“The present moment is all you ever have.” – Eckhart Tolle
Yesterday after many years of procrastination I finally published my children’s book entitled Different Is COOL which is about self-acceptance and service to others and I hope after reading it everybody will ask themselves what can I do to make a difference in my community and in the world at large.
To buy Different Is COOL please visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LLFNHL2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_OtCKFb52E50FD
Everything that’s meant to be will be without you having to force it– that’s my message to the world.
It’s 11 : 44 AM on day 2488 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 2 Acts 18:9-10, have breakfast and promote my 50 New Feet Campaign benefiting MiracleFeet – yesterday Giving Miracles donated $150 (thanks so much to her) which brings the total raised to $1 750 only $10 750 more to raise by June 17, 2018 to help 50 kids with clubfoot
Today I realized that everything that’s meant to be will be in its own time without you having to force it which is not to say I won’t continue to work hard I will I just won’t be in so much angst and trying to force a particular outcome
Making a difference is simpler than you think but more difficult than you might imagine– that’s what I know
It’s 12 : 35 PM on day 2461 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, have breakfast, read John 15: 3 and learn a new word – Definitions for hireling 1.
a person who works only for pay, especially in a menial or boring job, with little or no concern for the value of the work. 2. serving for pay only .3. venal; mercenary.
This morning I was thinking about what I wish I’d known before I fell into philanthropy and I wrote a few things down hoping it would help someone. Take a look:
6 Things You Need To Know Before Entering the World of Difference-Making
I have the most awesome friends on the planet – that’s what I keep realizing 🙂
It’s 12 : 00 PM on day 1975 of my journey towards independence and I managed to pray, read 2 Thessalonians 3, learn one new thing –Explorer Ferdinand Magellan Named the Pacific Ocean in the 16th Century. In 1519, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, in the employ of Spain, began a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to seek a western route to the Spice Islands via South America. –have breakfast and work on my 25 Smiles Campaign – raised $2 082 so far only $4 168 more to raise by 10 Jan 2017 (SO GRATEFUL to everyone who has supported this campaign so far 
).
Today marks the one month anniversary of my 25 Smiles Campaign benefiting Smile Train so far thirty people (including me and my family) have made donations to this campaign and between us we’ve donated $2 082 I am SO GRATEFUL and HAPPY. Thank you Sneha Abraham, Frank Burns, Gaynor Young and Barbara Royce, Justine Perry, Madalyn Sklar, Catherine Cook, @Maewmb, David Boutin, Sarah Britten, Jim Mahar, Nancy, Rema aunty, Paul and Juliet Merrell of Big Planet Radio, Bev Bern, Julie and Don Faughnan, Amit Abraham, Benjamin and Amelia, Athira Issac, Liesel, Priyachechi, Joubert Botha, LA Janssens, Anatoli, Arun Babu, Stan Faryna and everyone else who chose to donate anonymously for your generous donations. Thank you Jacqui Cooks, Caryn Gootkin, Jacqui Mackway-Wilson, Stephanie Young, Susannah Schaefer, Britt Michaelian, Pamela Eapen, Gaynor Young, Barbara Royce, Vinita Abraham, Joubert Botha, Catherine Constantinides, Sue-Ann Allen, Jessica Ilunga, Lillian Chang, Lakshmi Pillai, Akhil Tomy, Deepthi Raju Abraham, Sneha Abraham, Juliet Merrell, Kevin Varghese, Nadine Stander ( A.K.A my favorite dentist in the whole wide world[thanks for taking care of my teeth and for everything else dude you’re a rockstar]) and everybody else for helping spread the word about this campaign.
Happy Birthday Daddy. Thank you for everything (and I’m sorry for hurting your wallet so much LOL but it’s always for a good cause and besides we are SO BLESSED it’s only right that we use our blessings to bless other people). I promise to live in a manner fitting of the Varghese name.
[Update January 12, 2017: Campaign ended 2 days ago. Final total raised is $10 317.04 [enough money to sponsor 41 smiles]]
My life is a story of two halves– that’s what I keep realizing.
It’s 12: 47 PM on day 1820 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, read Luke 10, publish my Disability of the Day feature, have breakfast, learn one new thing –The largest specie of tarantula is the Goliath Birdeater – and promote my Educate Generations campaign – $4 710 raised so far I have to figure out a way to raise $290 more before 3 October (by the end of this campaign I probably won’t have any family or friends left oh well I’m not here to be liked by all I’m here to make a difference and change perceptions 🙂 ) .
This morning I was thinking about how my life is a story of two halves I can’t feed myself a sandwich without making a mess (try eating a sandwich using only one hand) but I helped build a well in Kenya and I’m standing up (figuratively speaking) for girls’ education worldwide it’s actually funny if you think about it sometimes I wish the world could see what a day in my life was like because then everybody would know that anybody can make a difference.
