Quick, But Essential

This post is going to be quick, but I feel it is essential. I find that it is always easier to write about the triumphs and successes, and a little harder to push myself to the keyboard on those days where the energy feels sucked out of you. Today was one of those energy draining days, but I think the energy was drained so that new energy can flow in.

The day started with a phone call to my father, only to find out that he just so happened to be browsing on a job posting website and found that his boss had posted his position (to hire a new person in his place) on the site. My father (the amazing man that he is, a man who I believe can conquer anything life hands him) had not a sign of stress in his voice. When I asked him how he felt he told me that he asked himself "What would Sara do?" So, I asked him: "What would I do?" His response was perfect. He told me that getting the job allowed him to make a positive shift in his life, and that he was grateful for that, that he had passed his final test and it was time to move on to new opportunities. Without hesitation, he went into work to continue his day, only to be greeted by a customer who "unintentionally," gave him a heads up of a job opening with a competitor down the street.

Following the phone call with my father, I wrote the owner of the boat and let him know I that I was going to have to turn down the opportunity of living in his warn in water cabin. The space just needs too much work, when I am not exactly too sure where the winds of tomorrow will be taking me. Also, the bathrooms and showers next to the dock are out of commission at the moment, and as much as I do not mind roughing it, I do appreciate showers and and flush-able commodes. Long story short, the keys were returned and the boat bid fair well. I do still think I will spend some time on the water in the future, this particular space and time, just wasn't the right lock and key (considering there was no way to lock it with a key, haha).


That is the update of the day, I'm calling it a night.

Es-Bee

Trust In The Process

Wow! It's been a while since I have written on my reflections of this process and I feel there are so many things I could write about. I just spent some time looking over my past blog posts and it is extremely interesting not only to look back at portions of this journey, but also realizing the shift in my actions and how I process information. One of the most beautiful things about this process is that it is an exploration. As I look at old blog posts I remember having a vision of how I imagined all of this unfolding, and although some events have mimicked those visions, nothing happens the way it is planned out by the conscious mind.

This blog was basically the beginning of making a dream a reality. It was the easiest way for me to put the intentions of my life desires and desires to raise awareness about particular causes into a more physical state and push them out into the world. On a deeper level,  (although I had no idea at the time this blog was created) it was the beginning of my ability to allow the power of thought and intention to create my current surroundings, stepping into different perspectives, and trusting that thoughts and intentions facilitate actuality.

After I returned from Haiti, I felt the need to shut the outside world out for a while, to think, to write, to process, to focus on the information presented on the trip, and how I wanted to proceed in using that information to move forward. After seeing the destruction in Haiti, I can see how one might question their ability to make a difference. However, for me, my thought process was the opposite, it solidified a knowing/comfort within myself that I am "supposed" to be in this line of work. Long story short, with putting the intention out there for some time of solitude, I found myself in the country side of  Northern California for a few weeks. After some much needed alone time, I was able to sit on my emotions and further spread the fruit of my intentions through meditation and self reflection.

Subsequently after return to Los Angeles from Northern California there has been many shifts. After returning, I managed to manifest a change in living situation. It is exciting to know that I will be moving within the next few months, yet have no idea where, with who, for how long, with very minimal funds... oddly enough, I am overwhelmed with the feeling that I am supposed to get rid of more belongings. I'm looking forward to a time of new energy and with new energy will come new adventures. The other change that has come from my return is a cascade of new and seemingly never ending contacts. From beauty pageant contestants, to university professors, to founders of NGO's throughout Africa ... contacts on top of contacts of people that want to help my somewhat crazy visions and ideas have been flooding in. These new contacts are only reasurance that all will work as it is supposed. Although learning to trust the process has been a process in itself, it is exciting to whole heartedly accept the open road I have stepped onto, embrace the fears that have surfaced and will eventually subside, and welcome the expedition that lies ahead.

Es-Bee

Hope In The Smiles Of Haiti

 

It's been several days of attempting to write this blog post, finally here it is. I guess you can say that I am at loss of words, however, I am not sure words are capable of describing the emotions and experiences of the days I recently spent in Haiti. As I flew into Port Au Prince without any expectations of what might touch my eyes and mind, I knew that there was no way to prepare for the type of enlightenment that I was about to encounter. Greeted by heart-felt, soulful Hatian music as we descended down the elevator of the airport for-shadowing the journey that was about to follow, I embraced the vivacity of the vibrations as the music absorbed into my skin.

Embarking on a four and a half hour bus ride from Port Au Prince to Les Cayes, the visuals were more shocking than ever expected. However, the smiles and the waving hands of civilians as we traveled through the streets overpowered the overwhelming destruction of buildings. Emersed with penetrating views of buildings decimated to the extent that you can not help but think of the lives that struggled underneath the rubble, tent city after tent city, people diligently working to rebuild their community, and determined faces with big bright eyes filled with endurance and strength. Taking in these views it was clear to see the importance and need for the work of Life Giving Force (www.lifegivingforce.org) and World Orphan Project (www.worldorphanproject.org) in Haiti.

