Advance Humanity

Officially Launching AdvanceHumanity.com

2011-09-21T07:04:00.000-05:00

** This is my last post at blog.advancehumanity.com, all future posts are here at AdvanceHumanity.com! **

I've been dreaming of this day for a long time, when I would finally be able to launch Advance Humanity. Our new website has been up for a few weeks while we have been tweaking the design and getting things together, but now it's finally September 21st - the day I was waiting for - World Peace Day. I chose this day to launch because I want it to be a reminder that each of us can do something, no matter how small, to change ourselves and change the world.

What's the big idea?

Right from the beginning, I thought it would be good to share what I hope to accomplish here. A goal is good, a measurable goal is better, and a publicly measurable goal is best of all.

I want to write… a lot. I’ll be writing about personal development, staying inspired, living simply, doing more of what you love, and working with others to do amazing things. The theme that links all these things together is the belief that the best way to change the world is to change yourself first. With each of us doing that, together we will create a small army of everyday humanitarians at Advance Humanity that will be unstoppable.

Looking ahead from the beginning of this project, here’s what I’d like to see one year from now:

100 awesome articles that are high-quality, simple, quick-to-read and practical for everyday life
25 profiles which feature awesome everyday humanitarians with incredible stories
Over 2,000 committed people who are part of our community through updates and Facebook
100+ Big Ideas which I will distill from reading 50 incredible books and
2 PDF Guides for everyday humanitarians that explain these Big Ideas and help you do amazing things

Going forward, my focus is on helping you achieve your own awesome goals and sharing resources, projects and inspirations to help you get there. After three years in the Peace Corps, losing 60 pounds, creating some awesome projects, launching a TEDx event, raising tens of thousands of dollars and getting married, I have a feeling we can do it.

While I’m writing, I’ll also be pursuing other important goals.

I also work with several nonprofit organizations, collaborate with social entrepreneurs, consult on international development, try to meditate, stay in shape and do other fun stuff. From time to time, I’ll write about these activities whenever it seems like it will be helpful. But mostly, Advance Humanity will be less about me and more about you and helping you change the world.

I hope you enjoy it and I'm really happy you're here.

P.S. Here is a short welcome video I made when I finally got to ride a motorcycle after three years of waiting (Peace Corps Volunteers can't ride motorcycles) and it even has a special guest!

Thank You, Peace Corps

2011-09-05T07:25:00.000-05:00

It's been an honor serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer and Peace Corps Volunteer Leader here in Mongolia over the past three years.

I feel very grateful and to the many people who have made it an incredible experience, I really can't thank you all enough. Our amazing Peace Corps Mongolia staff and my fellow Volunteers in Mongolia and around the world have always supported me and humbled me. The Peace Corps really is a huge family that wraps all around the world.

My wonderful friends and family in Sukhbaatar Province and my equally amazing family and friends at home in America have always been there for me, even though "there" has been thousands of miles away.

And of course my wife Tunga who has been my wonderful friend and partner in this amazing adventure, thank you so much.

I've always wanted to be a part of Peace Corps and been amazed by the quality of people I have met in the organization and around the world. I wrote this in my book and I'll keep saying it, I think Peace Corps is a story that all of us have a chance to be a part of. It's up to us how long and how amazing the story is. I hope to make it great, with your help, and to make it last as long as possible. Thank you all so much.

You can follow me on Twitter here

You can join Advance Humanity on Facebook here

The End of My Time in Peace Corps

2011-08-30T08:15:00.002-05:00

After 3 years and 3 months of service, this week signals the end of my time in the Peace Corps. Today Tunga and I finished the lengthy visa process of registering me as a resident in Mongolia and tomorrow night we will be celebrating with my fellow Peace Corps Volunteer Leader Kyle and the rest of our Peace Corps staff during our Farewell Dinner.

To say that Peace Corps has changed my life forever would be an understatement. Since applying to Peace Corps I completed a silent retreat that I never thought I'd finish, created dozens of awesome projects with my amazing Mongolian counterparts and fellow Volunteers, I lost over 60 pounds, wrote a book, designed a ton of websites, made my own merit badges, created an iPhone app, organized the first TEDx event in Mongolia and was married to my amazing wife. Peace Corps has exceeded my expectations in every way and allowed me to enjoy things I never imagined.

How do you share such an amazing experience with others? When someone says, "Wow, Peace Corps huh? So, what did you do?" how do I begin to answer?

Well, apparently I wrote a lot about it. Looking back, I've written over 300 articles on my blog and fit a bunch of those experiences into my first book. And I have more to write. Over the next 8 months, during my Peace Corps retirement & wannabe literary sabbatical, I plan to launch Advance Humanity and work on my two new book projects: Life is Volunteer and Modern Enlightenment.

I couldn't be more proud of being a Peace Corps Volunteer over the past three years and I am very excited about what lies ahead. Thank you for being here with me and joining me on my next adventure!

To join me, please join all of us at Advance Humanity on Facebook!

Quick Wrap-Up of TEDxUlaanbaatar

2011-08-25T10:26:00.003-05:00

This past weekend I was able to enjoy TEDxUlaanbaatar with hundreds of other people from Mongolia and around the world. I am completely humbled by the wonderful things I heard at the event, in the personal e-mails I've received, and the conversations that have been taking place on Facebook. What started out as a simple idea between two friends quickly grew into a talented team of people and an amazing event with hundreds of people who gathering together around ideas worth spreading.

A year ago I wrote down as one of my dreams that I wanted to speak at the global TED conference. I thought it would take years to accomplish and it probably will, but I've been surprised by how many ways there are to achieve our dreams. Creating and speaking at TEDxUlaanbaatar has been a great start and, more importantly, has encouraged others to dream. Christa, the wife of one of our awesome organizing team members Joe, mentioned that in our audience on Saturday one of the young Mongolian men next to her said that he now dreams about speaking at TEDxUlaanbaatar in the future. By creating this event together the volunteers, speakers, organizers, and attendants encouraged each other to dream about what is possible.

In October we will be leading a TEDx Organizer's Workshop which already has dozens of people signed up to hear about how we can create more TEDx events around Mongolia. Over the next few weeks I'll be writing more about how to start your own TEDx event, including organizing and executing conferences both big and small. I'm certainly no expert and I could've never done this without an incredibly talented team, but I certainly learned a lot of things over last few months that I think are worth sharing.

I hope, no matter if your dream is something like creating a TEDx event or not, that you know it's possible to create anything that you imagine. You aren't alone and the magic is that people come from all around to help you create something valuable for others. TEDxUlaanbaatar is just the beginning of many great things in Mongolia thanks to some really incredible people that I'm honored to have met. Thank you all again so much for making this possible and for sharing in this idea together with me. I think we're going to create some amazing things. As one of our youngest audience members, a teenager named Bolortuya, told us, "To believe in the heroic makes heroes. Let's all become heroes."

To see pictures of our event, please check out TEDxUlaanbaatar on Facebook and Flickr. Soon, after some professional editing and translation, you can watch the videos on our YouTube channel too!

By the way, have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

Join Us Live for TEDxUlaanbaatar

2011-08-18T08:24:00.002-05:00

TEDxUlaanbaatar will be streaming live!

While we are limited to 100 seats at the live event, there is unlimited seating for our friends who want to watch TEDxUlaanbaatar live on August 20th! Thanks to the incredible technology available to us you can watch TEDxUlaanbaatar live all day on Saturday, August 20, starting at 9am and running until 6pm in Mongolia. In America, Eastern Standard Time, this means the event starts on Friday, August 19th at 9pm and runs until 6am Saturday morning.

All you have to do is visit TEDxUlaanbaatar.com and the live stream of the event will be available in both Mongolian and English. Invite your friends to join you in watching this all-day event and be sure to join us on Facebook and Twitter to join the live conversation on as we live-tweet and live-blog the event. We would love to hear from you!

Also if you aren’t available to watch the event live, you can always watch the event later. All TEDxUlaanbaatar talks will be available after the event with subtitles in both languages! We look forward to seeing you soon!

Have you joined our growing Advance Humanity community on Facebook?

Our Letter from The Dalai Lama

2011-08-14T22:22:00.004-05:00

It's hard for me to express how much I respect the Dalai Lama. For more than ten years, since I was in high school, I have read dozens of his books, collected hundreds of his quotes, and even had the opportunity to share them with tens of thousands of people. He is an inspiration to millions, including my friends and family here in Mongolia, and he has been a big part of my life.

Yesterday was the first time I received a personal correspondence from him, with his playful signature on the bottom and his inspiring words across the page. Months ago, on behalf of the Mongolian people and our TEDxUlaanbaatar conference, I wrote to The Office of His Holiness requesting his presence at our event. Since he was traveling in Europe during the time of our event, his office said they would do everything they could to provide us with a personal statement in his place. The Dalai Lama is a very busy man, so I understood completely. During our event his letter, which I've included here, will be read by one of Mongolian's most respected religious leaders from the National Gandan Monastery.

It has been an honor to reach out to His Holiness on behalf of so many people who love him, and to be able to share his words at our upcoming event. Almost every home I have been in while living here in Mongolia for three years has had a picture of the Dalai Lama in a place of prominence. For decades under communism the Mongolian people were unable to have pictures of the Dalai Lama or Chinggis Khaan (Genghis Khan), two heroes who mean the world to millions of people. Although it's hard for me to express how much the Dalai Lama means to me, I've found that I'm among friends here in Mongolia. Even if we can't always express it, I know we feel the same way.

To watch the statement from His Holiness read live at TEDxUlaanbaatar, please join us live on August 20th (which is August 19th at 9pm EST). It should be amazing!

