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Last minute preparations are underway for our return trip to Guatemala at the end of next week. I am looking forward to seeing the impact of our work in the winter and working toward making an even greater impact on the lives of these deserving people.
What we are doing is made possible by the generous donations that have been made by friends and supporters like you. I wish I could name you all individually, but know that I thank you from the bottom of my heart, as do the families who are benefiting from your help.
I do want to acknowledge one special donor. Sarah Thomas identified one of our Big Task Foundation kids to receive donations in her mothers' name, Gill Thomas. These donations will fund Abner's education until he graduates.
Sarah writes:
"Gill Thomas was born on 6th October 1939 in England and passed away after losing her battle with cancer on 15th February 2012, leaving behind her husband Eric, daughter Sarah and son, Simon. Gill was a lifelong teacher with a passion for education, the English language and reading. She taught both her children to read and ignited a lifelong passion for books in both of them. Gill taught primary school children during her career as well as English as a foreign language and adult reading classes. She loved learning and inspiring others. One of the most touching tributes on her passing came from a former pupil from the very first class she taught after graduating from college who simply thanked Gill for giving her such a happy childhood.
Rather than asking people to send flowers to mark Gill’s passing, as a family we thought it was a much more fitting tribute to remember her in a positive way – by giving a child an education and a future that they may not otherwise have had. Everyone who knew Gill commented how fitting it was and we are thrilled that through the Big Task Foundation we will be able to help her memory live on by enabling someone else to learn, be inspired and to achieve their dreams through education. We are all looking forward to meeting (virtually) the child we sponsor and through Keith and his team, helping him develop a passion for learning and open up new opportunities for himself and his family."
The child they are sponsoring, Abner, is 10 years old and a 4th-grade student at San Miguel Milpas Altas. He lives with his mother, grandmother, and brothers in a small tin house with a cement floor.
Abner wrote a letter to thank the Thomas family (translated from Spanish):
Thank the support you give me, I'm happy to have you in my life as you know I am in in good health and my family too I would like to know more of you and that you know more about me. I always ask God to watch over and protect you. I want to tell you that I did my first two months of classes and I got a good degrees. You are my second family because I have only my mother and my brothers and my grandmother. my mother is a single mother to come forward with us when I grow up I want to be an expert accountant after working very hard. And support my family and people.
The educational support coming from the Thomas family will completely change the direction of Abner's life. An amazing legacy for Gill Thomas, I think she would approve.
Any donations of any size to support our work are welcome - you can donate via Paypal through the link here. Stay tuned over the next weeks for updates from the trip.
At Santa Tomas Milpas Altas, we arrived to a small village of kids. Many were without families, while a few had moms. We shared snacks and played games, so that we could identify a few who stood out to support. We also had the help of the local organizer who has tracked these kids and their family situations since they were born.
A number of these kids would leave that morning with different lives. Our commitment of only $200 a child would fund their education, health care, and basic needs. (If you’d like to join us, you can make a donation of any size at www.KeithFerrazzi.com/about/charity.)
I looked around that yard at the kids and wondered what they were thinking. One of my earliest memories as a little boy was coming out of church and having a wealthy couple stop us to talk to my mom. This was a time when my dad was unemployed and we were eating what we called "welfare cheese" given to us by the government. Dad was too proud to take welfare or food stamps, but food he would accept.
As this couple chatted with my mother, I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they kept looking in my direction and smiling, so I guessed they were talking about me. I was conscious that they could or maybe wanted to help us. So as my mom spoke to them I smiled and consciously tried to be cute and well behaved.
As I walked into this group of kids, I wondered how many were conscious of these moments having some level of importance to their future, and how that was being reflected in their behavior. It was hard not to cry.
Soon enough, we identified the 10 we would help – a combination of our interactions with the kids and the recommendation of our host. One boy led a group of us in a game he created. Another had such charisma. He saw our host walking around pointing out kids and came right up to us and said, "If you are picking out good kids, pick me!" He got into the pack right away. I told the boy what my Dad used to say – "Never be afraid to ask, the worst anyone can say is no" – and congratulated him on his instincts. Here is the picture of our 10.
As we took down the names of the 10, another 5-10 gathered round, sensing that they were about to be passed over and wanting so badly to be noticed. I asked the host to take their names and pictures as well, in hopes that we may be able to raise the money to sponsor them, too.
What happened next really broke me. A mom came up with her tiny daughter and tugged on my shirt.
"Can my daughter be included?" she asked.
All I could think about was my Dad and how that was exactly what he would have done for me – what he did do for me, time and time again. He put himself out there, fearlessly and shamelessly, asking for help for his son.
I immediately added her child’s name to our list. But before I turned around, six other mothers were there (see the picture). Needless to say, I got their names too – we are looking to raise money to support their children.
