Hatch

"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad."

- C.S. Lewis

Jacqueline Novogratz: Inspiring a life of immersion

Amazing woman.

If you don't want to watch the whole thing, I'd recommend going to 14:25 -- one of many of the great stories told by Jacqueline in this clip.

2011

1. 365 days of pictures:
   In middle school and high school, I took a billion pictures; I was never without a camera (I had gone from disposable cameras to a point-and-shoot film camera to a beautiful Minolta xd-7 to a Canon G5, which was pretty much permanently attached to my hand from 10th grade until 12th grade). And then college hit and my camera suddenly stopped joining my on my daily adventures. Even after I purchased a Canon Rebel XS and a Canon SD780, my photo-taking increased a bit but still stayed at a significant low in comparison to my younger years. This year, I will document my life more -- because life is precious and my memory is seriously shot (note to self: take more fish oil capsules). Also, I'll try to post the week's pictures up.


2. Speak more than English:
   I will improve my Spanish significantly. I will learn to do more than read & write the Bengali alphabet -- I will actually learn words so that I can understand what I am reading & writing. I will improve my Cantonese. I will pick up more Mandarin. I will attempt French and Portuguese (again). The last sentence is a huge maybe.


3. Travel:
   Hong Kong. Macau. Nanning. Shanghai. Dhaka. Kolkata. Hyderabad. Mumbai. Rajasthan. Delhi. Kopila Valley. Dubai. Anywhere inspiring.


4. Read at least a double-digit amount of books:
   This excludes assigned academic texts and the Bible.


5. Read the Bible. Like, really read it:
   I once had about 10 books of the New Testament memorized word for word, references and all. And not just zombie-memorized; really studied and memorized. I sadly cannot say that I can recite most of them to you anymore. Time to brush up. Maybe not memorize word for word, but definitely take this reading way more seriously than I did in 2010.


6. Cultivate creativity:
   I will paint more than one piece this year. I will actually use my sketchbooks for more than propping up things and collecting dust. I will Sculpey. I will design. I will innovate. I will dance. I will get inspired in any way I can. I will spray paint. I will take photographs, not just pictures and snapshots. I will write. I will be someone's muse and model.


7. Listen to more music:
   I used to be a music junkie. The whole indie-punk stereotype. In 2011, I will discover new music and listen to it more. If you have recommendations, send them over. Music inspires me; I think that's why I stopped creating as much in college. I stopped listening to music like I used to.


8. Go on more daily adventures:
   This pertains specifically to my city. I don't know how much longer I will be in New York City, the best place ever. I may be here forever...but I may not. I already go on a good amount of excursions on these streets but I want to continue it and do it even more this coming year.


9. Listen to more sermons online:
   At least twice a month.


10. Select and maintain friendships better:
    In the past, I've gotten into a lot of trouble because of people misinterpreting my actions -- either I act too much and end up being seen as demanding or I don't act enough and I'm told I'm ignoring people. I will be more conscious of my friendships, make dates with people, enjoy company, be aware of girls' cattiness and boys' idiocies, and mold myself more to be a better friend who understands, accepts, and loves her friends around her. In an almost paradoxical attempt at a balance, I will also be more careful in choosing who I spend my time with and who I let into my heart. Not everyone should be so intimately deemed a friend, otherwise there may be a lot of hurt and heartache. Noted.


11. Say yes to dates/give him a chance:
    Since I was twelve, I have had some terrible stigma against the male population. I don't know if it's some need to prove I don't need a guy...that's likely it...but who knows. Guys who have shown interest in me I have shot down almost immediately. As I got older, the reaction time got faster too. And my reactions got meaner (ashamedly so).
    "Hey, are you friends with --"
    "Bugger off. I'm not interested."
    "But --"
    "BUGGER. OFF."
    "I was just --"
    "I'm a lesbian. And I have 5 kids. Go away."
    "Okay...nice chatting..."
    "Idiot."
    Okay, I exaggerate. I'm not that mean ever. But I really don't give guys much of a chance. It seems very counter-my-personality though to be so cold. With most new people, I'm cheery and excited to meet them. I think I just get turned off as soon as a guy shows interest. Anyways, I think it's time to melt the ice queen a bit (I was actually called that twice the past month) and start giving *some* guys a chance. It's unlikely (I reallyyy emphasize that word) anything will transpire beyond a coffee or a dinner but I don't see why we can't enjoy that coffee or dinner before realizing we're really nothing but acquaintances who like frapps or salmon rolls more than we like each other's company. It may be...nice. And who knows, a friendship may come out of it instead. Though guys almost never want to be friends with girls...whole 'nother story.


