Skip to main content

Not yet over


Today was a long day and it is far from being over. Today, if all goes well we launch our first ever Advent Calendar. Rather than a chocolate, for each day you will be greeted with a daily story to make you smile - a young mum that can now read, a child that can now drink milk, a girl that does not have to walk 18 km to go to school anymore.
In such a difficult year in Portugal, one of the members of the volunteer team had this idea - after the entire year fundraising, why don't we chose to give to the donors this month, give them back for all we were able to achieve. I thought that was a pretty cool idea. Really. I am not the creative one in the group, that is why years ago I thought I desperately needed someone to help on the fundraising side, so I am always wondered on seeing ideas bubble up. I definitely am a large contributor and still put the calendar together, with the help of many contributors - writing is my thing. But thinking of doing a calendar is not!
So today is the first and we are meant to launch the calendar but it is still "in the oven". We have a really reliable oven that always comes up with cool ideas so I am not concerned - it only means there are a couple of hours of work ahead.
And then the UK event.... In 2 months already and already taking away sleep.  I started my guest list but I am being very meticulous about it and taking it slowly as I send each personalized save the date. I will have to give upon personalizing too much at some point - just as I have to with the wedding thank you notes that are still laying in my night table.
And tomorrow I travel. Oh well.
(written December 1st)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Time is what makes us different

I heard what is likely to become one of my top 3 favourite quotes on a podcast on Friday. "Time is the only real democratic asset. We are all awarded the same time, it is what we do with it that distinguishes us".  Now, I recognise that most of us need to work with survive and that is not democratic throughout. But on an equal opportunity basis, this is an interesting way of putting it. For many years I did not understand why MS thought my resume was so interesting. In fact, they chased me during the entire recruitment process, even though I had no idea of moving to London or Finance. I wanted to be a consultant and stay in Lisbon forever. But traditional consultants in Portugal saw nothing in me, and MS did not let me go. When I started screening resumes and hiring people a couple of years later is when I understood why I was different. TIME.  I was truly different about what I did with my time. Not necessarily the basics - choice of degree or anything. But really ...
1 comment
Read more

De-cluttering for opportunity

As I binged listened to the Bixchix podcast today ( Episode #31 Married with Luggage ), I got to meet this entrepreneur who left her life with her husband to go travel the world. No, I am not here to talk about quitting my job and travelling the world near and far (I have 2 children remember?). What called my attention was that as part of this process, she had to de-clutter, sell her stuff, carry a suitcase to another country and at the end leave no house behind. I have recently had a good de-cluttering spree so I relate to it, as I am not quite done yet. There are still bags to be taken to charity downstairs (hidden from the children as they have not seen those with toys) and I know there is more in the house that we can certainly leave without. But this is the extent of my de-cluttering drive right now, stuff. What I thought this episode brought new perspective was about de-cluttering is about so much more than stuff . Betsy Talbot argues it is actually about de-cluttering fro...
Post a Comment
Read more

Haunted by journaling

Journaling is haunting me. In different places, posts, blogs, podcasts, workshops or books, I get brainwashed by the wonders of journaling, what it can do for my morning as part of a morning ritual of meditation. For many years, I thought if only I would journal, I would have a blog full of life, ideas that never end and a calm relaxed life, with my thoughts off my head every day, not haunting me for fear of being forgotten. I love a good empty page, be it on a book or a screen. To be fair, I even do better on a screen shining back with words filling faster than my hands think they can type and my eyes semi-shut to the wonders that can come by. I don't know what the end game is, I like it to go free. But I don't journal. I can't make up my mind if I want to give it a proper go or not, I don't like the feeling at "failing" some of these initiatives, I don't have much to say every day though I have random thoughts during the day that I which could be reco...
Post a Comment
Read more