job and a friend's couch to sleep on. She offered to buy me breakfast on my break!

      This kind of thing gets me wondering if something as simple as a short stack of pancakes can bring about a small shift in society. I'll go even further: Can one act of friendliness start to generate peace? I believe it can. Peace begins with one person but spreads like warmed syrup. When I connect with my neighbors, they return it in kind. 

      So I believe in friendliness and an open ear. For me, it starts with making eye contact when I pour coffee and ask my customers, "How you doing?" and then listen to their answer. 

    My job is to take care of customers as the counter in a small Texas diner, but I also believe we're in this world to take care of each other." 

Ivory Harlow began working as a waitress after a tour of duty in the US Air Force. She is studying for a bachelor's degree in business administration. Harlow lives in San Antonio with her husband and dog, and she enjoy writing poems and nonfiction. 

- pg 100. This I Believe II. Edited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman. 

Try something new

Be daring,
be different,
be impractical,
be anything that will assert
integrity of purpose and
imaginative vision
against the play-it-safers,
the creatures of the commonplace,
the slaves of the ordinary.
-Sir Cecil Beaton

Between my 1st and 2nd year of college I attend my first NACURH Conference in Oshkosh, WI, an organization that in a large way would come to define my college career and my views on leadership. Paul Wesselmann, who founded the Ripples Project, spoke about the huge impact of small actions. He sends out a weekly inspirational e-mail with some short quotes and brief stories the pushes you to think about the ordinary in a new way. For the next 3 years I largely deleted these e-mails without opening then, I thought they weren't that important to my daily life, I had more important things to read. Yet, I never unsubscribe and I'm glad that's the case.


I recently started reading them again and am learning they apply more and more to my everyday work and involvement in AmeriCorps and my post-college night. If nothing else they make me think and I suggest you subscribe it's a quick read and a good pick me up on Monday. 


"Your unique and fabulous creative talent is desperately needed.  The people around you, indeed the people of the world are counting on you to step up and deliver magnificence.  If you're shirking in the shadows, afraid that someone will judge you or ridicule you or shame you, let me address that fear:  someone indeed might judge, ridicule, and/or shame you.  AND I'm quite sure there is someone who may just as loudly encourage you, applaud you, and yes, even celebrate you." 


If this isn't motivation to get out and make a difference or do something different, I don't know what is. It certainly inspired and motivated me through my Monday and lead to a fairly productive day and powered me through my Tuesday. Carry this through the week with you and hopefully help to propel you into a year of changing the world that will allow you to "deliver magnificence."

Challenge: Greening my life...

So I've committed at least 40 hours a week to fighting poverty, but as a student of both International Studies and Geography it's hard to focus all my energy on just one issue. There's too much going on in the world and everything it too interconnected to only focus on one issue, so I wanted my challenge myself to take on another issue a little more directly. Start strong this week and see what happens from there.

Over Twitterverse this article from YES! Magazine caught my eye: "10 Ways to Change Your Life" and I figured I could take on a bit of a challenge for myself this week. I'm not following the article exactly, but I figured there are some ways I could make my life a little more environmentally friendly. One of my roommates senior year really pushed shoved certain aspects of environmentalism down our throats, so much so that we recycled about 3 times as much trash as we produced (which also might speak to how much my roommates and I drank senior year.)

So naturally, when looking for an apartment in Chicago I was a bit nervous about the whole recycling thing, my conscious and my senior year roommate would have not let me feel good about throwing anything away, thankfully my current roommate felt just about the same way. But I'm not perfect and I wish I could contribute a bit more to this cause, even if I'm only one person if I'm going to preach the message I should take a little more action day to day. Yes, I'm only one person but movements like this have to start somewhere.

So over the next week, I'm going to take a few steps to green up my life which I hope will result in some more long term positive changes. Thankfully, I already take the train and bus everywhere so my carbon footprint is a lot lower than usual, but I think the largest obstacle is some organization behind my life. So here are my steps I plan on taking over the next week:

1. Eat all the food in my kitchen before I buy more. So I waste A LOT of food. I've thrown away more mold covered food since I've moved in here, I never realized how much more 4 guys ate than just the two of us. So, I am not allowing myself to go grocery shopping until I empty my fridge and pantry. From here I can reevaluate what I buy and how I utilize the food I buy. Long term goal: reduce food waste. Short term goal: cook some interesting things.
2. Take out all of our recycling. This is more of a personal cleansing thing and it helps the environment.
3. Organize my room. I want to reduce how much I consume and the first step is to take inventory of what I already have. Long term goal: reduce how much I own. Short term goal: Clean my room.
4. Install a dual-flush converter on my toilet that my friend graciously provided me with. This might break my toilet, they say I don't need tools to install it. I don't believe it. Long term goal: reduce water usage. Short term goal: don't break my toilet.
5. Recycle some clothes. We over consume and we over buy. So I need to figure out where I can cut down, maybe realize I'm not as attached to some t-shirts as others and reduce and reuse as much stuff as I can instead of letting it collect dust.