Apon arrival of at the orphanage in Les Cayes we received a warm welcome from children chasing our bus up the hill until we came to a stop, waiting patiently for the doors of the bus to open, and looking in with smiling eyes. The kids slightly shy as first when given an extended arm, but within just a few minutes they latched on to any extended limb that they could grab onto. Pointing out my freckles, pushing my skin to watch the color change from slightly tan, to pink, to white, and back to its original color, braiding my hair, moving my hair out of my face, and pointing any exposed scars or bug bites. They were mesmerized by the smallest details and studied every characteristic. This particular orphanage had an estimated 230 kids before the earthquake, and now has approximately 345 kids. Looking into the eyes of these children, seeing their ability to love unconditionally and their craving for touch and attention, it was difficult to imagine the journey and circumstances that lead them to surround me outside of the bus. The amazing part of this experience though, is that one usually would want to exert sympathy or remorse to the situation of these kids, but I have to say my emotions were quite different. These kids have some of the biggest, brightest smiles that I have ever seen and laughs that could shatter any frown of sadness or destitute.  They found happiness in the simplest pleasures, shared when given the smallest portion of something to share, and watched out for each others well beings. These kids are survivors, and many (with the help of creditable organizations working for their health and education) are future leaders not only to their community, but possible examples to the world if we continue to believe in them.

This brings leads me to a quick side note: Haiti needs more than just "donations". Before I left for my trip, many people did not want me to go, they told me that they donated to Haiti, and that it would be better for me to have the expense of my flight, food, etc. donated. In many cases I believe this is true, however, there is also a need for organizations that have a sustainable plan that can be implemented to increase the longevity of donations given without utilizing the money in ways that use valuable resources or only provide a quick fix. In order to create sustainable solutions, it takes groups of people (minds) coming together and discussing ideas and possibilities... weighing out possible threats and challenges that might waste time, energy, and valuable resources. I was lucky to engage in some of this activity during this trip, adding input to an educational training for the children to learn how to use computers, learning about sustainable water solutions for the orphanage other locations dedicated to disaster relief, adding a different perspective, input, and/or knowledge from experience to any ideas that were discussed during the trip, and most of all connecting with the extremely talented and knowledgeable people that make up Life Giving Force and World Orphan Project leading to friendships, productivity, and connections that will last much longer than the dates that defined our trip.

Still absorbing and analyzing many of the emotions that came from this trip, there are many experiences that will remain unwritten to the public eye. This is not due to shock factor or extreme emotion, but merely the fact that  I do not feel that I can accurately describe these experiences without projecting a false image of the beautiful country of Haiti. New realizations and deeper understandings arise whenever I bring myself back to these experiences. Nonetheless, there are some very concrete messages that I do have from the trip, that can be simplified into acknowledging the pure strength of Haiti. Acknowledge the beauty of the land and the people, the potency of the potential triumph to overcome the destruction, and the bright futures that are embedded in the eyes of the orphans. With this, there is a need to give more than a donation, keep them in your thoughts, read their stories, use the power of thought to send positive reinforcement, and support and encourage organizations with sustainable plans and solutions that helping these individuals rise over the challenges that are currently facing. Haiti is strong, is beautiful, is powerful, and with help and encouragement will continued to share the stories of triumph and shine its bright light.

A Quick Get A Way

I recently had the privilege to go on a funded trip to Cabo San Lucas to stay at a beautiful resort that was built into the cliffs along the Pacific Ocean. I had the opportunity to relax, clear my head, and get the creative juices flowing again. Throughout my short life I have been very privileged to get to see and experience some very luxurious resorts, hotels, restaurants, houses, and venues. For all of these experiences I am extremely thankful because it has opened my eyes to a lot of different perspectives. It always amazes me to see how man creates structures to allude and determine a sense of royalty and luxury. It is no doubt that these places are often built with views of some of the most beautiful landscapes and views of the ocean.  Whenever I have had the opportunity to go to these "luxurious" places, a reoccurring thought seems to always come to me as I sit and look at the architecture of the buildings, the columns, the illuminated pool, or the position of the window to the kitchen or dining room to accentuate the most valued view. That reoccurring thought seems to take me through a sense of amazement that humans have the ability to create such a massive or intricate structure, to the amount of hard work, dedication, and attentiveness to detail that it took to plan and build the structure, to my final thought of how quickly a greater force than man-kind has the ability to wipe the structure away in as little as a few seconds.

On this particular trip, I looked at the beautiful landscape of the property and the view, and then imagined what the land would look and feel like without the massive structure. Without the lights. Under the stars. With nothing but the soil under my feet. The same views, only surrounded by nothing but nature. I thought to myself of the power that the ladscape held with the structure versus and the power that the of the landscape held without the structure. It was interesting to feel the difference of both possibilities and surprisingly found that I was more empowered by the idea of the landscape without the structure that seemed to hold a false impression of luxury.  One seemed to hold the power of man, the other appeared to hold a force much greater than man could ever create.

