The quality of our lives depends on how we focus our energy and our attention.
—The Traits of Stress-Hardy, Resilient People
We’re living in a time of great turmoil and innovation. How dumb would it be to focus only on the changes we don’t like?
One story that recently warmed my heart was of Wilson Kisaalita, a professor of engineering at the University of Georgia. Kisaalita was born on a small farm in Uganda, went away to college and became a success. But he hasn’t forgotten his roots…he takes students to rural Africa to identify the needs of the poor and to design small-scale products that can help them. Among other things they’ve designed solar-powered incubators for guinea fowl, milk coolers for small farmers so they can sell more of their product, and nutcrackers for Moroccan women.
The Moroccan women make money cracking argan nuts with stones. The shells of the nuts are extremely tough so the work is time-consuming and dangerous…it’s easy to slip and mangle a hand thus putting the woman out of work. The requirements for the nutcrackers were they had to require some human skill so the process couldn’t be completely mechanized and it had to be only about three times more efficient than cracking the nuts with stones. Why not more efficient? That would have been as bad for the women as completely mechanizing the process. Men would take over and the women would lose their source of income. Kisaalita and his students are are thinking outside the box and are working hard to help their fellow humans. 🙂
Have you read/heard any stories lately that lift your spirits and warm your heart?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326473/Canadian-couple-Allen-Violet-Large-away-entire-11-2m-lottery-win.html
If I won 11 million $, I doubt that my life would change. We have money we don’t need & give away. I like my simple way of life.
I’m still not sure in what matter you mean by thinking outside the box.
rummuser,
Thank you for the great story!
bikhikebabe,
I wouldn’t change my simple life either. I do think it would be fun to give all of that money away. 🙂
tikno,
It just means seeing and doing things in unusual/unexpected ways.
Here is another one: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/us/08canton.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha22
the other day on the bus, I caught a conversation between 2 lads probably early 20s. one was talking about his life which was very interesting (but not for here) and then they were talking about their future.
both turned out to be Christians and the one with the previous interesting life said that when he had finished his degree (I think engineering) he was going to get a ‘job’ helping those in poor countries have better systems. He thought a number of places could do with better water supply…
then they debated the forthcoming holidays and this one said that he had got a job in Pakistan helping **** (missed what) but it something to do with his church.
I’m about to enter my personal season of ‘outside the box’ thinking as Uni for this year will be completed Thurs @ noon (not the Northern Hemisphere Thurs)…I have approx 9 weeks to sort/sift up the rest of the ‘last 2yrs sorting up’ to accomplish. Am looking forward to getting it all done, taking some R&R and general mucking around…
Cathy in NZ, I love your comments. Also love reading words that we don’t use in the USA– lads, mucking around, Uni.
rummuser,
Yes, another great story. Thanks!
Cathy,
It seems to me your going to Uni is also thinking/acting out of
the box. As you’ve said, people don’t understand why you’re doing it if you’re not aiming for a new career. I applaud you!