Random Thoughts on Caring, Commitment & Achieving
By Roger L. Whiting
When I first started thinking about helping to provide educational opportunities for girls and young women in East Africa, I had only a vague concept of where that journey would take me. I knew that I wanted to help one young waitress to obtain some sort of training and education beyond secondary school. I had met her in Tanzania while on safari in 1996. Then it occurred to me that if I formed a non-profit organization I might be able to help many deserving but needy students. One year later Growth Through Learning was incorporated for just that purpose.
I had no idea at that time that this cause would result in my taking early retirement, or that I was creating a virtually full-time job for myself. I have now visited East Africa on five occasions. There is no financial gain as I take no salary for my efforts. In fact, these trips have been at considerable personal expense. Why this commitment then to such a project? What is it that causes me to work so hard to make education possible for so many girls and young women?
Undeniably there is a sense of personal satisfaction resulting from starting a "business" from scratch - something I had not done before. It requires a vision, a total commitment to that mission, and time to devote to the project.
But there is more involved than personal satisfaction. I developed a sense of caring about others that I had not had before. Furthermore, the harder I worked, the more I cared and the more committed I became.
My experiences in Africa have had a profound impact on my outlook and philosophy of life. The process of introspection encouraged by my visits has been invaluable to me; it has given me an enhanced sense of awareness, responsibility, and personal identity. After seeing East Africa with my own eyes, I find it intolerable that so many people are living in such poor conditions. Perhaps for the first time in my life I am truly grateful for the many advantages I have received here in America. At the same time I have gained some first-hand insight into the nature, beauty and majesty of the great continent of Africa. I also learned, or learned better, that caring and commitment go hand in hand. The more I cared, the more committed I became to make Growth Through Learning a success.
According to the Random House Dictionary, achievement means -"Something accomplished, especially by superior ability, special effort, great valor, etc: a great or heroic deed." Although superior ability makes things easier, I am much more impressed by achievement that is a result of special effort, whether or not it is great or heroic.
We all have the capacity to achieve: a baby's first steps or words, graduation from school, an award or a trophy, writing, painting, or the construction of a fine piece of furniture. Underlying the achievement is the intent, effort, and commitment to do something. Trying is doing, and it is in the doing and caring that we find the path toward achievement. Errors and mistakes will interfere with the process, but they are merely lamps that light the way toward eventual accomplishment.
Some time ago I watched the Boston Marathon on television. The inspiring part was not watching the winning runners who finished the course in a little over two hours. What moved me was the effort expended by those in wheelchairs or on crutches, those who fought through their own disabilities and shortcomings in order to achieve their own personal goal with little chance of winning the race. I will never forget the runner who finished the last several yards of the race on his hands and knees. He was simply too exhausted to even walk, let alone run. To me, he is a "winner," even though he had no chance to win the race. Most likely his goal was to finish the course no matter what it took to cross the line. That he did! Clearly he had no superior ability, yet he achieved a personally significant accomplishment due to a special effort of almost epic proportions.
We cannot all be a Serena Williams, a Michael Jordan, or a Tiger Woods. They are all blessed with superior ability as well as a willingness to exert a special effort. For most of us, trying is as important as innate ability, if not more so. With practice we develop ability, and the more we do the better we become.
Perhaps the fear of failure is what prevents us from reaching out toward new levels of ability and ultimate achievement. Kirk Douglas recently said, "In order to achieve anything, you must be brave enough to fail." Undoubtedly we can all find freedom and victory if we can conquer the fear of failure. The greatest risk is not taking one. Risk taking requires us to take one step at a time. Somewhere I read that in order to regain one's balance you need to take a step with the other foot - perhaps to look at a problem from a different angle, and to search for alternative solutions.
That is what Growth Through Learning is all about. GTL asks us take one step, and then another step. Our mission is to offer Òopportunity for growthÓ for the girls and young women of East Africa by providing them with scholarship aid. Education is unquestionably the key element toward achievement and a more fulfilling life.
Roger L. Whiting
Last modified: Mar 07, 2004, 16:13 EST