Don't get me wrong, I very much appreciate the opportunity to experience the lifestyle of going to a very luxurious destination and indulging in what some believe to be "the finer things in life," for if I did not have this opportunity I may have always wondered what it would be like or have a false impression or judgement of the people who prefer the luxurious destination resort vacation. I can tell you that it was once easy for me to cast judgments on others that choose to live a different lifestyle, and that whenever I have chosen to make judgements on people, I am usually always proven wrong. On this particular trip I met a very creditable doctor located in Los Angeles that was very interested in connecting me with people who he felt would be able to help me with my organization and helping victims of Noma, a newly wed that desires to start a non-profit to help children in need, and nurse who hopes to advance into educating women about the skills of nursing internationally so that they can utilize the knowledge within their communities that lack medical attention and infrastructure.

On this trip I was most thankful for a very specific incident that happened. I recently read a book that inspired me to look into a crowd whenever I was out and about and search for one face/stranger to be thankful for. Ever since I read this book, I have made an effort to do this in my daily life. While taking the bus from the resort to the city I saw a man with Podoconiosis (similar to elephantitis, effecting the foot) crossing the street. I first learned about Podoconiosis through an company named Toms Shoes. About 2 and a half years ago I had the opportunity to join this company in Argentina to give shoes to children in need. When I returned home and found out what they were doing to help increase awareness and stop Podoconiosis, I worked to come up with a treatment to donate to the non profit side of their company to help reduce the discomfort of this particular disease in the individuals that it effects. As I watched this man cross the street, and watched the faces of the other passengers in the bus as they looked at the disfigurement of this man, I was so thankful that he had crossed my path. Because he just so happened to cross the street at the exact moment that our bus was coming down the hill from the resort, I was able to share my knowledge of the disease to the others in the bus so that they might have a better understanding of why this mans leg was enlarged. I watched the man struggle with discomfort to cross the street,  and let my eyes travel up to his face. The man smiled one of the biggest smiles that I have ever seen, and I thanked him for entering my life, allowing me to be even more grateful for how lucky I am, and allowing me to share my story with the other passengers that accompanied me on that particular day.

Now back home, thankful for my trip, the insight that came with the experience, and the opportunity to relax and recollect, I am very motivated to move forward in with all that createACTivity has been working on to increase awareness about Noma. This next week is a very busy week, and I look forward to entering it with a clear and opened mind.

The Space In-Between

It seems that life is always taking us on a roller coaster of emotions. Either bursts of exciting and adventurous ups (whether is be a raise, a new car, a breakthrough in a relationship with a loved one) or stuck in a rut, can't seem to get out of it lows ( pay decrease, reality of the new cars higher than expected car payment, or a let down by a loved one). It is these ups and downs of life that keep things interesting, that keep us thinking, and often times fuel our topics of conversations.

So what happens when there are not any events or experiences that lead us neither up nor down? What happens in that very rare and not so frequent in between phase? Well, this was where I was at in my process last week. Since the beginning of starting the non-profit, I have either been in an up phase with meeting significant contacts, engaging in inspirational meetings, or even figuring out something as little as how to control a website page....or a down phase of learning that most donation button servers take a small portion of donations, that 501 c 3 approvals take 8 months or more to be approved, or getting a parking ticket at the post office right after investing money into marketing materials to gain donors for the organization. Not so often are there periods where everything remains stagnant, however, they are there ever so often. I experienced a stand still of events last week, almost to the point where I was wanting a down period to occur for the mere fact that I knew I would learn from it.

So what happens in the stagnant stage of events? The amazing thing that I learned this past week is that ANYTHING can happen. This is the time when our heads are not filled with chatter or  filled with a scheduled list of "to do's", or a playing out a lesson that we are supposed to figure out. This is a time when our brains have the ability to focus on whatever we want, and if the power of thought and intention is as powerful as people say it is....than the in-between time can be extremely valuable.

When I realized the opportunity that I had with being in between events, I focused my energy on what I wanted to see happen in the progression of my business initiatives. After spending a couple days on this I received two emails that took me by surprise. One was from a gentleman who started a successful non profit, consults for profit businesses, and speaks at TED conferences asking me to meet with him and discuss how he might be able to help me move forward with some of my ideas. The second, contained a compliment from a successful, extremely talented, and amazing european singer who has several well selling cd's and played a roll in booking the singers for EVITA. She informed a friend of mine that I am inspiring and would like to help in any way that she could.  (I am inspiring?!... just listen to her music!!!)

The lesson for me this past week has been the power of intention and how strong it can be if you choose to focus on what you would like to see accomplished.

