My Happiness Project :]

I mentioned awhile ago that I started my own Happiness Project and wasn't ready to share my "commandments", but what a better time than now :] My adventure is not just a synopsis of my volunteering...but of love, happiness, food, thoughts, dreams, God, hopes, people, photos and of course smiles. If the only thing I got from these months on another continent was better techniques to volunteer...this wouldn't be much of an adventure, would it?!

1. Be present
2. Smile at Strangers
3. Trust my Friends
4. Pursue my Passion
5. Live with Integrity
6. Be Kind
7. Come from Love
8. Expect a Miracle
9. Lighten Up
10. Strive for Compassion
11. Eliminate the Negative
12. Make Footprints
13. Pray

All of these commandments mean something special to me while I embark on my journey. I started with #3 trust my friends, and every other one falls into place as I think it fits. The journey I am on began a long time ago when I decided to commit my life to serving others. I had many other career choices in mind...first woman president, brain surgeon, heart surgeon or a psychologist. But when I took my first Social Work Intro course at Fordham, something clicked. The light turned on and that class ignited my soul. The class was a night class (that I wasn't even allowed to take, but begged to be in) and I have never felt so warm and powerful. My professor, Mary Harrington, didn't just teach...she made me think about things that have never crossed my mind. We role played serious, real issues that happen as a social worker. It wasn't just a class but a time I looked forward to each and every week...that's when I knew Social Work was my calling.

Mary Harrington came into our class the first day with her hair messy, shirt ripped, thoughts scattered and stumbling upon her words. Ten minutes later she told us it was all an act. Some laughed others were confused. Her point...if you didn't ask yourself a million questions about her presentation, you shouldn't be in the class. Social workers analyze, think, process, change, feel, empower and most importantly love. My soul has always been generated by love, but never as much as now. The children I see everyday here in Peru make me love harder, dream bigger and pray more. Every time I start to get irritated by a child, I think of my commandments. All these kids want is someone to love them unconditionally and no matter what my issues are, I need to Come from Love.

Peru is a beautiful country with many problems. Children come to my class with bruises, wounds, hungry stomachs, dirty clothes and broken hearts...but no one is intervening. There aren't the same social service agencies we have in America to make sure children aren't falling through the cracks. In a way, I am not just a teacher or friend to these children, I am a social worker. I am analyzing their wounds, providing them with food, changing the way they think, listening to their concerns and most importantly empowering them with love. Mount Notre Dame has taught thousands of girls to become "empowered young women" but what really is life changing...is empowering someone else. Empowering the children of Peru was always a dream and now is one if the greatest experiences of my life :] In all seriousness, "How Good is the Good God?!" LOVE MND :]

As I continue with my Happiness Project, I hope you all think about your own lives and how to become a happier, more empowered individual. We are on this journey together, whether we are thousands of miles apart or next door neighbors...so why not make the best of it?

"The love in your heart wasn't put there to stay. Love isn't love 'til you give it away."

 One of my favorite songs right now, sung by some really really cool people. Listen to the lyrics...so poignant. CHECK IT OUT :]

Jenny & Tyler "Faint Not"