TEDxUlaanbaatar on the Way

2011-08-11T06:58:00.000-05:00

TEDxUlaanbaatar is right around the corner and it's that thing I've been working on every Saturday for about six months. TED is such an inspiring conference and it had me the first time I saw a TEDTalk. I can't say exactly what will happen at our event next Saturday, but I hope a ton of people have a lot of fun. It's the first conference I've ever helped organize, and the first TEDx conference in Mongolia. It's the product of a lot of hard work by a lot of talented people (including the team at New Media Marketing Agency) and I feel very lucky to know them all.

Advance Humanity is all about creating amazing projects together and sharing valualbe resources, which is why I wrote How to Start Your Own TEDx Event. Maybe in a few weeks I'll write about how to finish one. Until then, please check out TEDxUlaanbaatar.com and watch the event live next week! Wish us luck!

Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

That Thing You've Been Working On

2011-08-09T01:43:00.001-05:00

You try not be nervous, you try to think that everything's going to turn out just fine. But you've put a lot of time into this, and the moment is getting close. In just a few days that thing that was just an idea, that thing that you didn't really know how to make happen, it's happening. People came out of nowhere to help you do things you didn't know how to do. A lot of people. Hundreds of people. Countless people that you can't begin to thank enough. But then again, they didn't come together for you, they came together for an idea. They believe in the same thing you believe in and that's more powerful than anything.

When you believe in something with a group of people, it brings you together to become greater than the sum of your parts. What you create might not be perfect, but it doesn't have to be.

Wherever you are, whatever you believe in and whatever you are creating together with others I wish you the best. I hope, when that moment comes, you can be proud of what you've done. I have a feeling that everything's going to turn out just fine.

Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

The Three Year Pizza

2011-08-03T21:47:00.000-05:00

The other night Tunga and I were able to order a pizza and have it delivered to our home, pick up a bottle of water from the store, and play basketball with a dozen of the kids from the neighborhood at the park. A normal night it would seem, but actually it's the culmination of years and years of hard work by hundreds of people. There was no pizza delivery a few months ago (and no one in the city knew how to make pizza two years ago), the store we got water from wasn't around a year ago, and the neighborhood park was just an idea and architectural drawings when Alex and I began our service three years ago. "I bet Sukhbaatar has changed a lot since you first got here…" said my fellow Peace Corps Volunteer Kate, who now serves in the hospital where I volunteered for two years, "What's it feel like to be back?"

Humbling. Wonderful. Inspiring. Hard to explain. Things change so quickly and I feel very lucky to have been here long enough to see just a few of those changes that I've been able to be a part of.

The Pizza
My first year in Sukhbaatar, starting in 2008, Alex, LP and I helped teach merit badge classes with the local Mongolian Scouts. We taught our Cooking Merit Badge at the local university with cafeteria chefs and taught them what they asked us: how to make pizza, hamburgers and hamburger buns. Everyone loved it, especially the chefs apparently, as one of them now makes pizzas at a new restaurant called Miss Pizza. They are amazing really, much healthier than what we taught them how to make, and since they take about 40 minutes to make they will deliver the pizza to your house for free. Incredible.

The Bottle of Water
My second year in Sukhbaatar, after being together with Tunga for a year, I had a long conversation with Tunga's father about communism, Mongolia's 20-year-old market economy and democracy, and the future of our province. Together with donors from around the world, we began what would become the Sukhbaatar Social Business Community Fund. It's only a few months old now, but the store has been built and it's amazing to watch the ripple effect it is having in the community. As the community fund replenishes itself with money from the store, we are very excited to think about where its impact will go.

The Neighborhood Park
Throughout our second year, Alex worked with the Provincial Children's Center for months creating the designs and researching the procurement, development, and construction of what would become the largest outdoor community park in our province. It had been a dream of many people for years, so when we approached the Children's Center with the idea they jumped on it immediately. With the support of Mike and JRC Sports for Peace, the leaders of the Children's Center approached thousands of people in our city over several months, getting thousands of dollars in donations from individuals and organizations. Alex wasn't able to see the construction finished, but it's wonderful. Amazing really. From my apartment window, from 6am until midnight every day I see dozens and dozens of people using the equipment, playing on the basketball court and sitting with their families and friends.

I think it's rare for Peace Corps Volunteers, or maybe volunteers of any kind, to be able to see the lasting changes their efforts make on a community. Two years seems like a long time until you live somewhere, just start getting the hang of something, and then your time is up. Two years, really? I stayed for a third, and now for a fourth, and I still can't believe how fast time has gone.

My point of course isn't the pizza, the water bottle or the park. Those things are great, and tasty, but the impact we all have on people and the communities we live in usually go far deeper than what we can see. The kids we smile with in the streets, the people we give a helping hand, and the people's lives we try to help make a little easier, those actions, no matter how small, are important ripples in a very big pond. My point is that those things matter, they go far deeper than you realize, and we all do things like that every day.

As I finish my Peace Corps service, I've started the Life is Volunteer project to keep these stories going. I want to hear from you, from people who are doing what they can to change themselves and change the world. I've already heard dozens of amazing stories from people all over and I'm very excited to share them with you. I've love to hear yours too. Please comment on this post or join us on Facebook or Google Plus to share your story. What kinds of things keep you excited to change yourself and change the world?

Malesh Mifish Mishkela

2011-07-31T22:37:00.000-05:00

Talking with my closest friends, who really serve as my advisors, always serves as a way to ground me when I get confused, frustrated or just a little off track.

We all have them, those people that makes us smile and remember who we really are and what we really want out of life. Even if we just have one, that's all we need. Whether they're in New York City, out in the Middle East, or relaxing in Missouri, they are priceless and can often be found right when we needed them.

On a personal note, I'm getting very excited about officially launching the new Advance Humanity site. I've been dreaming of it for years and working toward it now for months with the help of my friends at the New Media Marketing Agency. We're getting really close and I can't wait to show it to you! But, as with all exciting things, it's easy to get frustrated. When you have high hopes for something, it's easy to find fault in it. To nit-pick it. To stress out needlessly. Friends can help remind you of how awesome things are, to relax, appreciate life more, let go of the need for perfection, and just chill out. "Malesh mifish mishkela," my friend Erica said, "It's perhaps my most overused, but favorite phrase. It means 'No worries, it's no problem.'" I didn't know it, but it's just what I needed to hear.

Have you seen our growing community on Facebook? Please stop by and say "hi!" anytime.
Photo courtesy of Carf

Our Mongolian Wedding

2011-07-14T12:46:00.000-05:00

I've been gone from the digital world for a few weeks, and for good reason. On June 29th, Tunga and I were married here in Mongolia. We celebrated with family and friends in Tunga's hometown of Baruun Urt, Sukhbaatar where we met when I was serving for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

I would like to say thank you, so much, to all of you who helped make our special day so wonderful. Your kind words, your smiles and hugs, your generosity and love and support literally came to us from around the world. It's not easy to be so far away from family and friends on such a special day, but thanks to your efforts all of you were very close to our hearts. Not a moment passed when I didn't think about you and remember that without you I wouldn't be where I am today. Our world is growing smaller every day, which allowed Michael and Jonathan, my two best friends, to be with us all the way from America. It helped me receive an email from my mom which brought tears to my eyes and it allowed us to share pictures with all of you around the world within days of our the event in one of the most remote places on our planet. The idea of family reaches around the world and it includes all of us. For Tunga and I the idea family will always include different cultures, different views and traditions, but a common compassion, love and kindness that is shared in every corner of the world.

On our wedding day my mother wrote to us saying, "Today is a beautiful day. You will never have another one that takes its place... I am dreaming about an extraordinary love story that is about to let the rest of the world share a glimpse of its beauty and commitment to love... forever." I am dreaming of the same thing.

If you would like to see photography of the event, taken by the wonderful PCV Katie Borkowski, you can see the photos here anytime. Also, please let us know if you would like to celebrate with us next year in America! We have a guestbook that you can sign to hear about updates as the events next summer get closer. We would love to see you! Thank you all again so much.

Would you like to share your thoughts? Please join our growing community on Facebook!

Let The World Change You and You Can Change The World

2011-07-12T03:04:00.002-05:00

I think all of us take journeys that change us. We go places and when we return we feel like different people. In The Motorcycle Diaries, which I watched at the suggestion of my close friend Michael Lee, the main character says a line that I love, "All this time we spent on the route, something happened... something that I have to think about long and hard," said Ernesto, popularly known as Che Guevara, "that aimless roaming through our enormous America has changed me more than I thought. I am not myself anymore. At least, I’m not the same inside."

Like Joseph Campbell has said, I think each of us has a hero's journey to follow. Each of us is destined for great things, if we have the courage to listen. I can certainly relate to Che's direct honesty, his deep connection with those around him and most of all his confusion. "How is it possible to feel nostalgia for a world I never knew?" he asks. Why is there so much injustice? What are we supposed to do to help? These are great questions and I think sometimes our lives can become the answers.

I had heard of Che Guevara before seeing this movie, but I didn't really know much about him at all. After seeing the film and reading about him for several hours, I feel like I still have much to learn. If you have time, definitely check out the film and also this poem, which he loved and could recite from memory called "If", by Rudyard Kipling. Thanks for the great recommendation Michael!

Would you like to comment? Please join our growing community on Facebook!

Passing 38 Months of Service

2011-06-14T04:41:00.001-05:00

I am currently finishing my 38th month in the Peace Corps. Last week, together with first, second and third year Volunteers, I watched our newest group of Volunteers arrive here in Mongolia complete with hoots, hollers and high fives at the airport.

Peace Corps is a funny thing, three years goes by in a flash but it also feels like forever. I've changed a lot, but I still have so much in common with our newest Volunteers. After listening to them, walking and laughing with them, and helping them through their first day I found myself smiling so much my face hurt. It's inspiring to see their enthusiasm and think about all the incredible things they will experience during their service in Mongolia. Peace Corps has definitely changed my life and I feel grateful for it every day.

