Best Ideas Always Come at Night!
My best ideas are the one’s that sneak up on me in the middle of the night, and I’m sure it’s the same for many of us. We are often thinking “I should be sleeping”, trying to count sheep or ceiling tiles, and doing anything to ignore the urge to embark on that thought. The idea however just keeps pulling you awake like a shot of caffeine the more you try to ignore it.
I have had many late night thoughts like this, but my most memorable is when on one of these occasions, Giving for 31 was created.
It seemed simple at first. “I am going to visit 31 charities in 31 days” I proclaimed to my parents in late 2010 and although at first they looked at me like I had two heads, they were supportive. It was the next day that I came up with the name Giving for 31 and the slogan, “Where Will Your Legacy of Change Take You?”. I believed this motto to be fitting, as within everyone’s legacy, I consider a portion of it should be devoted to giving back, rather than merely creating yourself and your own story on your journey.
Giving for 31 lead me to many places including the Habitat for Humanity Restore, The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, and the Yellow Brick House shelter. The women’s stories that I heard at Yellow Brick specifically were heart wrenching. Many of them had been abused and forced to flee in the middle of the night from their homes without any money, a bravery which I cannot myself imagine. One of my days also led me to work at the computer company IBM, which gives their employees paid work hours to give back to the community, a business model which I believe more companies should mirror.
One of the wildest things that happened during my journey with Giving for 31 was when Oprah Winfrey’s producer and Brett Wilson from CBC’s The Dragon’s Den took time out of their day to contact me. These people are my mentors and people I look up to, and aside from being completely star struck, it aided me to stay on my path and reminded me that good work never goes unnoticed.
I do have to mention that I did not finish all 31 days of Giving for 31 due to anxiety problems, though I promise I will finish them soon. I bring this up solely because mental health is nothing like they depict in the movies, and in fact 1 in 5 people will experience mental health issues in their lifetime. Mental health has been described as a silent sickness because their sufferers might not show any outward symptoms, but just because you can’t see a problem doesn’t mean it isn’t there. There is always help either by visiting CMHA.ca, visiting one of the school’s counselors, or speaking with a close friend or family member. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and mine is my service dog Barkley. For you it could be anything, you just need to find it, and there are plenty of resources out there for you to use.
To see more stories about Giving for 31 and to share your own, please visit www.givingfor31.com.
By: Devon MacPherson