Please check out the following sites in support of those who have put the intention out there to help support me in this mission:

Link: Liberation In North Korea
http://www.linkglobal.org/

Miriam Stockley: Singer/Songwriter
http://www.miriamstockley.com/


Best,
Es-Bee

A Successful Night At Dr. Neavin's Office

Last Thursday evening I had the pleasure of attending Dr. Tim Neavin's office opening in Beverly Hills. I came in contact with Dr. Neavin via an email conversation. He was kind enough to meet with me and offer his expertise in the future for operations of Noma victims, as well as, the opportunity to attend his opening event to promote createACTivity and raise awareness about Noma. 

Thursday was a successful night in that I had the opportunity to educate about 100 people about a disease that they had never heard about before. Several contacts were gained that want to help the cause, and I very much look forward to connecting back with them to see how they might be able to help raise awareness. Regardless of the outcome, about 100 or more people who knew nothing about Noma, now are awakened to reality of a disease that can be prevented simply by having the bare essentials of what allows us to live, food and water.

Thank you Dr. Tim Neavin for allowing me the opportunity to share my story with your fellow surgeons, vendors, patients, and friends. 

http://artisanofbeauty.com

Giving and Receiving

 "The path that leads us through the most obstacles, often provides the richest journey."

I started this blog to tell a story, a story of my journey in following my crazy intuitions and following my heart. However, the more meetings I have with people, the more I am finding that I have been leaving an important piece out, somewhat purposefully on my part because it triggers some fears of mine. In order to move forward though, I feel it is important to share the information so that others can connect with it.

A typical reaction I receive when telling my story is: "What happened to you to make you want to do this?" People seem to think that one usually has a life or death experience to make such a drastic shift in lifestyle. My initial response is  usually "nothing." If I continue to respond this way, I would not be telling the truth. After replaying a series of events in my head, I have learned that it was not "nothing". It just was not "one single life changing event", it was a sequence of events that lead up to each decision which has lead me to where I am in my process right now.

As I play the tape back in my head, I can recall the first stepping stone or significant incident (although there are several "coincidences" that have happened throughout my career and education that influenced these decisions as well) that really pushed me to look at the different directions life could take me, and it began with an inner battle within a relationship. I truly believe that relationships with significant others can be some of our biggest lessons. These are the people we choose to bring into our lives, choose to connect with, choose to allow a deeper intimate bond with, and choose to learn from.

Long story short, I was in the kitchen of a boyfriends house after cooking dinner one night and I was cleaning a dish.  I had just returned home from a trip to the mountains and I remember looking around
the beautiful house and really taking the time to recognize the emotions that I was experiencing. I knew that I genuinely loved (as much as I knew how to love) and cared about the relationship that I had chosen to bring into my life, but also felt extremely unfulfilled. As I continued cleaning the dish, I saw myself at 35 and then again at 65 cleaning that same dish (imagining all the possibilities that life could bring if I continued on the path I was going).  Recognizing the comfort and false image of safety in that particular path, yet feeling the extreme discomfort in knowing how utterly unfulfilled I felt and recognizing the sacrifices I was making to live a life that felt complacent. It was then that I subconsciously decided to change directions, recognizing that I was operating out of fear.

Looking back at it now, I think it is valuable to note that I believe I had a false understanding of not only the term love, but also the feeling of love. It was not until doing this work that I have actually opened my eyes (or more importantly my heart) to a different perception of the word and allowed it to take on a new feeling. The valuable lesson for me has been that it is just as much about receiving as it is giving.  And if not for the relationships and experiences that have sprouted along this road,  I am not sure  how long it would have taken me to learn that lesson. I think it is also important to take this into consideration when looking at humanitarian work. It is not just about giving, or about being a "good person", or expressing sympathy, or sacrifice...because the return on investment is so much richer than one can imagine, and it is the exchange of positivity and lessons that provide the balance.

Within the past couple days I have met with two individuals that have helped to amplify these particular lessons and that are doing some really incredible work in this world. I have listed their links below, and I very much look forward to supporting their visions and being a part of their work in the near future.

*Thank you both for your time. I am very excited to see the miracles unfold.


Eaar Oden: Board member of "Go And Do Likewise" and doing some incredible work in Kenya website: http://www.goanddolikewise.org/about_index.html
Blog: http://eaaroden.blogspot.com/

Nick Jordan: Providing wells to the people of Uganda. (Lack of water and sanitation issues are the main causes of most diseases throughout Africa)
website: http://wellsoflifeafrica.org/
Blog: http://wellsoflife.blogspot.com/


Es-Bee

Global Team for Local Initiatives Meeting on Bainbridge Island

Previously in my blog, I wrote about a party that I had at my house to sell Shikinee bracelets in support of a foundation called Global Team for Local Initiatives who are working to create sustainable solutions for people living in poverty in order to give them a chance to live a healthy life. Well about a week ago, I spent the weekend on Bainbridge Island in Washington and met  the founder of that organization (Lori J. Pappas) and the rest of her team.  The meeting to say the least was very inspirational and I am so thankful for the opportunity to meet the people associated with this organization, as well as, be invited to be a part of it. Because I strongly believe in the ethical work of this group, I have joined their team and  will be working with them on a few different projects.