People want to help you just have to give them the opportunity – that’s what I’ve realized recently.
It’s 12 : 12 PM on day 1765 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, pray, read Malachi 1, publish my Disability of the Day feature, have breakfast, learn one new thing –Baboons are opportunistic eaters and, fond of crops, become destructive pests to many African farmers. They eat fruits, grasses, seeds, bark, and roots, but also have a taste for meat. They eat birds, rodents, and even the young of larger mammals, such as antelopes and sheep. – and promote my Educate Generations campaign – Jim Mahar donated $18 yesterday (thanks SO MUCH Jim your ongoing support means more to me than you will ever know 🙂 ) which brings my total raised to $3 319.
Recently I’ve realized that people want to help you just have to give them the opportunity the young people in my life have been going all out to help me spread the word about my campaign it’s been really moving to watch. Thanks to everyone who has changed their Facebook Cover Photos and Twitter Header Photos in support of my campaign you guys have shown me that there is hope for humanity yet.
I want the world to be better because of me not in spite of me – that’s what I realized today.
It’s 12 : 07 PM on day 1591 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, pray, read Jeremiah 8, publish my Disability of the Day feature, learn one new thing – The world’s first automobile accident occurred in 1771, when Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot’s steam-powered, self-propelled ‘steam dray’ lost control and ran into a wall. The damaged vehicle is preserved in the Conservative Nationale des Arts et Meteirs in Paris – promote my Educate Generations campaign– still on $1 410 but I’m grateful being on $1 410 is much better than being on $0 🙂 – stretch my hamstrings, feed myself French toast for breakfast, continue promoting the campaign -Diane Liggett made two donations totaling $20 (thanks SO MUCH Diane your support means the world to me 🙂 ) which brings my total raised to $1 430 only $1 070 more to raise to reach goal – and spend time outside – you may think I’m nuts but on particularly beautiful days like this one I go out and sit outside for a few minutes just looking at the trees and the sky I try to enjoy the little things because I know that the little things are the big things in disguise 🙂 .
Today I thought I want the world to be better because of me not in spite of me I know that the world will be a better place whether I do what I do or not because there are good people out there acting with good intentions but I want to be part of that group of people I truly want the world to be better because of me not in spite of me. Is the world better because of you or in spite of you?
“Charity is just writing checks and not being engaged. Philanthropy, to me, is being engaged, not only with your resources but getting people and yourself really involved and doing things that haven’t been done before.” – Eli Broad
It’s 12 : 22 PM on day 1553 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, pray, read Isaiah 38, publish my Disability of the Day feature, publish my Kid of the Week feature, promote my Educate Generations campaign – on $1 190– feed myself a peanut butter sandwich and a banana for breakfast and continue promoting my campaign – still on $1 190 so far but I am grateful 🙂
Today I was thinking about reasons to and not to get into philanthropy and this is what I came up with. Take a look:
3 Reasons Not to Get into Philanthropy (and 1 Reason to)
Don’t get into philanthropy:
Do get into philanthropy:
Challenges are blessings in disguise– that’s what I keep realizing.
It’s 2 : 25 PM on day 1484 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to pray, brush my teeth, read Proverbs 22, publish my Disability of the Day feature, feed myself chickpea wraps and a banana for breakfast and promote my Educate Generations campaign – no donations so far today but my friend, Nancy Scott, made a donation of $20 last night (thank you Nancy your support means the world to me) which brings my total raised to $160 only $2340 more to raise 
Today I couldn’t help noticing that Cerebral Palsy taught me to tell people what I need, why I need it and what they can do to help me which are the very same skills I use as an aspiring philanthropist so it turns out having Cerebral Palsy trained me for this part of my life. Have the challenges you’ve faced in one aspect of life helped you in other aspects of life?
“Sometimes you may feel like you are just about to realize your goal only to fall short. That is no reason to quit. Defeat happens only to those who refuse to try again.” ― Nick Vujicic
It’s 12 : 41 PM on day 1458 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, go back to bed, pray, read Psalm 146, publish my Disability of the Day feature, stretch my hamstrings, practice sitting up straight to strengthen my core muscles, feed myself bread with egg for breakfast and prepare for upcoming campaign – I am pretty pleased with with what I’ve managed to do today I wrote down my campaign goals and prepared a breakdown of my campaign’s monitory goals so now I know how much I need to raise daily, monthly, in 6 months and in 12 months in order to reach my goal.
Recently I’ve been trying to get people to write about my upcoming campaign so far the responses have non-committal at best but I am not giving up there has to be someone willing to write about this campaign benefiting a fantastic organization. Do you give up the first time you get rejected?