Author: beinggoode

I'm a writer working in corporate responsibility in Los Angeles. Trying to figure out how to use my limited resources to make the most impact to the issues that matter to me, how to be the smartest giver possible.

First Week Check-In

On By beinggoodeIn Four Facets, WeeklyLeave a comment

I believe there are four facets to the Being Goode Challenge –

  • Traditional Volunteerism
    • What it sounds like, helping in soup kitchens, tutoring, etc.
  • Charitable Giving
    • Giving or raising money to donate to a charity.
  • Personal Kindnesses
    • Little or big gestures to put smiles on the faces of others.
  • Self Care
    • Kindnesses directed at myself. More important than people realize.

I want to share with you here the progress I’m making in those categories each week. More than likely the charitable giving category is going to be on the lighter side and the others will have off weeks but it’s good to check in and see how I’m doing.

This week I’ve had a head cold, which has been more annoying than anything else. I have a standing shift with Crisis Text Line where I’m a counselor on Wednesday nights and as you saw me tweet I almost called in sick to my shift and happened to see the article about Jimmy Carter who is in his nineties and has cancer still being a hard core humanitarian and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.

  • Traditional Volunteerism
    • 4 hour Crisis Text Line Shift
    • I track my volunteer hours through my company in order to earn a bonus charitable donation at the end of the year. This week I hit the top level at over 150 hours this calendar year. That’s about a half hour of volunteer a day. It feels great to hit this milestone.
  • Personal Kindnesses
    • One of my co-workers went on a job interview and as I struggle to get ahead in my career I made sure to support her. I checked in with her before and after her interview and made sure to keep her in my thoughts.
  • Self Care
    • This week mostly consisted of spending all my free time sleeping and drinking orange juice.
    • But I also started this blog, which is bringing me a great amount of joy after only a week.

Please share in the comments how you’re doing this week!

The Being Goode Challenge

On By beinggoodeIn ThoughtsLeave a comment

I watch Kate Middleton, Michelle Obama, I read about Melinda Gates and think to myself – that’s what I want to be, what I want to do. I want to be a Princess, First Lady, Philanthropist. I want to visit underprivileged youth in schools, I want to Move 5 and I want to puzzle out how to bring clean water to Africa.

There are a couple of difficulties for me though. And no the mansions and beautiful wardrobes don’t count, although those would be nice. The difficulties are the classic ones – money and time. Princess, First Ladies and Philanthropists have the luxury, the resources to help people. From the time they get up in the morning until they go to bed all they need to do to be successful is to help someone, make a positive impact on a life. How lucky. How challenging.

With no prince charming in sight I’ve decided to make my own luck, start my own challenge. The challenge is – to figure out how to use my limited resources to make the most impact to the issues that matter to me, how to be the smartest giver possible.

I’m a writer (another occupation where money and time are in short supply) and I work in Corporate Responsibility at an international company here in Los Angeles. I’ve been volunteering all my life. I’m not giving myself the title of princess. No one will suddenly care about what I’m wearing or give me priceless jewels. But hopefully people will be excited to see me, my presence will bring comfort and joy to people who need it, my head will look like it was made to hold priceless jewels from the way I carry myself.

I’m not perfect. I don’t have a lot of resources. I have a bias to certain causes. This is my personal journey that I want to share with you. I hope that I can inspire others to ask themselves the same questions, follow the same challenge and become more philanthropic in their own lives. I hope we can conquer this challenge together.