So there's my ambitious week. I'll let you know how it goes one week from now, unless I break my toilet then maybe you'll hear about this one sooner rather then later.

Peace out!

Think about it.

"It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn't matter who gets the credit." - Harry S. Truman

I wish more people could live by this motto. What do you think the current state of our nation would be? Think about it and imagine it. Ideally we're all working together toward common goals. It doesn't matter which political party wrote the bill or who got to be in power, everyone could share the credit equally and enjoy doing so. That seems too good to be true and is highly idealized, but it's a wish.

Internationally this would be a dream. War - meh. Climate change - combated. Nuclear weapons - racing to do what? I guess that's why I always struggled through those more intense war based discussion in some of my International Studies classes. Can't was all get along? It seemed so easy and the natural solution to so many problems. Sadly the complexity of the world and people's egos don't allow that to happen.

I don't have much of an opinion on Harry Truman or what type of president he was and the quote isn't really tied to the man at all. I think I stumbled upon it one day when I was looking up leadership quotes and in every leadership position I've held, I have tried to live by it. Junior year I repeated it to my RHA Exec Board over and over again and we won a national award because of it. It was never about individual glory or ho specifically did what, but looking at the bigger picture what we could accomplish together as a group working towards a common goal. To be honest it was beyond amazing.

Now, faced with overwhelming issues of poverty on a daily basis, I find myself thinking of this quote a lot. So many actions have been taken that have put my clients in these situations just to make a point. Their unemployment running out? Part of a larger policy decision because someone wanted to screw someone else over and get noticed for that. Imagine where we would be if they had worked together. If it was no longer about who got what, but instead what the collective achieved. Lately on a national scale it hasn't been that impressive. But scaling it down to the 40+ college students I have the honor to work with daily it's amazing. I work in a place where we are all working together towards the greater collective good. It is never about what one individual does and none of those students seek out credit, no matter how much they deserve it. I find it so inspiring and we're accomplishing a surprising amount in this epic fight against poverty. Something I learn more and more everyday that is less about one individual.

I don't know if I said much of anything just now. But think about it. Step back from your life and imagine how truly amazing it would be if everyone could honestly say "it doesn't matter who gets the credit."

A literary adventure

Embarking on a little project. Check out the blog and the original post here:  http://26booksinoneyear2011.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/matt-is-getting-started/

Oh hi. So here I am. Alex gave me the password so I guess I’m on this thing too and embarking on the journey. I love reading it’s a passion of mine and I think words can take you so many different places that your imagination just runs wild. Growing up my mom always told us to turn off the TV, we could read instead. I am forever grateful for that rule. Because of that and the countless numbers of books I thus read as a child, I have a dangerous imagination and it can take me anywhere. Fiction or non-fiction has the exact same effect, those words open up a whole new world of possibilities.

The interesting thing is that I have never actually sat down and recorded what I have read so that will make this interesting on my end and that is why I jumped on this blog, because reading is something I am passionate about and so hopefully keeping up with this will be no problem.

Will I probably read more than 26 books over the course of this year? My guess is yes (I’m already almost through my first two), but it will be fun nonetheless.

A few things about me and reading:
1. I have to finish a book once I make it past the first page. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis took me 2 years to read. It was a short book, it put me to sleep with every page I turned and yet I felt incomplete until it was done.
2. I am often reading 2 books at one time. Currently on: naked by David Sedaris and In Defense of Food by Micheal Pollon.
3. I will not be making any sort of list in advance, but I will be keeping track as I go. The books that spark my interest often change and I don’t want to limit myself to 26 when there are still thousands of books I have yet to discover and hundreds yet to be written this year.

On that note, my first 4 books will definitely be naked by David Sedaris, In Defense of Food by Micheal Pollon, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin and This I Belive II edited by Jay Allison & Dan Gediman. I only know this because I currently have all these books in my possession and they are in my to read pile.

Well cheers to a great literary adventure!

Think about it.

"It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn't matter who gets the credit." - Harry S. Truman

More on that later. 

Welcome to 2011!

Really living
is when a human being chooses
to awaken from their comfy trance
of resignation and circumstance
and step into their destiny,
their purpose, their freedom,
their possibility.
-Judy Morris

It's a new year. I don't think that really means it's a time to make a resolution. Who sticks to those anyways? I always thought they were dumb and never really made one mainly because it didn't interest me. Hey how you make up something that you don't really care about doing and forget about it in a week. Are you really committed to doing something you mentioned off hand because someone ask you, possibly while drunk, what you were committed to changing? What are you going to do with that?

So use the new year as a chance, maybe to reexamine where you are in your life and what you are doing. I woke up a few weeks ago and realized simply how pathetic I was being and made a choice not to be so pessimistic. It took work, but it was a choice I was ready to make. Running everyday is not something I could do right now, I mean I could but I don't want to right now and it's a resolution I have made at least 3 times before. I don't like running in the cold so it's a stupid thing to commit to right now. There's  my difference. So I'm going to focus on little choices that I think can change my outlook, my approach to life or simply how I live everyday. Not sure what they are going be yet but I'll keep you updated.

Here's to a great 2010 and an even greater 2011!