I will finish my Peace Corps service in September, but for those who have served in the Peace Corps, the journey is never over. Life is for service. Life is volunteer. "Service is the rent we pay for living," my principal Mrs. Wrights once told me, quoting Marian Wright Edelman, "It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time."

I'm very excited about the days and months ahead and going there with people that I love and admire. This week Michael, one of my best friends, is flying to Mongolia and at the end of this month Tunga and I will be getting married. We are very excited and look forward to sharing wonderful pictures and photos with all of you soon!

After Peace Corps I am very eager to read several dozen books and write two of my own: Life is Volunteer and Modern Enlightenment. I would love for you to be part of these two projects, I hope to make them the cornerstones of Advance Humanity and I'm really excited about hearing your thoughts on them. Thank you for being with me so far, I promise things are going to get really interesting these next couple months!

How Walt Disney Inspires Me To Keep Moving Forward

2011-06-04T08:08:00.002-05:00

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things because we're curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." Walt Disney (Meet the Robinsons)

When I was very young my great-grandmother told my mother that I would grow up to be an inventor - that I was going to create something new and amazing. I've been thinking about that on and off for about twenty years. I've always loved creating things, organizing things in new ways and stepping back to look at the big picture (including how you and I fit into the solar system for instance). I easily lose hours reading, thinking, talking and writing about big ideas - things like what Disney really wanted EPCOT to be.

Disney has always inspired me tremendously. His imagination was extraordinary and his willingness to put everything out there, even when those closest to him said to back down, kept taking him higher and higher. As Chris wrote recently on the Art of Nonconformity, "Remember: The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it." Disney did amazing things, created visions of the future that people are still catching up to, and called on all of us to create a better tomorrow.

Throughout this week I will post up quotes from Disney that I wrote down when my family and I took Tunga to Disney World for the first time this past Thanksgiving. I hope Advance Humanity, and all of the work that we are able to do together, will always keeping moving us forward. I think we all have a very bright future ahead of us if we are willing to create it together. I, for one, look forward to it. As Disney said, “It's kind of fun to do the impossible.”

Please join us on Facebook to see more inspiring quotes this week.

Modern Enlightenment and Prosperity without Growth

2011-05-24T05:40:00.000-05:00

The idea behind the Modern Enlightenment project is simple: to help make timeless traditions and ancient wisdom an integral part of our modern progressive world. I want to share resources and ideas that will help all of us achieve greater levels of happiness, wisdom and compassion in our everyday lives. This includes reviewing literature and research, videos and inspirational ideas, communicating together about what we believe matters most, and working together to create a brighter, more enlightened future.

I saw one such idea in this humbling TEDTalk on global economics by Tim Jackson, where he tries to draw out a moral from our economic troubles, a global recession and our changing and developing world.

Seven minutes into his talk he says, "This is a story about us, people, being persuaded to spend money we don't have, on things we don't need, to create impressions that won't last, on people we don't care about... Is this really how people are?" he asks. "It seems that the system is at odds with how we are as people."

I'm as guilty as the next person - I get that empty feeling in me when I see something I want, something I just have to have. It doesn't matter if it's a bottle of Sprite or the newest technological gadget. I didn't need it before, but now that I see it, I want it. It's such a powerful feeling. In Peace Corps, and in Mongolia in particular, it's been easier to avoid the advertisements and constant reminders of things I "need", but I can't avoid it forever.

At the end of his talk, after a lot of great examples, Tim closes with his idea of a meaningful prosperity. "Investment is just such a basic economic concept, it is nothing more or less than the relationship between the present and the future. A shared present and a common future... We need to develop a new definition of prosperity. A prosperity that is more meaningful and less materialistic than the growth-based model. The idea of meaningful prosperity is not about standing in the way of development. It's not about overthrowing capitalism. It's not about trying to change human nature. What we're doing here is taking a few simple steps towards an economics fit for purpose. And at the heart of that economics we're placing a more credible, more robust, and more realistic vision of what it means to be human."

I think Modern Enlightenment can be a part of that. I want it to be a project that talks about what it means to be human in our modern, fast-paced, developing world. I would love to hear what you think. To learn more about Tim's vision of Prosperity without Growth and watch his TEDTalk, visit Economic Reality Check on TED.com.

What do you think of Modern Enlightenment? Tell us on Facebook.

How To Be Great Like Martin Luther King, Jr.

2011-05-20T05:51:00.000-05:00

Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of those incredible, inspiring leaders who really stands out in American history. He took timeless principles like nonviolence, commitment and a pursuit of truth and followed them to the end of his life.

When I was young I had a chance to visit Atlanta, sit through a service in Ebenezer Baptist Church, walk around the reflecting pool that surrounds his tomb, and reflect on his famous "I Have a Dream" speech every year on the national holiday created in his name. I'm very glad that same holiday is now celebrated every year as a day of service. I think Dr. King would be proud of that.

If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness.

And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.

This quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. comes from one of his sermons, The Drum Major Instinct, which Chris mentioned a little while back at the Art of Non-Conformity. I love it and I believe in it entirely. Advance Humanity and projects like Life is Volunteer and Modern Enlightenment, everything I do is motivated by this belief, this new definition of greatness.

I like how Simon Sinek closed his recent TEDTalk on Inspiring Leadership, "We followed Martin Luther King Jr. not for him but for ourselves. And by the way he gave the "I Have a Dream" speech, not the "I Have a Plan" speech... He said again and again, I believe. I believe. I believe... There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or authority, but those who lead the inspire us. Whether they're individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead not because we have to but because we want to. We follow those who lead not for them but for ourselves. And it's those who start with why who have the ability to inspire those around them and find others that inspire them."

Dr. King inspired and continues to inspire millions of people around the world. I think we need more people like him in the world. We need to be those people.

Please share your thoughts with us here

How Mendy is an Everyday Mongolian Inspiration

2011-05-17T08:18:00.000-05:00

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." Albert Schweitzer

It always amazes me how lucky I have been to meet outstanding people and learn from their amazing life experiences. Mendy (Mend-Orshikh Amartaivan) has been one of those people. We first met last year after Mendy came across my website and asked if we could meet, telling me that he liked what I was doing in Mongolia and wanted to help. Now months later we have done some pretty cool things together, including organizing TEDxUlaanbaatar.

Like many entrepreneurs Mende has learned how to turn his passion into his job. He leads a team of outstanding people at the New Media Marketing Agency and spends his days and his weekends dedicated to work that he believes in. He also offers his team's valuable services for free to people who are doing great work in Mongolia like the Blue Sky Education Project and Nomadicare.

There are a lot of great people and books out there telling you to make money by becoming self-employed, offering great services to people and using online resources to your advantage. But Mendy is one of the few people that I've met (especially my age) who has learned how to do incredible things, make money doing them and help others at the same time. He is a huge inspiration to me and a great friend. I feel very lucky that he has inspired not only me but dozens and hundreds of other people and I think he will continue to do this for a very long time.

Here are a couple quick lessons that I've learned from Mendy in the last few months:

1. Connect With People Who Are Doing Great Things

We often see people who we think are doing great things (online, on television, in print, in person), but Mendy takes it a step further and reaches out to shake their hand. When you see someone doing something you admire, send them a quick note, or an email, or ask to sit down with them for coffee. When Mendy saw my website and asked me if we could meet, we met up at a cafe and it was probably one of the best meetings I have ever had with anyone. It doesn't matter how famous or busy you think the person may be, just give it a shot. I bet you'll be surprised who will write you back.

2. Ask How You Can Help

The second thing, when you do sit down and meet with the person, is ask how you can help them. I think it's very rare nowadays to find someone who will sit down with you, really listen, and sincerely offer you their help. So rare in fact that when Mendy did it to me I was taken aback. It was one of the best things I could have heard. I've started doing it with others more regularly and it's always turned out great. It's not always easy at first, to think of how I might even be able to help someone, but every time I reached out it's always gone incredibly well.

3. Thank People Sincerely

Lastly, it's key to thank people sincerely. When you thank someone for the opportunity to meet with them, thank them for the hard work they're doing, or just thank them for doing something small, it goes a long way. Often we feel unappreciated because, day after day, people forget to thank us for doing little things and they wait for the big things instead. Big or small, be sincere and appreciative with the people all around you.

When you mix all these things together, like Mendy, you might be surprised where it takes you. Whether that means making the Prime Minister's website (which Mendy has done) or just making a new friend.

Here is a recent video of Mendy in action, speaking at the "Mutual Understanding and Cooperation" conference in Mongolia. At the end of the presentation he closes with the main message of Crush It! by Gary Vanerychuk: "Build your personal brand." After reading the book, which Mendy let me borrow, I couldn't agree more. The internet is here to stay and "googling" yourself to see what everyone else (including potential employers) see when they search for you, is only the beginning. If you'd like to read more about this idea, check out my review of Crush It! Thanks!

Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

Crush It! Why Now Is The Time To Cash In On Your Passion (Review)

2011-05-14T08:22:00.009-05:00

This is the first in a series of Book Reviews that I am doing as part of the Life is Volunteer project where I'm working through several dozen incredible books on international service, leadership, social entrepreneurship, volunteerism, and unconventional living. Each time I finish a book that I think you might really like, I'll write a review here on the blog and share some of my favorite big ideas from the book.

The awesome book I just finished is called Crush It! Why Now Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk. It's a New York Times Bestseller and a book that was good enough, and short enough, that I was able to finish it in one sitting. Thanks Mend-Orshikh for letting me borrow it!

Quick Overview

Crush It! is about how the internet is changing marketing and leveling the playing field for businesses and individuals around the world. Gary makes a compelling case that each of us has an unprecedented opportunity to promote our businesses (big or small), our projects and our personal brand like never before. After convincing you of that, he spends the rest of the book showing you how to do it using his own experience as an example.

