Want to hear something wild happening in the world? People are conducting trainings and events on WhatsApp! I know the app is extremely popular around the world - everyone I know who is not based in the US uses it. But wow! How wonderful is this that people in remote locations can take part in the larger community?
Champ, one of the CMA board members, started an NGO here focusing on young voices against substance abuse and for youth empowerment. I had learned only a little about what they are doing before this trip. Today, when I returned to my guest house, I had a message from Champ asking if I could be the guest speaker for the "graduation" for their recent training. The training had all been conducted on WhatsApp and the ceremony would be as well. I was a graduation speaker dressed casually sitting in the dining room! But before that, I had to write the speech. And the ask was about 24 hours before the speech needed to be delivered AND if it could also be 20 minutes long that would be great. Well, in the spirit of winging it and living on a prayer, I said yes!
Champ asked me to focus on how volunteering improves your resume....for 20 minutes. I thought that sounded impossible so I read through the training courses they took and the word "intention" lept off the page. It is my word of 2023! So, I started writing. And the writing just flowed. And flowed. And the result was one I was quite proud of, glory be to GOD! The next day, before delivering the speech, I added about 5 minutes of discussing the resume and what an employer is looking for, how to stand out.
All good things are born out of intention, I think. And if there is no intention, well, you know. I love to say "you are going in the direction you are aimed." Obvious and yet, not. I realized as I wrote this speech (and a little bit of a journal of processing), that setting intention is important in so many ways. The way I choose to speak to myself affects my aim, positively or negatively. Have I brainstormed, discussed, written down my values? It is much easier to stay on course when I know what is important to me and I can stick to what I believe.
Mostly I wanted to tell you oh cool it is that I attended a celebration of training completion on WhatsApp! It was so much fun - so interactive. And that I am thankful for the words God provided. And to remind us all, most especially myself, to live with intention. When I do, things go really well, though they might be hard. Clarity. Alignment. Action. Ready. Aim. Go!