These were the words of Nadine Lusi, in her talk about HEAL Africa and its role in providing care for the people of Congo. It was a great discussion about the struggles of Africa, the necessity of education to uplift these people from their current situation, and the hope that still resides there, regardless of the slow progress it has been making.
After this talk, I had many questions in my head. Gender politics, African economy, feasibility of education in this part of the world, cultural friction... but the one thing that really stuck with me was what she said above. To add to this, she also discussed the idea of "selfish" volunteerism. This idea dictates that everyone is inherently selfish, even in acts of benevolence, perhaps to simply feel good about themselves or feel like they're doing the right thing, thereby replacing the focus from helping others to helping themselves.
Nadine's response to this was crystal clear: So what? What is the problem with feeling good about yourself after helping others? It is because she felt this way about her role at HEAL Africa that she has continued on with this organization and has had such a significant impact on others. As she states, if she wasn't happy doing what she did now, she would not be able to contribute effectively to this group. And that's when lightning hit for me.
I've always struggled a little bit with the idea that my life could be spent doing something that makes me happy. It seems stupidly obviously to you maybe, that you shouldn't do what you're not happy doing. Perhaps the way I've grown up, I've viewed hard work as the only way to get anywhere. And with hard work comes struggle, frustration, but at some point, achievement. However, no one ever told me growing up that I could be happy while working hard. This doesn't mean doing something I'm good at, something that will grant me financial security, but something I am willing to lay my life on the line for. If you are that passionate about something, I have to believe you will find yourself smiling through those struggles, frustrations, and achievements. But more importantly, the rest of the world will smile with you. Now the only question is, what do I want to live for?
After this talk, I had many questions in my head. Gender politics, African economy, feasibility of education in this part of the world, cultural friction... but the one thing that really stuck with me was what she said above. To add to this, she also discussed the idea of "selfish" volunteerism. This idea dictates that everyone is inherently selfish, even in acts of benevolence, perhaps to simply feel good about themselves or feel like they're doing the right thing, thereby replacing the focus from helping others to helping themselves.
Nadine's response to this was crystal clear: So what? What is the problem with feeling good about yourself after helping others? It is because she felt this way about her role at HEAL Africa that she has continued on with this organization and has had such a significant impact on others. As she states, if she wasn't happy doing what she did now, she would not be able to contribute effectively to this group. And that's when lightning hit for me.
I've always struggled a little bit with the idea that my life could be spent doing something that makes me happy. It seems stupidly obviously to you maybe, that you shouldn't do what you're not happy doing. Perhaps the way I've grown up, I've viewed hard work as the only way to get anywhere. And with hard work comes struggle, frustration, but at some point, achievement. However, no one ever told me growing up that I could be happy while working hard. This doesn't mean doing something I'm good at, something that will grant me financial security, but something I am willing to lay my life on the line for. If you are that passionate about something, I have to believe you will find yourself smiling through those struggles, frustrations, and achievements. But more importantly, the rest of the world will smile with you. Now the only question is, what do I want to live for?