Whether you're a writer, marketing specialist, entrepreneur, wine connoisseur or someone who wants to represent their own "personal brand", the internet has opened up opportunities for everyone. Throughout Crush It! Gary tells his story of how he helped turn his small family-owned wine and liquor store into a multi-million dollar business thanks to online videos. Every week he features new reviews on WineLibraryTV.com and slowly over several years built a following of hundreds of thousands of people. Throughout the book he breaks down the way he did this and how anyone can do it, usually for free. This includes things like making websites (which I've done for free for a long time) and engaging with people using social media like Facebook and Twitter.

My Favorite Big Ideas

One of the key messages of the book is the idea of creating your own personal brand. He makes the point that in today's internet-connected world everyone has a brand online. Whether you like it or not when you type your name in Google something is coming up. Gary makes the case that, if you want, you can be the one in charge of that. You can create websites, profiles and products that have your name associated with them or your name can be at the mercy of whoever wants to write about you. Creating your own personal brand is the idea that you need to protect and promote things that you believe in: who you are and who you want to be. The idea is summed up very well in his checklist that appears at the end of Crush It! which I have provided at the end of this review. But before we get there, here is one of my favorite parts of the book:

Ultimately this book is not about making a million dollars, although it just might help you do that. It’s about ensuring your own happiness by enabling you to live every day passionately and productively. I measure my success by how happy I am, not how big the business is or how much money I’ve made.

Living your passion means that when you get up for work every morning, every single morning, you are pumped because you get to talk about or work with or do the thing that interests you the most in the world. You don’t live for vacations because you don’t need a break from what you’re doing – working, playing, and relaxing are on and the same. You don’t even pay attention to how many hours you’re working because to you, it’s not really work. You’re making money, but you’d do whatever it is you’re doing for free.

Does this sound like you? Are you living, or just earning a living? You spend so much time at work, why waste it doing anything other than what you love most? Life is too short for that. You owe it to yourself to make a massive change for the better, and all you have to do is go online and start using the tools waiting for you there.

Learn to live your passion, and you’ll have all the money you need plus total control over your own destiny. That’s a pretty comfortable place to be, wouldn’t you say?

I don’t care if your passion is rehabilitating abandoned ferrets; if you learn to tap into everything the digital world has to offer, you can turn water into wine – you can transform what you live into a legacy-building business that makes a crapload of money, and still be true to yourself.

Making connections, creating and continuing meaningful interaction with other people, whether in person or in the digital domain, is the only reason we’re here. Remember that, set the tone, and build legacy.

The Final Word

"If there’s any message I want you to take away," writes Gary, "it’s that true success – financial, personal and professional – lies above all in loving your family, working hard, and living your passion. In telling your story. In authenticity, hustle, and patience. In caring fiercely about the big and the small stuff. In valuing legacy over currency. Social media is an important part of it for now, but maybe it won’t always be. These concepts, however, are forever, no matter what the next business platform or social phenomenon turns out to be."

I thought it would be helpful to provide a checklist of all the steps you want to take as you build your personal brand:

Identify your passion.
Make sure you can think of at least fifty awesome blog topics to ensure stickiness.
Answer the following questions:

Am I sure my passion is what I think it is?
Can I talk about it better than anyone else?

Name your personal brand. You don’t have to refer to it anywhere in your content, but you should have a clear idea of what it is. For example, “The no-bs real-estate agent,” “The connoisseur of cookware,” “The cool guide to young-adult books boys will love to read.”
Buy your use name.com and .tv if possible – at GoDaddy.com
Choose your medium: video, audio, written word.
Start a Wordpress or Tumblr account.
Hire a designer.
Include a Facebook Connect link, Call-to-Action buttons, Share Functions and a button that invites people to do business with you in a prominent place on your blog.
Create a Facebook fan page.
Sign up for Ping.fm or TubeMogul and select all of the platforms to which you want to distribute your content. Choosing Twitter and Facebook is imperative; the others you can select according to your needs and preference.
Post your content.
Start creating community by leaving comments on other people’s blogs and forums and replying to comments to your own comment.
Use Twitter Search (or Search.Twitter) to find as many people as possible talking about your topic, and communicate with them.
Use Blogsearch.Google.com to find more blogs that are relevant to your subject.
Join as many active Facebook fan pages and groups relating to your blog topic as possible.
Repeat steps 12 through 16 over and over and over and over and over.
Do it again.
And again.
When you feel your personal brand has gained sufficient attention and stickiness, start reaching out to advertisers and being monetizing.
Enjoy the ride.

I highly recommend giving Crush It! a read, it's a fascinating and helpful book. I'm also reading through the Thank You Economy right now, which is his second book, and I'm really enjoying so far. I look forward to writing a short review on that soon too. I would also love to hear your recommendations on other great books I should read! Please visit the Life is Volunteer Get Involved page page and join me on Facebook to tell me what you think I should check out! Oh, and if you want to borrow my copy of Crush It! just let me know!

Join the Advance Humanity community on Facebook

A Secret Weapon in the Battle Against the Email Monster

2011-05-09T06:09:00.000-05:00

There can definitely be too much of a good thing. Case in point: communication by email. It's wonderful to be able to communicate with people that we love all around the world all the time, but sometimes looking at a full inbox can feel like 50 people talking to you at once. If you're like me you deal with a lot of e-mails every day (maybe not as many as some, but still a lot). For a long time this meant I would never get to all of them. I felt too pressured to write long replies and there would always be several messages sitting there for days or weeks until I would magically find time to answer them. Enter the five sentence rule and now I've had an empty inbox at work and at home every night for months.

Five Sentences

The most helpful thing I've found in my battle against the inbox is the five.sentenc.es method, which I first heard about on ZenHabits. Nine times out of ten it's the best way for me to respond to any e-mail message. On occasion I'll include an attachment or forward someone to a website to find more information, but almost always the five sentences method allows me to clear my inbox every day (sometimes even using something small like an iPod Touch which I can take with me anywhere).

Don't get me wrong, I love talking to people on the phone and on Skype forever - email is usually just not the place for those long conversations. Don't pressure yourself into crafting the perfect reply. Stick to five sentences, clear your inbox, move on to more complete conversations person-to-person, and enjoy a less stressful digital life. Good luck!

Once you empty out that inbox, come say "hi!" on Facebook!
Picture from Nerd Merit Badges

6 Tips For Self-Publishing That Book You've Always Dreamed of Writing

2011-05-05T07:43:00.000-05:00

I had a great Skype conversation with Thomas Burns last month, who is a new friend, a former Fulbright Scholar and author of the upcoming book The Unofficial Guide to Fulbright Scholarships. After coming across my book, he asked if we could meet and a few days later we were talking, halfway around the world, about his awesome idea.

We live in an amazing age, unlike anytime in history, and it's redefining fields like technology, communication, media and much more. The fact that you are reading this, seconds after I write it in Mongolia, days after I video-conference with sometime halfway around the world, about publishing books using a mechanism that didn't exist a few years ago, is the perfect example of just how amazing it is.

When I was in America over the holiday season I spoke with my Uncle Josh about a book he self-published when I was younger. It cost him hundreds of dollars to buy dozens of copies and then sell them to family and friends himself. He really enjoyed writing it but, as you can imagine, the self-publishing process was a little difficult and very expensive. After handing him a copy of my book and talking about the process of self-publishing online for a few minutes, he was convinced. "Next time I think I'm doing it your way," he said.

Self-publishing online has cost me nothing, not a penny, and after selling hundreds of copies of the Unofficial Handbook in a few short months, we have already raised hundreds of dollars for Peace Corps projects around the world. In case you are interested in self-publishing your own book, like Thomas and my Uncle Josh, here are a few tips that you might find helpful...

1. Clarify Your Idea

Before you begin, it's important to ask yourself a few questions:

What exactly are you writing?
Why are you writing?
And who are you writing for?

In my case, I wanted to help people who were interested in being Peace Corps Volunteers, to give them the book I wished someone would have given me, and I knew it was a small target audience. Self-publishing allowed me to freely express my ideas, raise about $4.00 from every book to give back to Peace Corps and update it as many times as I wanted. Take time to answer these questions carefully.

2. Gather An Incredible Support Team

At first it was just me, but the more people I told about my book the more people wanted to help. Some of my friends used to work for magazines or publishers, some loved to write, some loved to read, some loved graphic design and all of them were excited to help. It will be very helpful to have a support team of people you love and respect whether editors, proof-readers, advisors, press contacts, graphic designers or even cooperating organizations. Don't go it alone. Ask for help and you'll be amazed at who steps forward.

3. Write Consistently and Stay Inspired

Chris recently said, "When you get writer's block, lower your standards and keep going." It's easy to be hard on ourselves and get overwhelmed, with standards that are so high that they might drive us crazy. Be easy on yourself. Surround yourself with things that inspire you, other books, videos and people who remind you why you are writing. Keep something with you that makes it easy to jot down your ideas, a small notebook, an electronic note-taking application or even your cellphone. Let out your great ideas and keep them organized. There are tons of great free resources out there. Some of my favorites are Evernote, MindNode, PBWorks and GoogleSites. They are all free and very easy to learn. Pick one or two and use them all the time.

4. Create Space For Yourself

In writing consistency trumps bursts of inspiration in the same way that exercising 30 minutes everyday trumps vigorous exercise just one time a week. Create space for yourself to write, maybe a physical space but certainly uninterrupted time, so that you can chip away at your work. It can be a little lonely at times, and it might take longer than you thought originally, but if you stick at it you will finish. Trust me.

5. Consider Self-Publishing

Take a look at the self-publishing services out there, like Lulu.com. They require no start-up cash and are usually print-on-demand services, meaning that when someone orders your book they print it and ship it right then. You just write the book and they take care of everything else. In Lulu's case, they even put the book up on Amazon.com for you for free. Also, the growing industry of eBooks (which can be read on computers, Kindles, Nooks, iPads and just about anything now) are another great option. E-junkie.com is a good service for selling your eBooks online, again with no start-up costs. Remember, when you self-publish you retain the rights to your book and you can always go with a traditional publisher later if you want.