Even with all these additions, we still only selected about a third of the 80 or more kids who were there for snacks and games.
It’s heartbreaking, but we can only walk one step at a time. Two hundred dollars a child.
Almost all of you, I’m willing to bet, have a “morning ritual.” But how many of you have created one by design? This is so important to individual effectiveness, for everyone but especially for entrepreneurs who work independently or at home.
I first became aware of the idea when interviewing a pair of salesmen for Who’s Got Your Back. Together, they did an early morning gym session followed by a brainstorm, a process they called “day-righting.” After about a month of this routine, the team told me they saw dramatic improvements in their business and their lives.
So, what’s your version of day-righting? I travel so much and keep such an erratic schedule that my day-righting isn’t so much a morning process as a daily commitment to an hour-long workout, usually a social one, wherever I am.
But for those of you who start every morning at a fairly reliable time, I guarantee that designing a morning ritual will help you be more relaxed, more focused, and more productive throughout the day.
Here are some ideas to play with:
Exercise: You may not be a “morning exerciser” or have time for a full session, but even 10 minutes of movement (a high-intensity run or a yoga session) can prepare you for solid thinking.
Journaling: Spend 5 minutes reflecting in writing on the past day/night, and 5 minutes jotting down your expectations for today.
Meditation: I never found meditation to be practical as a daily activity until I went to Thailand, where I learned how to blend meditation and pre-existing routines. (Read about that here.)
Breathing: Breathe in deeply. Hold it in. Exhale. Hold it out. Repeat 10 times. This itself is a form of meditation.
Please share your tips and “day-righting” best practices with the rest of the community.
January is the perfect time for focusing on making real change in our wealth, family, and career. Health too, but for so many people, that resolve only lasts about two weeks!
So let’s talk today about wealth. Here’s the most common question I’m getting:
“How do I earn more money?”
Well, you know my broad answer: Success through relationships. Whatever it is you want to do, build the network of relationships that will make it happen, and success will be yours.
But I also want to introduce you to someone who’s more directly focused on how to generate new income. He’s a New York Times best-selling author, he writes for over 300,000 people every month, and I think he’s the sharpest mind on helping you earn more money -- ethically and using the skills you already have.
His name is Ramit Sethi and I asked him to put together something special for you -- including a 67-page e-book on earning more money in 2011, available through this link.
Now, here’s Ramit:
Earning more via freelancing isn’t just for writers and designers. And it’s not only about “trading your time for money.”
Begin by thinking of how your skills can solve other people’s problems right now. Write down the top three skills you have that can solve other people’s real problems today.
I have a framework called the “Pay Certainty” technique, which helps you determine whether
people are willing and able to pay for the service you can offer with those skills.
Introducing The "Pay Certainty" Framework
The problem with having so many ideas is you're just not sure which one will pay off. And nobody wants to spend 9 months pursuing a futile idea -- only to discover you've made $0.46 in Adsense money -- so we get stuck before we even start.
When you apply the "Pay Certainty" Framework, you can quickly "score" ideas to see if they have any real possibility of ever paying off -- BEFORE you ever spend any time developing them.
To hear how it works, click through to the rest of the post on the blog. Or, click here to get Ramit’s great e-book, “Finding Your First Profitable Idea” and other free resources.
This is a four-part series sharing lessons in joy, success, and even fidelity, that I brought back with me from a 2-week service trip to Thailand and Cambodia at the close of 2010.
Lesson #3: Your fate is not controlled by the prejudice of others.
Happiness is in you and those you choose to hear. I was reminded of this while visiting an organization called Baan Gerda. In Thailand, there is still a huge stigma against those with AIDS. Baan Gerda was founded by a German chemical executive stationed in Thailand, and started out as a place to take care of orphans dying of the disease – to give them love, respect, and comfort in their last days. These kids’ parents had all died from AIDS, and passed the disease to the children at birth. Their relatives had typically dropped them at mass centers where they would die untouched, unloved, and uncared for.
Then as new drugs came along, Baan Gerda’s mission changed to helping find a way for these children to live beautiful, productive lives. And they do. The story is amazingly told in a movie yet to premier. You can watch a trailer of the film and buy the DVD at the website www.livingwiththetiger.com. (If you have any way to help the movie maker bring the movie and story to the world, let us know.)
As I met with Baan Gerda’s director, Mike Thomas, I was struck as he told me about the children’s active decision to lead normal lives despite so much prejudice against them. Their decision to look to a future when they can marry and live productively among society. How did they find the strength, I wondered?
I think I saw the answer as I watched these children in their daily routines. They are actively serving others – they volunteer to help the elderly and they care for new children entering their home, many of whom are very sick because medicine hasn’t been available. At so many orphanages, I’ve seen children saving their food to give to others. Generosity is healing, even when we have almost nothing.
