If suddenly curiosity strikes, wander, get lost and discover. When you feel a surge of energy, excite it. Don’t think. Don’t question. Just do. Act. Be. It’s new. It’s bold. Perhaps a bit terrifying. Some might say crazy. You wonder, how? and why? Can I? Should I? Is it even possible? Let me tell you, it is. Everything is possible. Embracing those moments that make you most vulnerable and feel most uncertain end up becoming the moments that steady you. The challenge brings strength, the uncertainty brings clarity, and the vulnerability brings confidence.
I didn’t know how I could make my journey to Zambia possible. It was time. It was money. It was a new place. A new lifestyle. Where would I fit in? Could I make a difference? Was it mine to even make? Those questions and that fear though, didn’t stop me from saying YES. My experiences in Africa compare to nothing else. I went seeking an adventure and a challenge. I wanted to live a life in service to others and to live simply. My journey was all of that and much more. My life became a cultural exchange and I learned of experiences and traditions that shocked me, that terrified me, and that saddened me but I learned of ones that also made me smile and laugh and were humbling. I have stories of failure, success, sickness, of doubt, denial, acceptance, resilience, pride, and hope and many of them not mine. All of these stories and experiences I hold deep in my heart. They have become a part of me. Africa has become a part of me because I said yes.
So I say to you, lead the life you’re given. Challenge the one you’re not. Do the bold. Be daring. Don’t settle until it feels right. When you say yes, a world of opportunity opens up and you just might start to see things through an entirely new and beautiful light.
This is a thank you to all of you who believed in me, who supported me, who gave me words of encouragement. There is a healthier and happier future for so many youthful lives in Africa. I am better. The world is better. Thank you.
And remember... EMBRACE THE UNUSUAL, THE FEARED, THE SOUGHT AFTER, THE DREAM. jmb