There are several reasons why I was drawn to Global Team for Local Initiatives. One, is Lori's story, and if at all possible I would love to ask for you to follow her story on her blog: http://gtlius.blogspot.com/ . Her first blog was just posted and I assure you the stories about her experience in the field will be worth reading. Two, I believe in the ethics of the company: where the funding is going, the research that is being done in order to minimize any western influence into the culture of the people they are working to help, as well as, the sustainable solutions that they are working to provide.

As far as my meeting in Bainbridge: I came with anticipation to meet the team and to learn. I have had several conversations with the team members of Global Team for Local Initiatives, and felt as if I had already known them. I left with even more of an appreciation for the organization than I expected, gained motivation, extremely influential insight, and new tasks that I very much look forward to accomplishing.

A New Year

It has been a while since I have written. I think I needed some time to process and feel all the change that life is currently bringing. And what fascinating change it is.

Over New Years I took some time to head out to the mountains with some close friends, reflect on 2009, and enjoy the moment. Although our cabin contained nine people in a one bedroom, I managed to take some alone time while on the slopes and also a solo jacuzzi session.  Living in a home with four other girls, sharing a room with two of them, taking group trips to cut costs (the more the merrier anyways), couch surfing when needed, and working everyday from coffee shops with free wifi with several other people straining to get a seat with an electrical outlet, you can imagine how valuable alone time is. One thing that I noticed about my alone time in comparison to the past is that because I am constantly surrounded by people, alone time feels REALLY lonely. But also, allows for some really powerful thought processes to surface.

In attempt to describe one of my many self realizations during my trip: I sat there in the jacuzzi, feeling the heat of the water and the cold from the frost falling from the sky on my face, taking the time to appreciate my alone time and embrace that feeling of loneliness. Recognizing that a similar feeling of loneliness once resinated in several aspects of my life and was one of the major catalysts that drove me to break the complacency of the desk job, focus of becoming a home owner, convenience of anticlimactic relationships, and comfort in the monotony of the suburban lifestyle. Noticing the similarity in the emotions and comparing the two states of "loneliness" was a very interesting process, concluding that the feeling of loneliness now is a much different feeling.  The difference: loneliness is no longer emptiness and the sediments of feeling lost have dispersed. As I sat there, looking out at the white frosted mountains allowing whatever emotions that needed to surface, to surface, I was empowered by the breathtaking picture that good old mother nature had painted before me. Loosing myself in the beauty of the mountain, my thought process brought me back to the remember a book that I read several months back called Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken (see video below). Blessed Unrest outlines the miraculous movement of social change occurring throughout the world, and how it has come to be.

Long story short, it was the remembrance of this book that brought about the realization that no matter the intensity of the feeling of being alone, I am not. There are thousands of people involved in the social change movement that must have experienced at least a fragment of these indescribable feelings. Utilizing my alone time to make new self discoveries and the new year as a an excuse to make new commitments, I'm committing to embrace any feelings of discomfort that may emerge during this journey, to not let fear paralyze potential, and to allow the ambiguity of  how this venture will unfold be held in hands much bigger than my own.

Es-Bee

Fifteen Minutes

Today was a very special day. Today I traveled about fifteen minutes away (okay, maybe it took a little longer than that considering I got lost) from Venice to Watts to join my friend Jeremiah and some members from his church in distributing holiday gifts to children. The experience was absolutely amazing. It was so great to feel the sense of community that both Powerhouse Church  (in Watts) and some of the members of RockHarbor Church (in Costa Mesa) have created. Although Watts and Costa Mesa are only about thirty minutes away from each other, the communities are very different. I think the main learning lesson of the day was that one does not have to travel very far to engage in a different cultural experience.

Throughout the day, I could not put my smile away as I observed everything going on around me. I sat and watched a mother and son singing to each other and every time the lyrics said "I love you," the son would shout the words at his mother and point to her. At another point, five young ladies gave a sign language/dance performance. The performance was powerful and exerted so much strength and attitude... beautiful to watch and yet difficult to share in words the emotions it pulled from within. And again, as I watched a four year old creating a beautiful holiday picture with crayons and tissue paper as he counted in english and in spanish. Overall, the main emotions that struck me came from the strong sense of community that these organizations have created through their collaboration together. It was beautiful to see the interaction and the love that has been built  among communities with completely different lifestyles that are within minutes of each other.

If your interested in learning more about the Powerhouse/RockHarbor Watts activities, the involvement of what they do, and their mission, you can visit the website at: http://rockharborwatts.org/

Today was a great gift. Much better than anything material could offer. I give thanks to my friend Jeremiah for letting me join in the experience of the joy that he engages in monthly. Thank you.