6. Keep People Updated

The last thing, which is easy to forget, is to keep people updated on your book. Use Facebook, Twitter, your own website, whatever you want. Post regularly about how you are doing, good or bad. It gives you a chance to talk with others, for them to support and even motivate you, and it keeps people excited for the day when they can finally hold your book in their hands. Keeping people updated benefits everyone. Also keep it as personal as possible, connect with people individually whether through email, in person, or in writing. Integrity is the best long-term marketing strategy. Be yourself, be kind and be helpful. And when you mention them in the Acknowledgments, it'll be like icing on the cake.

Writing a book is a daunting task, but it's not as difficult as you may imagine it to be. Give it a shot, gather your support team around you and remember I'm right here with you. Contact me online through our community on Facebook, I'm excited to help anyway I can!

Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

Everyday Compassion Is A Game We Can All Play

2011-05-02T06:17:00.000-05:00

Compassion, for many reasons I suppose, is not as commanding a word as the things it attempts to combat. War. Terror. Fear. Violence. Destruction. Evil. The list of words like these goes on and on. But there is also another list, the countless acts of kindness and goodwill that surround us everyday: people obeying traffic laws, opening doors for strangers, smiling on the street, helping someone anonymously, listening with empathy and giving away time, money and energy in an effort to help others. Those things give me hope amidst news reports dominated by the horrible acts people can commit. Those things, the little things each of us has a chance to do every moment, help me maintain the belief that we can move forward as a human race and evolve from the inside out.

I really enjoyed two TEDTalks recently - one by Chade-Meng Tan (who was one of the first engineers at Google and now heads the company's personal development initiatives) and one by John Hunter who has been teaching children for three decades and playing something with them he calls the World Peace Game. Both men, on a daily basis, are engaged in creating the conditions for world peace through creating the conditions for inner peace and compassion. That, as you might have guessed, strikes a very strong cord with me. It's at the very foundation of what I want to do with Advance Humanity.

"Compassion is not a chore," says Chade-Meng, "Compassion is something that creates happiness. Compassion is fun. And that mind-blowing insight changes the entire game. Because, if compassion was a chore, nobody's going to do it -- except maybe the Dalai Lama or something. But if compassion was fun, everybody's going to do it. Therefore, to create the conditions for global compassion, all we have to do is to reframe compassion as something that is fun."

Like Chade-Meng, my dream is to create the conditions for world peace in my lifetime and to do that by creating the conditions for inner peace and compassion - I want to do that through Advance Humanity. Making it a game, letting it dominate the airwaves and the media channels, and letting it take priority in our minds is key. Did you know that psychologists have studied how many thoughts we think, on average, every day? Usually it's around 60,000 thoughts a day. Get this: 95% of those are the same thoughts from day to day to day. And how many of those do you think are negative thoughts? 85%. 85%!

That sounds like a pretty good place to start to me. Each of us can make a game out of it and try to bring that percentage down, every thought, every moment. You don't have to go on a meditation retreat to do it (although, if you can, it's awesome). Everyday we can choose love over fear, positive over negative, and we can choose to open rather than close. What do you say? Want to start today?

I have included both of these two awesome TEDTalk videos below so you can watch them on the blog if you like, and you can also see them at TED.com. Here is a link to Chade-Meng Tan's talk on Everyday compassion at Google and John Hunter's talk on the World Peace Game. I hope you enjoy them!

To read more about those 60,000 thoughts, check out A Philosopher's Notes
Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

What Would You Do With Unlimited Sponsorship?

2011-04-28T06:57:00.012-05:00

What would you do with unlimited sponsorship? By this I mean unlimited money or resources or connections to do something great - something you've always wanted to do. Maybe that means reading 100 incredible books and reviewing them for thousands of people. Maybe it means traveling to every country in the world. Or maybe just trying to help people change themselves and change the world.

That last one, in case you didn't already know, is what I'm trying to do with Advance Humanity. The second to last one is Chris Guilbeau at the Art of Nonconformity. And the first was Brian Johnson with PhilosophersNotes. Both Chris and Brian have been very inspiring for me personally as I think about what I want to do.

Often, I think we overestimate the cost (as Chris has mentioned before) of how much it will really take for us to achieve our dreams. I think it's also easy to forget that sponsorship doesn't just mean money, like $50,000 to achieve your dream. It can also mean in-kind donations: maybe someone who can provide you with the space or technology or resources to get things done. Also funding or sponsorship can come from all kinds of places that you might forget about: like people who want to buy your writing as you go. In both Brian's and Chris's projects, they wrote things as they went and people gladly supporting them as they creating their dream work.

On any given day, we all have a chance to do incredible things things that we've always dreamed of doing but never really thought were possible. Not only are they possible, there are tons of people out there who want to help you make your dreams a reality. I, for one, am right here with you. So when I ask what would you do with unlimited sponsorship, what I'm really asking is "What will you do when you realize that sponsorship is all around you?"

Have a great idea you want to make a reality, tell us about it on Facebook!
Photo by miningpeople

Why I Recommend 10 Days of Silent Meditation

2011-04-25T01:24:00.011-05:00

I'm a big fan of Vipassana meditation, which is a free course organized for people who want to learn about meditation in a comfortable, quiet and safe environment over a 10-day period. I went when I had some time before Peace Corps in 2008 and I really enjoyed it. Meditation can seem like a confusing concept, but I found this retreat really easy to understand and very well run.

You can read more about my experience here and here, but I wanted to share some thoughts from Daniel who talked with me a few weeks ago before he went on the retreat himself. He just completed the retreat earlier this month and I thought you might enjoy hearing what he had to say. I just asked him a few questions and he gave some great answers:

Why did you want to do this retreat?

I saw the Dhamma Brothers documentary and was intrigued. Not sold - just curious. I'd also been exposed to Asian philosophy before. I liked that Vipassana was avowedly NOT religious.

Were you nervous?

I was very nervous. In the days before the retreat I kept trying to justify flaking out. I got close several times. I was seriously afraid that this could be a cult. Mostly, I think, because the whole course was free. Who does that? If you're giving away a week-long course with food and board, surely you are in the business of mind control. But I kept telling myself to just be curious about this thing.

Was it rewarding?

It was immensely rewarding. Not in the sense that I got out and had a smile permanently tattooed on my face, or that I decided I wanted to worship someone. I felt noticeably better in a way that feels sustainable. Meditation is a practice, and after 10 days you really are able to begin the practice solo.

What would you tell someone who is thinking about going, but they are a little nervous?

I would never try to talk someone into doing a Vipassana retreat. If they don't want it, they absolutely could not handle it. But to someone who is curious but hesitant, I'd say go for it. Don't commit. That'd be silly. But go and give Vipassana a chance for ten days. Ten days. It's sounds long, but you'll have the right combination of business, rest, challenges, and support. No one will ask you to do anything weird, no one will ever even kind-of push you to give them your money, and if you really hate it, you can leave without any trouble. But, if like almost everyone else who went on my retreat, you're a nice, normal, curious, nervous person, you've got ten short days to lose and a whole lot to gain.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us Daniel, it's awesome that you had such a great experience!

If you want to learn more about Vipassana meditation, you can visit their website at dhamma.org and sign up for a retreat of your own at any time. Good luck and let me know if you ever need any help!

Have questions? Ask us on Facebook!

How To Start Your Own TEDx Event

2011-04-21T18:42:00.002-05:00

This week I had a great Skype conversation with Chris DeBruyn, a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia, who is currently teaching in Iraq. Together with another former PCV, Kevin Johnstone, they are doing some amazing things with projects like Development Now and they have even bigger plans in the works. Chris is an inspiring guy and I look forward to seeing where his projects take him!

During our conversation Chris and I got to talking about TEDxUlaanbaatar, which we are organizing here in Mongolia, and asked "How do you start a TEDx event?" I thought you all might enjoy hearing what I said in case you want to start your own TEDx event. Note: It's a lot easier and way more awesome than you imagine!

Get Motivated
Advertise Your Intentions
Gather Around Incredible People
Be Open To How Things Might Unfold
Stay Enthusiastic

1. Get Motivated

Early in 2010 I thought about my dreams for the future and I made a long-term goal that I wanted to speak at the worldwide TED conference. I've been a huge fan of TEDTalks for several years and I hoped some day, maybe in my fifties, I would have lived an enlightened life and have something worth saying up there on the stage. Throughout the year, however, I kept seeing TEDx talks mixed with TEDTalks. TEDx events are independently organized events that happen all over the world, in little grass huts with a dozen audience members and university auditoriums filled with hundreds of people. The more I read about TEDx, the more I thought this was something we should do in Mongolia.

2. Advertise Your Intentions

I joined the TED.com community by creating a profile, with a little bit about what I do here in Mongolia, and searched all the profiles to see who else was in Mongolia. Then I messaged everyone from Mongolia (about 35 people) and said I was hoping to do a TEDx event here in case anyone was interested in helping. All that probably took about 30 minutes. Then I posted an update on my blog and started a small facebook group called TEDx in Mongolia. I got several responses, including one from Mende who I then met in November, and one amazing meeting led to another. When you put your intentions out there and tell people about your dreams, I find that people are generally very supportive. Be clear about what you want, how people can help and you'll be amazed at how people will come out of the woodwork and find you.

3. Gather Around Incredible People

Once you meet some incredible people, hold tight. This goes for anytime in life really. If you are already around a great group of students, colleagues, and friends, ask them to get involved in on your project. A TEDx event involves organizers, speakers, production staff and people with a wide variety of talent. If someone has a heart for the project, they will have plenty of opportunities to add valuable support. Meet with these people regularly, start to figure out what types of roles and duties people fall into, and keep each other excited.