12. Take care of my physical self:
    Hopefully this means that I will work out more than once a month. But this definitely means that I will watch what and how I eat as much as possible (eat slower, chew more, go organic whenever fiscally possible, smaller portions, etc). I will drink more water and tea. I will take my vitamins and supplements (fish oil!!!). I will eat even more fruits and veggies than I already do. I will meditate. I will not sit on my butt all day. I will moisturize. I will definitely wear sunscreen (Baz Luhrmann).


13. Call home more:
    Or gchat or email or text. Whatever. And subresolution to this is to make sure I talk to Timothy more. I love my family and I want them to know that.

I think that's a pretty decent list for now. Broad enough to cover most things I want to do but specific enough to give a picture...actionable...measurable...timely...okay, yeah, I've been working on policy and business plan developments too much.

Tony Porter: on being a man

"My liberation as a man is tied to your liberation as a woman.
I remember asking a 9-year-old boy, 'What would life be like for you if you didn't have to adhere to this Man Box?' He said to me, 'I would be free.'"

- Tony Porter

Sunitha Krishnan: Sex slavery.

This gets me:

"We think it is easy money. We think it is shortcut. We think the person likes to do what she's doing. But the extra bonuses that she gets is various infections, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea, you name it, substance abuse, drugs, everything under the sun. And one day she gives up on you and me, because we have no options for her. And therefore she starts normalizing this exploitation. She believes, 'Yes, this is it, this is what my destiny is about.' And this is normal, to get raped by 100 men a day. And it's abnormal to live in a shelter. It's abnormal to get rehabilitated."

At the end, Sunitha Krishnan adds:

"I'm not asking you all to become Mahatma Gandhis or Martin Luther Kings, or Medha Patkars, or something like that. I'm asking you, in your limited world, can you open your minds? Can you open your hearts? Can you just encompass these people too? Because they are also a part of us. They are also part of this world. I'm asking you, for these children, whose faces you see, they're no more. They died of AIDS last year. I'm asking you to help them, accept as human beings, not as philanthropy, not as charity, but as human beings who deserve all our support. I'm asking you this because no child, no human being, deserves what these children have gone through."

Fishing industry

"Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or to teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry." - Bill Drayton, founder of Ashoka.

Is it time to MakeSense yet? (Almost!)

MADE: Typographic Ballet feat. Ebon Heath & Talib Kweli.

MADE: Typographic Ballet featuring Ebon Heath & Talib Kweli from hypebeast.tv on Vimeo.

I love dance. I love typography. I love art. Perfect.

[via @boichot]

Jessica Jackley: Poverty, money -- & love.

Poverty, money -- & love [Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva]

"For me, the best way to be inspired...is to stop and to listen to someone else's story... Believing in each other, really being sure when push comes to shove that each one of us can do amazing things in the world. That is what can make our stories into love stories and our collective story into one that continually perpetuates hope and good things for all of us. So that, this belief in each other, knowing that without a doubt and practicing that every day in whatever you do, that's what I believe will change the world and make tomorrow better than today."

Love it.

Summer '07.

I remember coming back from my summer in Peru and hearing about the Korean missionaries that were held hostage in Afghanistan. I remember hearing about the pastor who sacrificed his life to save his team and about his wife's amazing strength & faith when she spoke to her 9-year-old daughter about the death. I remember crying by myself when I heard this story. I remember the year before, when Ani asked me what my passion was and I responded "missions." I remember when Ani heard about the Korean missionaries and, knowing what my passion was, came to me and asked me not to go to anywhere as dangerous as Afghanistan. I remember looking at him and telling him that I couldn't guarantee anything because wherever I was to go, I was going to go. I remember him getting worried and I remember trying not to tear up too much as I explained to him that my passion for healing a broken world was so strong that I would die for it.

I may not be as intensely on fire as I was back then, but I do know that my passion is still there and that I would still die for it.

I'm looking forward to May 2011.

Agents of change.

Awww. You know you're special when someone not only quotes you, but puts your quote into some pretty graphic that looks like it belongs on someone's Tumblr page :)



Haha. Thanks, Jeannie.


PS - Yesterday, I made the comment that a sign that you've pretty much succeeded in my field, the sign that you've done something pretty spectacular with your life, is when you're mentioned, quoted, interviewed, or (best of all) highlighted by Nick Kristof. Hero.

More water talk. #BlogActionDay2010

Just earlier, Mark and I were talking, and the fact came up that a lack of clean water kills more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. He mentioned that this was the fact that struck him the most about the water issue. It's pretty horrific and really puts into perspective how deadly water can be for many in this world (one in eight billion, actually). Not to sound callous, but it sounds about right. If over 38,000 children are dying every week because of water-related illnesses, then yeah, I can believe that the issue kills more people than all the wars and acts of violence occurring in our world.