Love and Light,

Es-Bee

Not Yet Familiar Home

It's been 12 days since I formally left the corporate world and what an incredible feeling it is. There have been feelings of peace, excitement, exhilaration, freedom, comfort, togetherness, loneliness... and that pesky little emotion that pops up during most situations of the unknown, fear.

Over the past week, I have been learning to live by the moment rather than by calendar date, the appointment on the schedule, or the time in which I am "supposed" to be somewhere and the most amazing experiences have been happening. The day after I walked out the doors of the corporate world, I took off to the desert for a few days of rest, relaxation, and self reflection. What an amazing feeling it is to watch a sunset, and I mean really watch a sunset...a sunset without mind distractions and a distant mind-trapped to-do list.

With a clear mind after the desert, I proceeded to move all of my belongings (or at least what is left of them) to my new home in Venice, CA. Amongst the feelings of ambiguity in a not yet familiar city, there are also feelings of clarity. Sharing a room with two other individuals on the same path to better humanity (and a home with five girls), one would think of the need for more space, alone time, or breathing room. Turns out, this is only partially true... I expected more discomfort and have surprisingly found more love. It seems each day I venture out to the local coffee shops I meet beneficial contacts interested in supporting my new adventures. One of the many beautiful things about the home that has been opened up to me is that it is not only filled with good vibes, but also seems to be in a location surrounded by many creative people working to shape a better tomorrow.



Below are a couple of the amazing organizations that I have met contacts from in the short time I have been in this area. I encourage you to check out these links and support each of these organizations and their causes:

http://newsdok.wordpress.com/
www.fallingwhistles.com
www.tomsshoes.com and www.friendsoftoms.org
www.causecast.org
www.invisiblechildren.com

Till Next,
Es- Bee

Be The Change You Wish To See In The World

To say the least these past few weeks have been interesting. About three weeks ago I made the decision to take up a communal living opportunity with a lovely lady named Darilynn and her beautiful daughter Helen. Darilynn is a single mom who owns a retail store in Santa Monica and offered to remodel a room in her home for myself and two other girls who are dedicating their lives to create positive change in the world. How could I decline? What a great opportunity for me to live with like minded people and focus 80% or more of my time towards making a difference in the world.


Slowly but surely after Darilynn opened up her home, I began taking baby steps toward my spontaneous, yet heart felt decision. Night one, I posted all of my furniture to sell on Craig's List. Who needs furniture when you do not have a home to put it in? The following day, I informed my roommate that I would be moving out in 30 days. A few days later, I found myself taking four trash bags of clothing and twenty-three pairs of shoes to Good Will. And then finally, I conquered one of my biggest fears: I put in my notice at my job and gave up my title as National Sales Manager for a creditable skin care manufacturer, my consistent paycheck, and medical benefits all for the crazy idea that I am going to live rent free and start a non profit that will help save thousands of lives a year. But hey, no one ever created change without taking risks, right? ..and as a good friend once said to me: "The idea is to live more simply so that others can simply live."


Attached to this blog are some pictures of my current living situation, pictures of all the items I have donated as I make this transition, and my resignation letter to my employer (modified of course in respect to the company.) Hopefully others will find these items more useful than myself, and hopefully someone else will be happy to take on my corporate position. Never before in my life have I seen such clarity in knowing that I need very little to be happy. Never before have I felt so empowered to create positive change, and I would not be willing to ask others for support in helping my cause if I was not willing to make sacrifices myself.


I am not sure that this blog post or any of the decisions I have made will empower anyone else but myself, however, if I can encourage one other person to live without fear, follow the truth within, and to know that one person can make a difference then I have succeeded.


Letter of resignation:



XXXXXXXXX
Marketing Director, Co-CEO
Company Name
XXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
Dear Employer:
As you know, I have been volunteering and working with organizations that help support positive change in the world. This work is where my heart lies and I can no longer deny its pull on me. As such, I am writing to formally notify you that I am resigning from my position as National Sales Manager with (company name). My departure from (company name) will be November 20, 2009..
I truly appreciate all of the opportunities I have been given at (company name) and know that I will use the skills I have learned to do much good in world. I am very excited about what my future holds.
I wish (company name) all the best and continued success.
Sincerely,

Sara Beth

Shikinee Party

On the 27th of November, I threw a Shakinee Party at my home to support the Hamar tribe in Ethiopia. The Hamar are one of the oldest cultures in the world and are now endangered due to global climate change. I know, weird huh? Who knew a group of people could be considered endangered. Basically this tribe (currently consisting of about 23,000 people) are using the same tools and methods that have been passed down to them from generation to generation and due to global climate change, these tools and methodologies are no longer working.

What is Shakinee and what does it have to do with anything? Well, Shakinee are handmade beaded bracelets that are made from the women in the Hamar tribe. They come in beautiful vibrant colors of red, blue, yellow, green, pink, orange and black. Each bracelet costs $15 dollars each, and when purchased feeds 6 people for 10 days.