4. Be Open To How Things Might Unfold

There are some guidelines that need to be followed which you can read about on TED.com (including applying for a free license and so on) but it's important to remember that a TEDx event can unfold in unexpected ways. You might picture it happening in a small meeting room and it evolves into an auditorium event, or the other way around. Details change, plans evolve and unexpected opportunities present themselves all the time, but the idea remains the same. TEDx and TED are about ideas worth spreading: inspiring speakers, innovative ideas, incredible stories and bringing together people who want to change the world for the better. The specifics of how that happens are usually just icing on the cake.

5. Stay Enthusiastic

As people get involved and as things like a website or formal team start to materialize, be sure to stay guided by your original intentions. Watch videos on TED.com to remember what great speakers look like and sound like, talk with people who have never heard about TED before and see their reactions when you share videos with them, and get back in touch with why you wanted to do an event in the first place - read things you wrote down, talk with the first people you met who inspired you.

Going down the road of starting a TEDx event is very rewarding, I can't recommend it enough. Regardless of how things turn out, you will meet incredible people and make awesome connections. Good luck and let me know how I can help anytime!

Have more questions? Join us on Facebook!

Love Wins

2011-04-19T09:11:00.002-05:00

Earlier this week I posted a link to the cover article I was reading in TIME magazine about Rob Bell's new (controversial) book Love Wins. It touched off dozens of comments from several of my friends on Facebook and it's also touched off debate at the national level back in America which, while being here in Mongolia, I have only read about online. The issues of heaven and hell are complex certainly, but I appreciate the opportunity to talk with friends about what matters to them and think about how these questions apply to our lives. A few people asked what I thought about everything, so I thought I'd respond here. I will read the book soon, but here are my initial thoughts on some of the issues that were brought up.

Openness and Acceptance

To start, Peace Corps has taught me that judgment and certainty don't serve others as well as openness and acceptance do. Peace Corps' mission is to promote world peace and friendship, which involves getting to know people deeply - not only for a few hours or weeks, but for months and years. In a world full of ten-second soundbites, dramatic moments,and quick fixes, this is more important now than ever before. Relationships take time, friendships develop slowly and we have to work hard at them. When Peace Corps Volunteers go through training we teach them to be aware of their expectations, the lenses through which they see the world when they enter into service, and the standards that they (often subconsciously) impose upon others. All of these things create barriers not only between us and others, but better us and our better selves. I visualize judgment and certainty as a closed fist and a full cup. They aren't ready to accept anything else or take anything more in. Openness and acceptance, however, are something like an open hand and an empty cup. They are ready to reach out to others and fill up with experiences and ideas. Moment to moment we have that opportunity to be closed or open.

It's Not About Us

Another funny thing about judgment and certainty is that they're all about us. Often us against them, in fact. During Peace Corps training one of the exercises they put us through was "The Community and The Problem." In the exercise there are two groups, one is a group of community members and the other is a group of helpers from outside the community who have been told there is a problem they need to fix. The helper group is encouraged to be culturally sensitive as they meet the community and then identify and fix the problem. As the two groups meet for the first time, the real problem starts to unfold. The helpers come in asking questions and trying to fix things - walking around from person to person, exchanging a few pleasantries but always getting confused, frustrated and disappointed by the lack of answers. By the end of the exercise, the helpers usually end up thinking the community doesn't want to talk about their problem and the two groups feel separated by some invisible force. The separation, which isn't fully understood until the facilitators explain it at the end, only exists in the minds of the helpers. There was no problem for them to come in and fix. The community was doing fine and was told just to welcome the new group and just be their friends.

It is a fun and frustrating exercise to go through. Often we come into a community with something we have identified a problem, but later come to realize that we are the only ones who see it that way. As Carl Jung was famous for saying, "When you have a hammer in your hand, every problem seems like a nail." If we put down the hammer for a moment, we start to see that it's not about us. It's about trying to understand others, know them and love them. It's natural that projects, great work and changing the world might come from that, but that's all secondary.

Sincere Ignorance Is Sneaky

Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." This quote always stuck with me, but confused me. I find it hard to ask myself, "Am I being sincerely ignorant or conscientious stupid right now?" Maybe it's because ignorance and stupidity are such strong words. I'll reword it...

"Is there any way, in my life right now, that I'm acting genuinely, but with a lack of knowledge or information? Is there any way I'm trying to do what is right but have a lacking of understanding about the situation as a whole?"

I have to answer a resounded yes. Pretty much every day I act without knowing everything, I try to do what is right without having an understanding that is complete. I do my best but I also know that I need to grow, change, and learn while allowing others to do the same. I am ignorant and stupid a lot, but admitting it helps. I think King is saying it's the sincerity and conscientiousness that make those dangerous. Sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity mean saying we know things we don't know, and pretending we have a perfect understanding of something about which we only have a limited understanding.

Rob Bell was inspired to write Love Wins because of a comment someone wrote next at a peacemaker photo exhibition featuring a quote from Mohandas Gandhi. TIME magazine writes:

A visitor to the exhibit had stuck a note next to the Gandhi quotation: "Reality check: He's in hell." Bell was struck.

Really? he recalls thinking.
Gandhi's in hell?
He is?
We have confirmation of this?
Somebody knows this?
Without a doubt?
And that somebody decided to take on the responsibility of letting the rest of us know?

I would hope, having not read the book yet, that Rob Bell doesn't say whether or not Gandhi is in hell. That's the point. He wouldn't claim to know something he doesn't know.

At the end of the day, regardless of whether people like or dislike the book, I'm grateful that Rob Bell has been willing to put himself out there and ask difficult questions. I think wisdom often comes not from accepting the right answers but from asking the right questions. And as Socrates, probably the most famous questioner of all time, said, "As for me, all I know is that I know nothing... God only is wise... the wisdom of men is little or nothing... I appear to be wise, because I do not fancy I know what I do not know."

To comment on this post, please join Advance Humanity on Facebook

TEDx Gaining Momentum

2011-04-17T06:56:00.001-05:00

As I wrote on the TEDxUlaanbaatar blog earlier this week, we have been gaining a lot of momentum with the project. We have several confirmed speakers who are going to be fantastic, including Ganhuyag Chuluun Hutagt who will speaking on Mongolia's unique economy, Didi Kalika speaking on helping Mongolia's children and Sanchir Tserendorj speaking on ethnically Mongolia people living around the world.

Our team organizing the event is becoming more incredible every week and we have been working long hours, including all-day most Saturdays, to make sure the TEDx event will blow away our audience and be a landmark event for everyone involved. I feel honored to be part of the project, and astonished that such a small idea between two friends has become such an incredible project. If you'd like to get involved or learn more, please visit TEDxUlaanbaatar.com anytime.

By the way, have you joined our growing community on Facebook? Please join us!

Three Lessons from a Gobi Desert Train Ride

2011-04-11T10:36:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I was able to travel to the Gobi Desert with Jonathan and Tunga so that Jonathan could renew his visa and continue working here in Mongolia. On our way down there were a couple wonderful things that we were able to experience beyond the beautiful Mongolian landscape and the fact that, after my first train ride ever, this is definitely my new favorite form of transportation.

Friends Are The Best Company

Trips are always more fun when you're travel with people you love. On the train ride we were in a small cabin and since it only fit four people we almost had the whole thing to ourselves. With one new friend each way, the four of us stayed up late playing cards, games, talking, laughing, shooting video and eating tons of random snacks we had gathered for the 17-hour trip. What could've been a very long ride seemed to fly by and it was one of the best trips I have ever had.

We Are All Part of A Legacy

This trip reminded me that all of us are part of a legacy (several usually). When we arrived at the station, at the border town of Zamin Uud between Mongolian and China, we were greeted by my fellow Peace Corps Volunteer Cameron who was kind enough to meet us at seven o'clock in the morning when we arrived. He took us to a wonderful little hotel that we never would've found on our own, which was the perfect price for three of us, very comfortable and very close to the small ger that he lives in next to his host family. Later in the day after lunch he showed us around his ger, a traditional Mongolian home, introduced us to some of his Mongolian friends and really made us feel at home. Being part of the Peace Corps legacy allowed all of this to happen - connecting us together even at the edge of the Gobi Desert. But then an unexpected legacy connected us together while we were visiting Cameron's ger. Looking around I noticed several Boy Scout books that he had on his shelf and asked if he was a Boy Scout back in America. Not only was Cameron involved but so was Ben, another Volunteer who happened to be visiting. Boy Scouts has made a huge impact on my life and it turns out it was a big part of their lives too. After some great conversations, a few days later we were all back in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, meeting with my friends at the National Mongolian Scouting Association. We have already gotten several other Peace Corps Volunteers involved in the past week and it looks like it's going to be a great year helping a great organization. You never know how you'll connect to others, how the legacies of organizations you are part of interweave and link you to your past, present and future.

We Shall Not Pass This Way Again

Legacy is a very interesting word in English. It means looking back to where we come from and honoring the traditions that have brought us to where we are, and it also means looking at what we're doing now and how that is going to impact us later in our lives. I love that Chris uses the words legacy project to refer to what he does at The Art of Non-Conformity. I feel similarly that Advance Humanity is my legacy project, the thing that I want to define in my lifetime and then have continue after I'm gone. That's the third thing this trip helped me remember - trips go by quickly. Great memories, videos, pictures and writings help us remember wonderful times, but whether it's a trip into the Gobi Desert or a journey anywhere else on the planet, our time is short. As Stephen Grellet famously said, "I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again."

I hope you're having a wonderful time on your journey right now, wherever you are.

Have you checked out our growing Advance Humanity community on Facebook?