These children gave me hope that we can stand tall in the face of others who’d like to tell us who we are and what we can become. I'm the first one to advocate listening to feedback, but I'm also the first to support your right to listen or not if you feel you have been thorough in your own self-assessment. Then find those who will feed you toward the direction your heart knows you should go, as the kids at Baan Gerda have.
This is a four-part series sharing lessons in joy, success, and even fidelity, that I brought back with me from a 2-week service trip to Thailand and Cambodia at the close of 2010. Check back every day this week for the next three parts. -KF
Photo Courtesy of Asiacenterfoundation.org
Lesson #1: Choose your family wisely.
I saw this listed in a Bangkok gym as tip number ten to “live a long life,” but it struck me as particularly poignant as I was thinking about my trip during my last run on the beach in Thailand before going back to LA.
Let me start with the story of a brother and sister, whom Big Task Foundation now sponsors. (No pics of these specific kids at the orphanages’ request, to protect their privacy.) They were living in a trash dump, literally, with a prostitute mother and a drunk father who beat her up a lot – she drank a lot too. During the day, they wandered the streets and at night slept on the trash among the rats. Then at the young ages of 5 and 6 they stumbled upon the Asia Center Foundation (AsiaCenterFoundation.org) and took refuge there, among people who cared about them, fed them, and got them into school and on the path to college.
In other words, they chose to find a family that gave them what they needed. The little boy, who wants to be a lawyer, still interacts with his mom although he lives at the safe house; the sister doesn't want to even visit because she’s afraid of being recruited to her mother's profession. They’ve been through a lot, but they’re happy.
Even as children, they chose wisely. We should all do the same – and it applies to our professional lives. To be happy, you have to seek out the right partners, and be proactive about it. Frustrated by your work environment? Then find the accountability buddy who won’t let you fail. Find or develop the team that cares so deeply about each other's success that they will out-perform better-resourced, even smarter teams because they have the passion. Find the loving support that will give you the encouragement you need to see the potential and not the limitations. Why should you let anyone stand in your way of success when there are people out there who can give you all you need. Find them!
I taped Dr. Oz last week - weight loss tips with a focus on buddying up for accountability and support. Working out and staying healthy is absolutely key to being able to keep up with my hectic schedule.
Since tweeting about it, I’ve gotten a lot of requests for health and workout tips. Happy to oblige even though I don’t know I have much to say that you haven’t heard before:
You can eat as much as you want - if you burn it off. Calories in calories out. Some of us burn more in a given day. I'm not a very sedentary person so that works in my favor.
Then you need to think about where you want to compromise. I gave up starch and white carbs like potatoes and bread etc. I "save" up my carb intake for the good stuff like wine and chocolate! Seriously, alcohol is a huge hit to your diet so if you are going to drink, you NEED to workout more.
Then on the exercise, I do a mix of cardio and weights. They key is find something FUN you enjoy!! I do www.BarrysBootcamp.com in LA which has great music and always mixing it up. I always try to workout with people, for example in bootcamp but I also use trainers a lot. When I land in a city my office has already set up a trainer with the concierge of the hotel before any appointments or dinner. Every day I'm not physically traveling, I get a workout, so about 5 days a week. For example, I won't workout today because I have appointments till 10 starting at 6 AM then catch a flight to NY and land too late to workout. But its on my schedule tomorrow. I workout as a buffer from a long day BEFORE my evening meetings and meals. It’s a refresher. I find when I want a nap, I workout. It does the same thing for me!
Today we celebrate the contributions of the American worker - at a time when umployment is at its highest in 26 years. Why not use the holiday to set some intentions around contributing to the greater good this week - and of course, beyond this week. We're not going to come out of crisis by government edict. It's going to take everyone's commitment.
A few suggestions - and feel free to add your own in comments.
1. Call the people you know who are out of work and ask them a very simple question: "What can I do to help?" Then be prepared to follow through.
2. Bring in a home cooked meal or cater lunch for your team or a couple colleagues at work, and focus the conversation on positive intentions.
3. Have an opinion on the health care debate? Write your rep.
And here, from Chris Brogan, are suggestions for kind acts you can accomplish without leaving your desk chair.
The child they are sponsoring, Abner, is 10 years old and a 4th-grade student at San Miguel Milpas Altas. He lives with his mother, grandmother, and brothers in a small tin house with a cement floor.
Today we celebrate the contributions of the American worker - at a time when umployment is at its highest in 26 years. Why not use the holiday to set some intentions around contributing to the greater good this week - and of course, beyond this week. We're not going to come out of crisis by government edict. It's going to take everyone's commitment.
