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

A Day That Marks A MIlestone

I officially have my own corporation. Today I received my approval from the Secretary of State for my very own corporation. createACTivity, Inc. Now, one last step. My 501 c 3 approval.

Through the last week I have recognized one main difficulty that I have had in moving from corporate world to starting my own business and/or working without a paycheck for charities that that I believe in. That difficulty is measuring productivity as well as rewarding accomplishments. As many people, I have always been motivated by either the appraisal of a boss, or the tangible act of receiving a paycheck at the end of a pay period. It was not necessarily the money, but the fact something tangible was received for doing work. Through the lack of both of these acts,  I have realized that it is very easy to set unrealistic expectations as well as feel unaccomplished no matter how hard you work.... (even if you are working the 11-16 hour days including weekends to see your dreams come into fruition).

With this, you can imagine the excitement of opening a tangible piece of paper with signatures stating that your company has been approved. The long days and email exchanges with lawyers (who seem to constantly block creativity with some law that restricts almost any idea that you have, or the mere statement of "I will have to look into that, it has never been done before") has finally paid off. When leads me to my lesson: KEEP GOING. Orchards do not grow overnight, they take a patients, a lot of nourishment, and continuous love to keep them going.

One must also to recognize that when something significant is accomplished, one should reward themselves for that accomplishment. And for me, today deserves reward.

I am so excited to update you about my plans for createACTivty, Inc. once closer to my 501 c 3 approval date. In short, createACTivity will be a sustainable way to generate funds for organizations that are forming ethical solutions for people living in harsh, undesirable, and uncomfortable living conditions caused by extreme poverty through creativity.

With a tangible sense of accomplishment, I am pleased to sign off to a day that marks a milestone.

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