Teaching An Old Blog New Tricks

2011-04-10T09:14:00.001-05:00

Here is a quick little update regarding the blog. Blogger has just released an exciting update where you can view the Advance Humanity blog in a variety of creative ways. My favorite are the flipcard, snapshot, timeslide and the sidebar views. It's a fun way to look back through as many old posts as you would like, based on labels or date or what was written most recently. It's pretty fun and a nice way to explore articles that you might like. To learn more visit Blog.AdvanceHumanity.com!

Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

Richard Sitler, Making Peace with the World

2011-04-06T22:22:00.000-05:00

Advance Humanity is all about people who put themselves out there and try to do something great. For Richard Sitler, this meant traveling around the world for two years and taking pictures of PCVs in today's Peace Corps. We were lucky enough to have him visit us here in Mongolia and even take some great shots at our COS event last year.

His book, Making Peace with the World, was just published by Other Places Publishing, a company started by Chris Beale and former Peace Corps Volunteers from around the world. We would like to congratulate Richard for all of his hard work. The pictures in his book are amazing and really capture the spirit of what serving in Peace Corps is like now, fifty years after its inception in 1961.

If you'd like to support Richard's work (and help him recover some of the cost of his lengthy trip) please visit his campaign here. He's been trying to raise money for his trip for over two years, and he's really close to finishing. Thanks for the inspiration and congratulations again Richard!

Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

A Philosopher's Notes

2011-04-01T09:53:00.001-05:00

As I have written twice before, I'm a big fan of PhilosophersNotes and the man who writes them, Brian Johnson. He is a very inspiring guy and has created some great businesses and resources for over a decade.

This week he is releasing a new book which he has called A Philosopher's Notes, with 100 of the best lessons that he has learned after reading more than 100 great books on everything from philosophy to positive psychology. The book is available for purchase, but it's also available for free in this newsletter that you can get delivered every day, once a week, or whenever you want. I've signed up myself and I'm really excited to start receiving great ideas from Brian when he launches next week.

The Advance Humanity Foundation is all about changing ourselves and then changing our world, PhilosophersNotes are a perfect example of just how we can do that. Discovering the great ideas of everyone from Emerson to Buddha to Campbell to Maslow and then applying them to our daily lives allows us to realize our own greatness and then go out and share that with other people around the world. Thanks for the great ideas, the inspiration and for being awesome Brian!

Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

Getting Married

2011-03-28T06:02:00.000-05:00

I am very excited to announce that Tunga and I will be getting married this summer in Mongolia. We have made a small website together saying a little more about us, the celebrations we are planning for this year and next year, a little about how you can help us and most importantly, a guestbook for you to sign so we can look forward to seeing you!

We feel blessed to have the support of our wonderful families and friends at this very special time in our lives, and we are excited about all the things that lie ahead for us in the coming years. We look forward to hearing from you, and of course, seeing you soon! Thank you!

TEDTalk Bob Thurman

2011-03-27T08:12:00.002-05:00

Inspiring and light-hearted TEDTalk by Bob Thurman on how we can all be Buddhas.

Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

Consider this your bailing out…

2011-03-26T05:31:00.008-05:00

It's so loud inside my head with words that I should have said.
As I drown my regrets, I can't take back the words I never said.

I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence,
Fear is such a weak emotion, that's why I despise it,

We're scared of almost everything, afraid to even tell the truth,
So scared of what you'll think of me, I'm scared of even telling you,
Sometimes I'm like the only person I feel safe to tell it to,
I'm locked inside a cell in me, I know that there's a jail in you,
Consider this your bailing out…

I feel very grateful for being surrounded by incredible people who inspire me, but more importantly people who accept me for who I am and encourage me to be true to myself. I'm talking about you. Thank you.

My dream when I started writing this blog seven years ago (seven years ago!) was to share my experiences with others who I cared about - friends and family I was away from during college, my new friends I had just started meeting and people I hadn't met yet. I wanted to write about things that mattered to me, things I believed in and dreams that I hadn't quite figured out how to achieve. It was easier in the beginning when I knew no one was reading. I wrote a lot. But, as more people read what I wrote, it got harder.

The lyrics above come from Lupe Fiasco's new album, which my friend Todd shared with me. They remind me of how it feels to be nervous, to hold back, to sit in silence. Admittedly, I haven't always written everything I've wanted to. It's surprisingly hard to just be yourself.

But then, people come along who push you. Encourage you. Tell you to try. As Albert Schweitzer famously said, "In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." I feel lucky to have the support of those kind of people, some of them have been friends for years and some I just met today.

It can be difficult to put yourself out there, to really speak your mind and search after the truth, but I think it's important that all of us take that chance and try. I'm right here with you, seven years and running.

Free Rice

2011-03-24T04:50:00.006-05:00

FreeRice.com is an unique online game that provides food for the hungry managed through the United Nations World Food Programme, the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. It is a growing community of hundreds of thousands of people across the globe who, like you, are committed to feeding the world's hungriest people. So far enough rice has been donated to feed 4.6 million people. That's why we've added it to our Resources and Inspirations on AdvanceHumanity.com. To play yourself and learn more, visit freerice.com and facebook.com/freerice. Below is a YouTube video by the World Food Programme.

Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

TEDTalk Clifford Stoll

2011-03-22T21:54:00.002-05:00

This is one of my all-time favorite TEDTalks by Clifford Stoll on all kinds of things!

Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

What is TED?

2011-03-21T10:12:00.001-05:00

I've received a lot of interested and excited feedback about the TEDxUlaanbaatar event since the last post about it! Thank you all for your support and excitement! I also noticed there were some questions about TED, so I thought I could write a little bit here about what exactly the TED conference is and what we will be doing at TEDxUlaanbaatar.

TED started in 1984 as a conference about technology, entertainment and design. Today it brings together people from all walks of life: experts in their field, visionaries for the future and interesting people who have done amazing things. The TED conference happens annually and brings together thousands of participants in person and hundreds of millions of people online through amazing TEDTalks that are available for free to everyone in the world. TED inspires me and has inspired me for years.

TEDx events are independently organized events that happen all around the world, inspired by the TED conference format. They can be organized by anyone, but are licensed by TED. For two years I have been wanting to do a TED event in Mongolia, but it wasn't until I met Mende that I saw how it might be possible. We met late last year and began planning the event and just this month were liscened by TED to hold a TEDx event here in Mongola this year. Mende is an outstanding and accomplished man (and just as young as I am!) with an incredible team supporting what is sure to be an incredible event. TEDxUlaanbaatar will be an event by Mongolians for the world, bringing together composers, economists, teachers, organization founders, and visionaries who will be speaking about the past, present and future of Mongolia. I am very proud to be part of this first event, the first of its kind in Mongolian history.

I hope I answered some of the questions out there about what TED is and what TEDxUlaanbaatar will be. To learn more about TED, visit TED.com and check out a video or two to hear what a TEDTalk is like. And be sure to visit Facebook to keep up with TEDxUlaanbaatar as it continues to develop. Thanks!

Have you joined our growing community on Facebook?

Are you easily distracted when online?

2011-03-17T09:48:00.002-05:00

I just read this great suggestion from Litemind. Luciano writes:

Imagine you have some important work to do at the computer. I bet you know the drill: you sit down to get it done... but then resistance kicks in. You want to check that last email ("just this one, really!"). And then you go for that last news check ("quickly, I promise!"). And Facebook. And Twitter... You know how this story ends: suddenly, your day is gone. It happens too often, doesn't it?
To avoid that problem, one trick that works really well for me is to set the 'start page' (or 'home page') in my browser to a page that reminds me to focus on what I should really be doing.
Every time I open the browser, I have an extra checkpoint -- yet another chance -- to escape from automatic behaviors that could sidetrack me.
To understand exactly what I mean, check the start page I use: litemind.com/on-task.html
Granted, sometimes the urge to procrastinate wins regardless, but this saves me from getting sidetracked almost every day. The advice on the byline is just too wise to ignore -- the reason it works so well for me is because it reminds me it's all about choices, not about forcing myself to work.
If you like the idea of having a "focus start page" and don't want to create your own, feel free to use the one I created. You can even steal it and save it locally to a folder on your computer so that it loads even faster.

I definitely stole his idea and made my own page with a few additional suggestions: advancehumanity.com/focus. Whatever you choose to do, I hope it reminds you that you always have a choice. Good luck staying focused!

Have you seen our growing community on Facebook? Check it out: http://facebook.com/advancehumanity

Organizing TEDxUlaanbaatar

2011-03-16T05:36:00.003-05:00

Hosting a TEDx event in Mongolia began as a simple idea between two friends who had never met: American Peace Corps Volunteer Travis Hellstrom and Mongolian The New Media Marketing Agency Founder Mende-Orshikh Amartaivan. They both loved TED, had been inspired by dozens of videos over the years and on opposite sides of the country were thinking the same thing, "We should do this in Mongolia."

Months later, after finding each other thanks to the TED.com online community, they have gathered together a team of talented Mongolians from all over the country and been officially licensed to organize TEDxUlaanbaatar. The conference will take place in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar and be the first event of its kind in Mongolian history. Speakers from all walks of life will come together to share their expertise and vision in areas ranging from modern economic strategy to ancient musical performance. The deep wisdom of Mongolia, drawing from centuries of tradition and practice, will be brought to centerstage here at TEDxUlaanbaatar and we couldn't be more excited to share it with the world.

This article was also posted on the official TEDxBlog

Peace Corps 10 for 3 (10 Things for 3rd Goal)

2011-03-01T10:53:00.003-05:00

My friend Erica Burman, who works with the National Peace Corps Association, shared this idea on Facebook. She hoped it would encourage other Peace Corps Volunteers, in honor of the Peace Corps' 50th Anniversary this year, to take a few minutes to reflect on their Peace Corps service and come up with 10 great memories to encourage the 3rd Goal of Peace Corps: to bring the world back home. Here are ten memories that came to my mind.

