Inspired By...Powerful Story Telling

Hi everyone, are you excited for a long Thanksgiving weekend? I'm feeling very thankful for my life. My family, my friends, the beautiful city I live in, my mom's pumpkin pie...so many blessings to count! I love this time of year because we get to stop and think about what's important. We are reminded to be grateful, and to share with others.

 Image from SeeYourImpact.org

Last week, my friends Jill and Raj introduced me to an organization that they support called SeeYourImpact. You give a gift, 100% goes to a cause that you choose, and in two weeks, you get to see exactly how your gift changed a life.

Image from SeeYourImpact.org

Today I had some time to play around on the SeeYourImpact site, and found myself addicted. They make it so easy to give--many of the options are for small amounts that might not add up to much for a lot of people--a few lattes, what we spend on lunch or dinner out. You get to choose what's important to you. Children. Women. Health. Education. Or a place in the world you want to support. Africa. The Americas... there are so many places and ways to have an impact.

 The Beng family has clean water (Image from SeeYourImpact.org).

To me, the most compelling thing about SeeYourImpact is the story telling. As you click around their site, you see stories of how people's lives have changed because of the gifts of so many generous people.

 Joseph after receiving his vaccines in Gashanda (Image from SeeYourImpact.org).

When you think about the all negative stories we are bombarded with every day...how sad and hopeless the world seems sometimes... To see so many compelling and positive examples of small things that make a difference in the lives of real people... How powerful is that? We can't all be Oprah, or Bill Gates. But we all have something to give.

Image from SeeYourImpact.org

I also love how personal the gift can be--that you can find something that resonates and is meaningful to you. As I clicked around, I came across the story about supporting prolonged dental health of children in the Dominican Republic. I'm sure for most people, dental health doesn't seem like the most pressing global health issue. 

 Image from SeeYourImpact.org

But my dad is a retired dentist. This has been a tough week for a few of my friends who are dealing with the loss or the illness of their fathers. I feel so thankful that at 83, my dad is still in good health and that I get to celebrate Thanksgiving with him tomorrow. So being able to give to something that makes me think of him, that's related to how he helped others through his life and profession...Wow. I'm so grateful for that opportunity.

 

 Image from SeeYourImpact.org

I'm feeling thankful that I can do something, even something quite small, to make a difference in someone's life. I think we all have that ability--whether it's $10 that could save a child's life with a mosquito net, or just a kind word or a smile, the gifts we give have an impact. They do create a better story.