The bracelets are sold by a wonderful organization called Global Team For Local Initiatives (GTLI). I was introduced to this cause by Chris Lawrence of Facing Africa who met one of the founders while working in Ethiopia. After learning more about the Hamar tribe through the GTLI website (www.gtli.us), I wanted to raise as much as I could to support their cause in helping the tribe survive. So, I decided to throw a Shakinee Party. About 14 friends of mine came over to drink wine, eat great food, chat about what is going on with the Hamar, and buy some pretty awesome handmade beaded bracelets. Together we sold 36 bracelets which feeds 216 people for 10 days.

If you are interested in holding a party yourself, please visit the GTLI website. A box will be sent to you with all of the bracelets and information you will need to host a party.

-EsBee

Article on Famine in Ethiopia

This article got me. I am not sure if it was the imagery of the little boy losing his sister, or the intense feeling of hope that at received after reading this. Although depressing to read and shocking to imagine that people live this way every day of their lives, this article illuminates where the real problem to famine lies: Political corruption. Each entitled to their own opinions, but regardless if putting a democratic party in place is the answer or not, these people need help. Resources, education, and support are needed to get these people to a place that provides hope for the future.

Please read:

http://www.abugidainfo.com/?p=11533

Why not the U.S.?

Often times when I post information people will ask me why I do not focus on the United States. I would like to clear something up; it is not my intention to not focus on the Unites States. However, I feel it is important to prioritize areas that need the most help. Not to say that Ethiopia needs more help than India, or Mongolia needs more help than Haiti. We all know this is not true. The best answer that I can give is that we are all triggered by different things.

The world needs a lot of help, or should I say mankind needs a lot of help. When one comes across an issue that they can not stop thinking about, I feel it is an important for us to recognize that as a sign that your help is needed even if it is just a small gesture. For me, I was triggered by seeing the children living with the disfigurements caused by Noma. And, even more triggered when learning that this disease is 100% preventable by providing adequate nutrition to the child and making sure that hygiene routines are followed. In one of my conversations with Chris Lawrence from Facing Africa, he shared with me a the following quote: "Poverty is like paying for a crime that one did not commit."  More often than not, I have found this quote to be true.  When looking at the kids who are rejected in their society for something that they could not control, and live so uncomfortably, struggling to accomplish such simple tasks as eating and speaking, I felt that I needed to do more to increase awareness about conditions of extreme poverty.

So why not the United States? Because I have not yet found the appropriate trigger in the U.S. that does not have a U.S. based organization that I feel is incapable of increasing awareness and helping that particular cause.

Also, while reading an article on heritage.org this morning, I found the U.S. description of poverty quite interesting in comparison to how the majority of people in other countries live.

Here is what I read this morning:

The following are facts about persons defined as "poor" by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports:

• Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.
• Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
• Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.
• The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
• Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.
• Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions.
• Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.
• Seventy-three percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher.

In closing, it is not that I think people living in poverty in the U.S. do not need help. That is completely untrue. However, I have not yet found an appropriate cause or issue in the U.S. that I do not feel is in good hands with a already capable organization. Not to say that I will not find one in the future. Rather than creating many organizations for one particular issue, it is important to work TOGETHER to support those already formed organizations (performing with ethical business practices) that are capable of helping.

-EsBee

Mistekima

This is Mistekima. Mistekima is ten years old and living with the horrible disfigurements caused by Noma. She has been abandoned by her family and been surviving on her own in Ethiopia. Chris Lawrence of Facing Africa (www.facingafrica.org) will be participating in an event in the UK to raise money to support the facial reconstruction for Mistekima. (Chris Lawrence and his surgical team will be visiting Addis Ababa in October to perform surgies on multiple victims of the Noma disease). It has been predicted that Mistekima will need many surgeries in order to live a somewhat normal life. One surgery costs approximately $1,280. It is in our best interest to raise enough to pay for all of Mistekima's surgical needs within the years to come. If you would like to donate to Mistekima's surgery's and help her lead a normal life in Ethiopia please visit www.facingafrica.org or contact me directly at 4sarabeth@gmail.com for more information.

thank's for reading,

Es Bee

City of Lost Children

Last night I clicked a link on an email update from a non-profit organization that I follow which lead me to an article in the Daily Pilot by Kent Treptow. Trent wrote an article and made a photo exhibit sharing about the story of  groups of children that have made homes out of manholes in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia.

For those of you who are unaware, Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia and besides being a city that faces extreme poverty, it is also the coldest capital in the world. Throughout Kent's slideshow of photos and narrative, he shares the story of a group of children cast out onto the streets to survive  in these harsh conditions due to abandonment, abuse, or other unfavorable circumstances. The manholes exert heat from the hot water pipes, making the area a favorable place for the children to sleep. More often then not, burns will be seen on the children's clothing and body from accidently touching the hot water pipes. Some of the manholes that Kent observed contained pipes that allow access to clean drinking water for to the kids to drink. Unfortunately, the water did not come without a price. Where water is present, so are cockroaches, dogs, and rats.

