Community, Community Building, Empowerement, Personal Development

How the Selfish and the Selfless can Enter into an Unhealthy Relationship

I mentioned before that there are probably more good people in this world than bad ones. This is a completely unscientific statement, but I wouldn’t be surprise if a survey determined that, indeed, more people are prone to performing a kind deed rather than a bad one. How, then, can’t this majority of good people… Read More How the Selfish and the Selfless can Enter into an Unhealthy Relationship

Personal Development, Service

What Traveling Through a Tornado Reminded Me Of and What it Taught Me

One would think that, after what happened last month (here, here, then here—yes, it’s that long of a story, and yes, it’s well worth the read), I wouldn’t be thinking already of traveling again for a long time. But what do you want; the heart wants what the heart wants (and also, my friends won’t… Read More What Traveling Through a Tornado Reminded Me Of and What it Taught Me

Personal Development

Seeking a Limitless Source to Live a Sustainable Life of Generous Giving

Back in October, I uploaded a post on how unhealthy the relationship between selfish and selfless people can be. I got so many emails in response from individuals who felt drained because they would empty themselves out in the name of living a life of generous giving! We were all in the same boat: we… Read More Seeking a Limitless Source to Live a Sustainable Life of Generous Giving

Maeve's Monthly Movie Review, Movie Review

Sahar’s Reviews Presents: Maeve’s Monthly Movie Review

However painful the cliché, it must be said: The Blind Side blind-sighted me. It is such a touching story (and features one of my favourite actresses) that I haven’t yet been able to watch it without crying. I completely randomly thought about it just as I was about to start working on this post and… Read More Sahar’s Reviews Presents: Maeve’s Monthly Movie Review

Service, Writing

Does Writing Fiction Contribute to Personal and Community Development? (I hope so…)

As some of you have gently reminded me over the last few weeks, I have not posted anything here since 20 November 2013.  That’s a 24 week absence, a portion of which has been spent reflecting on writing in the context of the advancement of the individual and the community. As long time readers of… Read More Does Writing Fiction Contribute to Personal and Community Development? (I hope so…)

Community

Jack of All Trades, No Master of Community-Building

Ever heard of the expression: “Jack of all trades, master of none”? It is an expression that hits a pretty resonant chord in a world moving at an ever increasing speed. Wanting to read everything, to attend everything, to fight every injustice, to back up every cause, we end up doing nothing, for the simple… Read More Jack of All Trades, No Master of Community-Building

General

To sleep or not to sleep, is that the question?

The concept of a life of service has fascinated me for a long time. Each and every time I think I am starting to understand it, something or someone sheds light on yet another aspect of it and I am left musing for many more hours. And I love it. You know how we’re always… Read More To sleep or not to sleep, is that the question?

General

Lemonisms and Donaghisms: 30 Rock’s definition of charity

There are so many lovely, nice, kind-hearted people out there. Seriously, if you did the math, I’m certain that there are proportionally a lot more nice people than bad people out there. If it were only dependent on that proportion, we would live in a wonderful world. And yet we don’t. Why bodes the question:… Read More Lemonisms and Donaghisms: 30 Rock’s definition of charity

General

Complex problems, simple beginnings of a solution

It’s quite the dichotomy, is it not. On the one hand, we have complex international problems that are tightly woven one into the other and all come down to the ego (which expresses itself in arrogance, hunger for power, greed or a mixture of the three). On the other hand, we have solutions that, for… Read More Complex problems, simple beginnings of a solution