Translator: Rhonda Jacobs Reviewer: Peter van de Ven
(Exhales)
(Laughter)
Did you just hear her?
(Laughter)
That's not right.
(Laughter)
The world is on the brink ...
the brink of being the best it can be.
Yes, there is strife in the world:
the Syrian refugee crisis,
North Korea's nuclear developments,
Myanmar's humanitarian disintegration,
the earthquake in Mexico,
but everywhere there is strife,
there are volunteers
bringing change.
Nationally, the opioid crisis,
recent hurricanes,
fires,
yet everywhere there is a disaster,
there are those with resources who want to give.
Locally, we have homeless,
we have hungry,
we have neglected neighbors,
and yet we have hope
because we have you.
You can be the change agent.
You can make the world a better place.
This quote is attributed to Ghandi.
And it resonates with so many
because it is a simple call to action
that all of us can believe in, that we can feel,
as though we have power and control in a world that is harsh.
But the truth is,
Ghandi didn't actually say this.
Sorry
(Laughter)
to break that news to you.
But it appeals to so many of us because it feels true.
It feels like something he would have said.
Scholars generally agree
that he probably would have approved and would have liked it
because it provides a Cliff Note version of his personal ethos on humanity.
This is what he actually did say.
And as you can see, like most philosophers
and lawyers,
it's really long.
Way too long to be a bumper sticker
or to be a tattoo.
But yet it resonates with us.
It's popular.
The question is: Why does that appeal to us?
Why is it that Ghandi's supposed quote appeals to you and resonates?
How about because it simply feels true?
It feels like something he would have said;
it feels like something that we would all want to happen.
His words lead us to understand
that if we want change in this world,
if we want change, it must begin with ourselves.
We cannot look outside ourselves
and hope others can begin to make the change in the world that we want.
If we want change in this world, it must begin from within ourselves.
We are the change agents.
That's the power of that message.
That's why it's awesome.
And yet today, I'm going to challenge you to do something a little different.
I'm going to challenge you to think a little differently
and to step outside the bubble of your world.
I challenge you to be selfish
and to give.
So what do I mean by that?
Have you ever helped another person?
You know, buy the coffee for the guy behind you in the drivethrough?
Maybe donated a bag of food at the kids' school drive?
Ever give blood?
Of course you have.
The question though is why.
Why did you do it once?
Why do you keep doing it?
Because giving, helping other people,
feels good.
And getting to feel good can be addictive.
Gandhi's supposed quote, his language, teaches us to be selfless,
to think outside of our own needs.
But I'm asking you to get a little bit more selfish,
to think about how you can change the world
by doing something that nourishes your soul.
By giving of your time to something that brings you joy,
the kind of joy you can only get
by making the world a better place.
The impact of that giving is clear.
There's over 1.5 million non-profits in the United States.
They're a huge part of our workforce,
and they impact every single community.
For the last 15 years, I have had the honor and privilege
to serve as a nonprofit director,
donor
and volunteer.
And yet, every day, I'm astonished by the impact that volunteers make.
Volunteerism is core to being an American.
Over 75 million adults, every year,
are able to indulge in about 116 hours of volunteer service.
That's less than two-and-a-half weeks of getting to feel really good
by giving away their time.
Those 75 million adults give about 8.7 billion hours of volunteer service.
Now you know that's a big impact financially
and socially
to every city and every community.
That $180 billion,
that's what it's equated to be for those hours.
That's also approximately the state budget of California.
Or the estimated clean-up costs from hurricane Harvey.
That's the impact of volunteering.
Whether your heart and your passion lead you to serve families,
women's issues,
children,
serve animals,
in disaster situations,
covering the homeless,
or if your heart leads you to special populations:
seniors
or those with developmental disabilities,
international strife,
the hungry,
those who are victims of crime,
or perhaps your passion leads you to the future,
serving youth,
environmental causes
or leadership development.
If you bring your heart to a charity, that charity will ignite your passion.
Be selfish and give.
I know.
You said it in your brain as soon as I started talking about volunteerism.
I'd love to do it, but I'm busy.
We all are busy.
But here's your window of opportunity.
What better way to carve out that little bit of "me" time that you need
by indulging yourself and giving your time to your passion.
Imagine the difference you could make and how good you could feel
by giving your time, your energy, to something you already love.
Got a great example for you.
We live in an amazing community.
Tammy Marine is the Executive Director of our affiliate at Habitat for Humanity.
Unfortunately a few years ago, Tammy suffered a tragic loss.
Tammy found solace and healing by expressive arts.
We in the nonprofit world have a tendency to travel in a pack.
(Laughter)
Tammy mentioned that she had this art that she was doing
and how it was bringing her joy.
And our friend Kim,
who's the Director at Michelle's Place Breast Cancer Resource Center said,
"Would you be interested
in teaching some of our ladies who are going through breast cancer
on how to do this expressive art?"
And Tammy, being the most selfish person I know,
(Laughter)
said, "Sure, I can do that."
So Tammy donates her time
to work with women who are going through breast cancer
doing expressive art.
She is able to feed her soul by indulging in her passion.
She is changing the world.
I can't think of anything better to do with my time.
So I challenge you to be selfish and to give.
Think about what your time can do to nourish your soul, feed your passion,
to make your world a better place.
By being a change agent through volunteerism,
you can make a difference.
You've already made the world a better place.
Please,
consider being a little more selfish,
and stop doing so many things.
Give your time to something that's worth it for you,
and you will make the world a better place.
Please,
just think about being a little more selfish,
and give.
(Applause)