Mark went on to comment that the Nobel Peace Price should go to the person who most alleviates the water problem.

Honestly though, there are so many who are working on this issue from so many levels. The solutions are already there. But it takes more than just organizations like Charity:water or Lifewater International to change the numbers. It takes people and mobilization. Unfortunately, for every great idea or solution we have out there, there is even more apathy and inaction.

I read this quote from Christian just yesterday as he was presenting MakeSense at the i7 Summit in Paris yesterday:

"Reward success. Celebrate failure. Punish inaction."

I know it was more in relation to the work that MakeSense is doing, but it made me think yesterday. Yeah, "punish" is a strong word but it's true that the biggest hindrance to development and progress in our society today is inaction, often driven by apathy. It is one of the things that keeps me up at night -- how can we motivate people to bring social change or to do social good?

It's been one of the things that has been on my mind a lot. It's one of the main reasons why The 3:18 Movement was birthed. And it so happens we're currently focused on the clean water issue.


Moving onward, I do have to say that I am incredibly glad for today. It has been such an inspiring day -- what with Blog Action Day (#BlogActionDay2010 #bad2010), The Feast conference (#feastongood), the RSA animation on Sir Ken Robinson's talk of social change, and a work meeting with some amazing & dedicated NYC women in fighting sex trafficking.

Today was the reminder I needed of why I do what I do and how much I love doing it.

Lastly, consider doing some of the following:

• Blog/tweet/FB/whatever about the water issue.
• Join The 3:18 Movement's campaign by either walking for a cause or joining the 3:18 team
• If you can't do the walk on October 23rd, consider sponsoring one of a walker. The money raised will bring clean water, health education, and community development to hundreds in Northern Uganda.
• Sign the petition below:

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

Let's change the world :)

Blog Action Day 2010: Water.

[One day. One issue. Thousands of voices.]

So this year's theme for Blog Action Day 2010 (today!) is water.
How amazing is it that there are over 5,000 blogs at this moment -- nearly 40,000,000 readers -- in nearly 140 countries all blogging today about the same thing: Water.

It makes me even happier to be doing the walk next Saturday (October 23) advocating for clean water systems, health education, & community development in war-affected Northern Uganda.

Of course, the issue of clean water is beyond just the region of Northern Uganda. It is a global issue, affecting even those of us in the great land of the United States with our lovely (though not vegan or kosher, but still completely harmless & fairly pure) New York City water that we can drink from tap.

Today, WATER is a human rights issue, a health issue, a sustainability issue, an environmental issue, and a global issue. When one out of eight of us don't have access to clean water, when more people die every year because of this than all forms of violence (including war), when 38,000 children die each week from water-related illnesses, this becomes our issue.

Below are some facts that I pulled from the official Blog Action Day 2010: Why Water? website. Click on the link for more tidbits.

• Cell Phones vs. Toilets: Today, 2.5 billion people lack access to toilets, but many more have access to a cell phone.
• Food Footprint: It takes 24 liters of water to produce one hamburger. That means it would take over 19.9 billion liters of water to make just one hamburger for every person in Europe.
• Technology Footprint:The shiny new iPhone in your pocket requires half a liter of water to charge. That may not seem like much, but with over 80 million active iPhones in the world, that’s 40 million liters to charge those alone.
• Waste Overflow: Every day, 2 million tons of human waste are disposed of in water sources. This not only negatively impacts the environment but also harms the health of surrounding communities.
• Technology for Good: Do you want to measure how much water it took to make your favorite foods? There’s an app for that.

And of course, there's so much more that you can learn about on the website as well as at UNICEF, WHO, charity:water, etc.

RSA Animate: Changing Education Paradigms.

RSA Animation on Sir Ken Robinson's view of how to bring up young leaders and thinkers.

Everything about this is brilliant. The animation is impeccably done and perfectly in line with what the lecture is about too. And of course, the lecture by Sir Ken Robinson is spot on and makes me want to jump into education reform advocacy, ha.

It's not the entire talk but you can catch the full length of Sir Ken Robinson's presentation on changing our educational system on RSA's website.

Movies for a cause: The Candy Shop.

Really looking forward for this new metaphorical movie by Whitestone Motion Pictures.

"There are leaders and there are those who lead."

This is a great TED Talk by Simon Sinek on how people can lead & inspire effectively.



"Martin Luther King gave the I have a dream speech, not the I have a plan speech."