Kent focuses the his last few pictures in the slideshow on the positive actions taken by the Christina Nobel Children's Foundation to help the kids get out of the manholes and in to a positive environment where they can learn, grow, and live more comfortable lives. The main solution for getting children out of the manholes and into more favorable living situations is Ger villages, which the foundation is working to provide through funding and donations. Kent also shares about a former street child who was rescued, now works for the organization to find and rescue other children, and is currently attending a university to become a camera man for television.

You can find more details on this story by  reading Kent Treptows article: "City of Lost Children," and viewing his photo slideshows at the following link:

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/06/15/special_reports/mongolia/video/doc48727368f302e317521671.txt

Or, visit the Christina Nobel Foundation site to find out more about her cause and the projects the foundation had been working on in Mongolia to help resolve this challenge:

http://www.cncf.org/en/mongolia/aboutmongolia.php

Again, these sites have great information on this topic. Kent's photography is really unique and the story gives you a personal look at what these kids go through. Due to the extreme poverty levels in this location, the majority of the kids have no other option but to live this way because this is all they know. The Christina Nobel Foundation has started a "Give a Ger Fund" which builds Gers through donation money. If touched by Kent's photographs and narrative, I encourage you to start a "Ger box" allowing co workers or friends to dump extra change in and help give these kids a chance to struggle a little less.

Till Next Post,

Es Bee

3784 Cycle Across the USA

Greg Evens is an ordinary 19 year old doing an extraordinary thing. Greg is currently on day 34 of his truck across the US via bicycle. He left from Yorktown on May 1st and plans to make it to San Francisco approximately two and a half months later. If he makes it all the way there, he will be the youngest cyclist to ever to cycle across the US alone. What is even more extraordinary about this trip is that Greg is doing his cycle in the name of the kids who have survived Noma. Before he started his ride he got people to sponsor him and is having all the money go to Facing Africa. If you would like to follow his journey through the US place follow Greg's blog at: http://gregstransamericacycle.blogspot.com/

Peace

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.

                                                           -Jimi Hendrix

Disease of Poverty

Many of you who will read this blog, know that I currently work in the skin care industry. This is a field full of individuals focused towards correcting facial imperfections to increase their clients perception of themselves. After all, the first thing people look at when they meet you is your face.

Outside of my day job, I enjoy researching about socially responsible companies wether it be for profit or non-profit to see what types of ideas and actions are currently in play towards improving the quality of life for all. I find it fascinating that the majority of us, regardless of nationality, religion, or income status come together to create or support causes that touch our hearts.

From the beginning of my research, I have found a particular concern and yearning to support many of the issues that confront various countries within Africa. One day while searching the internet, I stumbled on some graphic images of kids who have survived a disease called Noma. When I first saw these images I was, to say the least, taken back. I did not want to believe the images were real, but new I could not burry my head in the sand.

After viewing the pictures, it was very difficult to find information on the disease. It appears that many doctors have not heard of Noma. The one creditable website that I have found for Noma is a non-profit organization based out of the UK called Facing Africa, (www.facingafrica.org). Facing Africa is dedicated to funding trips to Nigeria and Ethiopia and providing voluntary surgeons and supplies to perform facial reconstructions on survivors of Noma and other facial disfigurements related to extreme poverty. I emailed the organization immediately trying to find ways to help with what little money I had. Chris Lawrence, the founder (and now very good friend) of Facing Africa was very helpful in giving me more information about the disease and what his organization is doing to help Noma survivors lead normal, more comfortable lives.

Noma is known as the "Disease of Poverty" and is most prevalent in children under six. It starts as a fever, and in malnourished children progresses and creates an ulcer in the mouth. If the ulcer goes untreated the infection begins to eat away the skin of the cheek, lips, and sometimes eats through the palate and eye. In infants the lips deteriorate which leaves them unable to breast feed and eventually they die.

Below is a video about Noma and the Facing Africa organization.

According to the World Health Organization approximately 140,000 new cases of Noma are found each year, this does not include the many cases that are not discovered due to the social taboo that is associated with the disease. An estimated 90% of the children who become infected with Noma die. Those who survive are left with severe facial disfigurements that cause discomfort in normal daily activities.

After learning about Noma and seeing the pictures of the children effected with Noma, I have gained several new perspectives. In the skin care industry,  already beautiful women and men receive facial treatments and procedures everyday to make them look even more beautiful. Learning about Noma really makes you take a second look at about how you judge what you see in the mirror everyday. I look at the kids in the video above, and wonder how I ever stressed over something so small as a pimple. The kids also exert such a fierce glow of inner beauty, they are so strong for waking up each day and living with the cards that they have been dealt. The contents within the video and the Facing Africa site truly touched my heart. If the information in the post did anything for you, I would like to encourage you to share it with others, and spread the word about Facing Africa and this completely preventable disease.

*The information an images in this blog come directly from the Facing Africa website or from conversations with Chris Lawrence the founder of Facing Africa.