The luck I brought to the Cubs while they were in Houston was not good luck, that's for sure. Spent time there with my college boyfriend and his parents, reminding me of the power of a prospective mother-in-law to turn the tide on a relationship by the mere prospect of spending the rest of one's holidays with her. Hoping to have a healthier relationship with the Cubs for the rest of the season, in which I have more balance in my life. :)
This heightened relationship with my favorite civil rights organization brings with it interesting speaking opportunities. A few weeks ago, I spoke to a group of Sikh teenagers about knowing their rights. Today I'm talking to a group of journalists from Bangladesh about anti-immigration legislation.
I read a book start to finish this weekend: John Wood's Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children. It will probably not surprise you to know that I was enthralled by Wood's story of stepping off the Microsoft treadmill to found his own non-profit, which is now called Room to Read. I love their strategy, which is to work through heavy fundraising by both employees and chapters of volunteers to provide books, libraries, schools and scholarships for children. So far, they are in six Asian and two African countries. Another key aspect of their growth is that they only provide these items with a contribution from the local people, whether in the form of money or labor to build the buildings. This ensures an engagement and commitment to care for and expand upon their work. Wood's story, along with the success and positive approach to his business, is so inspiring.
The remainder of my weekend was taken up trying to move all of my digital photos to this laptop from my old laptop and storage device, a task much more difficult than it first appeared. But now I believe my digital photos are all in one place. Here is an example of what I now have access to:
Have a wonderful week!
13 August 2007
Tidbits
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2 comments:
I read most of Wood's book earlier this year. It sounds like a very rewarding cause. I liked the book's realism when it comes to not-for-profits. Visits to the new libraries/schools were few and far between. The vast majority of his time, as it is for executive directors of any not-for-profit, is raising money. I suppose that is why it can be such a rewarding change for folks that like to sell.
I found it interesting, JD, that Wood lives an equally or more frenetic lifestyle as the leader of his non-profit, even though the initial thoughts he had of leaving seemed to sometimes touch on lifestyle motivations. At the non-profit, however, many of his issues are the same, with respect to work hours, crazy travel, difficulty of maintaining relationships. But he loves what he's doing for all of his waking hours. Apparently, it isn't so much about smelling roses as feeling that what you are doing makes a difference.
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