Change

Today's thought comes from the popular show How I Met Your Mother.  The show's premise is that this man, Ted Mosby, is telling his kids the story of how he met their mother.  Now I won't spoil the entire show, but I will say that fate and the yellow umbrella he's holding are both major parts of the story.  He asserts that no matter what the day, something could happen to you that will change your life.  You don't always have to go out making change.  Sometimes you just have to wait for it to arrive at your doorstep.

Looking back on my short life, the most important things that have happened to me had very little to do with choices I made, or action I took.  I remember back to December 2012.  I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with my summer.  I knew I needed something to change it up.  Somewhere to move away to.  New scenery and new people.  At the end of that month, a friend of mine encouraged me to apply for this internship with an organization in Kansas City.  After dragging my feet a bit, I finally filled out and sent in my application.  Long story short, I interviewed and received an offer for my internship that I am currently on in Kansas City, MO.

Looking back, I didn't do anything to get the opportunity to apply for the internship.  It just sort of happened.  Granted, once I heard about it, I had to apply, interview, and accept the internship, but I'd like to focus on the part before that.  Looking back, I am so happy that I ended up taking action on the opportunity.  This summer has been a blast, giving me a whole new outlook on life and a fresh start.  It was just one of those things that happened.  I was able to step out the front door and recognize something that has changed my life forever.

So often we get caught up in trying to make change happen.  Sometimes, you can't force it.  Change happens.  Will you let it happen?

Service

Today's post comes courtesy of guest-poster Cassie Olson.  Be sure to check out her own blog, Cassie Is...  If you want to keep up with her exploits, check her out on Twitter.  Without further ado....

“Challenge Accepted.”

For all of the How I Met Your Mother fans that are out there with me, you know this iconic phrase as stated by Barney Stinson. Now, Barney may not be the best role model as far as lifestyles go, but this common tagline of his has so much meaning to someone such as myself. When I hear  the words “challenge accepted”, one word comes to mind: service.

What is service, exactly? The dictionary definition will tell you that service is “the act of helping or doing work for someone.” Simply put, when we dedicate ourselves to completing a service, we are doing something to make a difference. A service may be mowing a lawn, taking an elderly person to the grocery store, or simply making someone’s lunch. But sometimes the service we do have such a greater impact on those we are serving.

I have been a part of various service organizations in the past, but one that I am really dedicated to is Feed My Starving Children. Feed My Starving Children is a volunteer organization that strives to feed children in starving nations. To date, FMSC has shipped packed meals to 70 countries throughout the world. Thousands of volunteers nationwide pack these meals every single day. Because FMSC volunteers “accept the challenge”, children worldwide are able to go to bed not feeling the pangs of starvation.

Service is actually what made Steve and I friends in the first place. Steve and I were both FFA members who attended the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) in 2010. One of my favorite things about WLC is the commitment to service. I still remember the 200 students attending the conference chanting the theme, “We Must Because We Can”, as we went out into communities surrounding the Washington, D.C. area to complete service projects in small groups. The group I was a part of weeded kale feels of an organic farm that provided vegetables to low-income families in Washington, D.C. Our job was tedious, that I will admit, but along with the calluses on our hands, sweat on our brows, and aches in our backs, we also ensured those without sufficient incomes could feed their families. Because we “accepted the challenge”, we impacted a community.

Service does not need to be something where we change people’s lives on a large scale. Service begins with the opening of a door for a friend, helping someone up who has fallen, and going the extra mile to make sure someone gets a chance to smile throughout their day. Accepting to help others in even the littlest of challenges makes the greatest of differences.

Currently, I am serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) in my home community in Wisconsin. As a part of my term of service, I am working with other AmeriCorps in my community doing youth programs and activities. One such activity is “10 Days to Change the World”, and I would like to challenge you all to participate in your own communities. I challenge you, for the next ten days, to complete random acts of kindness during a 10 day period...what could your impact be? Who could you serve? What challenges can you accept?

Service is many things, and many times, it is a challenge. Service is not to benefit one’s self, but rather to benefit the life of another, even in the smallest of ways. Will you commit yourself to the service of others?

As for myself, let’s just say:

“Challenge accepted.”

Legendary

I suspect that many people have a pretty good idea about the origins of this picture.  If you watch the TV show How I Met Your Mother, you know that Barney Stinson is noted for 'suiting up' because it's going to be legen- wait-for-it -dary.  What exactly is going to be legendary is the big question.

What's legendary in your life?  A legend is typically something that is elevated to almost-folk lore.  It's that awesome that it's almost too much to believe.  So perhaps a better question is this: What's your legend?

I know in my own life, I often struggle with this.  It's an innate human desire (in my experience) that we want to have some effect, leave some sign behind.  As I've grown to be an upperclassman in my fraternity, the idea of my legacy and legend comes up.  Am I being the kind of person that people will remember?  What can I do so that people remember me?  Perhaps a legend isn't an event or some act that you completed.  Maybe it's the people around you.  What am I doing for the people around me?

This summer, I've had the genuine please of becoming friends with a truly outstanding group of people.  Within the second outing as a group, we were all laughing and joking like we were old friends.  The more I think about it, these people, and everyone else around me, is my legend.  Maybe, my legend isn't someTHING that I leave behind, rather, it's someONE.  In the end, people don't remember what you did, they remember how you made them feel and how you helped them.  What is YOUR legend?