Country: Mongolia

Years: 2008-2011

Assignment: Health

Starting from day one, I swore we had the best training group. We were also the biggest, most diverse, intense and hilarious group ever. This included Matt bringing a three-man balloon launcher just because.
In our last week of training, our entire training site went out to a special camp to have a celebration. By the end of the night, a flash storm hit that was so bad it ripped apart what seemed like half the fences in our community, tore roofs off buildings and knocked power out for several days. That night was also one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen.
Travis isn't very easy to say in Mongolian, so I have been called everything from Choibalsan (a city/former president's name) to Tarvis (watermelon).
After losing sixty (unneeded) pounds in my first year, my hospital director saw a picture of my family before I left America and said, "Wow, your older brother looks just like you, just fatter!" I told her that was true, and that was me. That's the only time I've ever seen her cheeks red.
The worst day of my Peace Corps service involved stomach problems and an 11-hour bus ride that made three stops.
At the end of our first year, the idea for Peace Corps Merit Badges came up and in one year it was able to help a small group of elderly women earn two years' salary. This was very rewarding and cool.
At our COS conference we were lucky enough to have RPCV photographer Richard Sitler coming through Mongolia, so we got probably one of the best COS pictures ever. Everyone thinks it's fake.
It took four years to write, but when I finished my 27th month of Peace Corps service I finally self-published the Unofficial Peace Corps Volunteer Handbook. It's sold hundreds of copies and raised hundreds of dollars for Peace Corps projects worldwide. This was also very rewarding and cool.
At the end of language training during PST, my language instruction said I was a very good student but I could have been better if I took notes. I just listened and stared at her every class. Today, three years later, my speaking and listening in Mongolian are pretty good, but my writing is terrible.
Connecting with the National Peace Corps Association while still serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer has been incredible. I know the world is different from what it used to be, but I feel lucky to be in this digital age where Skype, blogs, Facebook and everything else allows us to engage in the Third Goal every step of our Peace Corps journey. Thank you all!

Our Crazy Training Neighborhood Group (Summer 2009)

Our Sacred Mountain Altan Ovoo in Sukhbaatar (Summer 2009)

Home for My Sister's Wedding with Little Tunga (Summer 2009)

Close of Service Conference Photo (Summer 2010)

Tsagaan Sar Celebration with Tunga's Family (Spring 2011)

You can comment on Facebook here

You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

Quotes from the Dalai Lama Update

2011-02-27T10:02:00.002-05:00

One of our earliest projects with Advance Humanity was the development of a Quotes from the Dalai Lama application on Facebook with the simple objective of providing quotes for people on Facebook. This was started almost five years ago, with the computer genius of Pawan and the hundreds of quotes written down by Travis over several years, and it has been surprisingly popular. Currently over 13,000 people like these quotes on Facebook and several thousand people have downloaded the iPhone application. Simple ideas really can go a long way.

We are also currently developing a Firefox application which we hope people will enjoy. To learn more you can visit Quotes from the Dalai Lama anytime on Facebook and AdvanceHumanity.com.

You can comment on Facebook here
You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

Vipassanna in Prison

2011-02-19T11:01:00.002-05:00

My dad shared this story with me about Vipassanna meditation (a ten-day silent meditation course I attended myself before Peace Corps) which is very popular in the most dangerous maximum security prison in Alabama. NPR has featured it three times in the last year, once in April and twice this past month here and here. So far the program has included hundreds of inmates who have volunteered for the program, many in for life without a chance for parole, reduced violence within the prison and "changed our lives" according to some prisoners. A documentary about this program named "The Dhamma Brothers" is featured on PBS this month, and is also available for download here.

This definitely makes me even more excited to conduct the meditation research that I've been planning here in Mongolia. Thanks for mentioning the story to me Dad!

You can comment on Facebook here
You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

TEDTalk Tuesday : Nigel Marsh on How To Make Work-Life Balance Work

2011-02-15T00:30:00.001-05:00

Nigel's very honest and hilarious talk seems very apt for most people. He says, "Up until a few years ago I was the classic corporate warrior. I was eating too much, drinking too much, working too hard and generally neglecting my family. Then when I turned 40 I had an epiphany. I read a line in a book from St. Benedict that said "pause for a moment you wretched weakling and take stock of your miserable existence". I decided it was good advice for me at that stage of my life. I made a resolution to try and change my life - in every way. I gave up the booze, lost the weight and reconnected with my family. I started to 'make a life' rather than simply 'make a living'. It began me on a journey that I am still on to this day. I may be poorer than I was in my 'office days' but I have never been happier." I hope you enjoy it! (TED.com, YouTube)

You can comment on Facebook here
You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

Free Tax Refunds

2011-02-09T10:55:00.002-05:00

I just filed my federal and state taxes for free with TurboTax again for the fifth year in a row. If you're a Peace Corps Volunteer like me, if you were in the Armed Forces, or if you earned less than $31,000 last year, you can use TurboTax Freedom Edition as well. Check it out!

Also, Peace Corps Volunteers, be sure to check out the Peace Corps website so you can follow instructions on how to claim your living allowance as well as your readjustment allowance. With this year's Making Work Pay Tax Credit you should be getting around $200 as a refund. Go get it!

You can comment on Facebook here
You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

TEDTalk Tuesday: Neil Pasricha's Awesomeness

2011-02-08T03:36:00.000-05:00

This week's awesome TEDTalk is actually about awesomeness. Neil Pasricha runs one of the most popular blogs on the internet with the simple goal of writing down one awesome thing everyday. His heartfelt talk focuses on seeing inspiration in little moments and recognizing that our lives may be way more awesome than we realize.

You can comment on Facebook here
You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

Community Fund Update

2011-01-27T02:42:00.013-05:00

The Sukhbaatar Social Business Community Fund has been very busy this past year building the community store that will act as a flagship for the Sukhbaatar Trust Foundation and finally opened the doors of the store only a few weeks ago!

Thank you to all of the supporters who have donated your time, energy and resources to this project and helped several families come together in an effort to expand economic opportunity in a remote region of Mongolia.

One special story I would like to share was just told to me last week, as I saw these pictures of the community store's first few weeks and asked how things have been going. The grandmother, named Bayarsaikhan, who runs the store with her husband and family,was showing the new store to her extended family after it had opened it. Her brother, who lives in the countryside almost six hours away and has been a herdsman his entire life, was so impressed with the store that he decided to give her 1,000,000 tugrics which he had been saving up so that her family could buy equipment to make bakery goods and sell them in the store. He was never asked, but decided to share this with his sister (which amounts to about half a year's salary) because he was so impressed with the work that is being done and he wanted to give what he could.

Our vision of this project, from the beginning, has been people giving what they can to others in a sustainable way. Every dollar (and Mongolian tugric) that goes into the community fund continues to be borrowed and paid back forever, first into a community store and bakery equipment, then into a mechanics shop and livestock in the countryside, and from there who knows.

I look forward to keeping you updated on this project through the Advance Humanity blog as it continues to develop, but to learn more please visit AdvanceHumanity.com. Thank you!

You can comment on Facebook here
You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

A Working Perspective

2011-01-24T12:58:00.001-05:00

Coming back to work after a long holiday can be hard. Especially when your vacation is something around six weeks long and on the other side of the world. I've enjoyed coming back to Mongolia, but it was easy to get overwhelmed with work, projects, responsibilities and much more.

Two articles that I read recently, one at ZenHabits and a speech shared with me by a fellow Volunteer Alison, showed me that I'm definitely not facing that challenge alone. All of us have the challenge of work in front of us everyday. We get to decide our attitude and perspective every moment, every week, and it's important to face that consciously.

In Leo's article on Work-Life Balance, he makes some good suggestions and my favorite two are: build your skills to prepare for leaving work and remember you are not your work. The first one requires daily attention to the fact that we should always be learning, growing and changing as our world and the job market changes. As we expand our abilities and skills, we become more valuable to our current job and future work as well. What are you doing and learning today that helps you be where you want to be in the future?

The second revolves around the idea that our job is what we do, but not who we are. We are family members, friends, people. Those roles require a lot of attention too, exercise, good nutrition, time alone together with people we love. That's easy to lose sight of.

In fact, it wasn't until a few days ago after I read the commencement speech that Alison shared with me that I realized I had already drifted too far myself. I had started to look at work, walking in the cold, and many other things as sources of stress rather than incredible opportunities to do things that I love to do. The speech doesn't really have a title, but I like calling it This is Water and you can read it in full here.

It's easy to lose focus, but I'm very grateful to friends and resources that allow me to stay positive and centered every day. Thank you all very much, I hope these reminders might be helpful to you as well.

You can comment on Facebook here

You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

Peace Corps' Founding Father

2011-01-22T00:09:00.002-05:00

Although from the outside it might seem like John F. Kennedy was the one man who made Peace Corps a reality, from the inside many people (including 200,000+ Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) attribute much of Peace Corps' success and longevity as an organization to our founding director, Sargent Shriver. He was a dedicated peacebuilder, activist and in many ways a renaissance man. He slept on airplanes (on the floor under his seat and the seat in front of him), felt at home as he traveled to the most remote corners of the world, and connected with millions of people during the 95 years of his exceptional life. In addition to his work with Peace Corps, he also founded VISTA, Job Corps, Head Start, and helped start the Special Olympics with his wife Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

"Sarge", as he is known by those close to him, is having a lot of wonderful things written about him this week after he passed away this Wednesday. I have read dozens of the articles and these are a few of my favorites:

I'm sure there will continue to be great memories of Sarge written for some time to come. In fact, if you would like to share your own stories and send your thoughts to the Shriver Family, you can visit SargentShriver.org anytime.

Also to learn more about Sargent Shriver visit Shriver.PeaceCorps.gov, SargentShriver.org, Wikipedia.org, and check out the documentary American Idealist. This week, I will share some of my favorite quotes from Sargent Shriver online as people around the world remember him and continue to be inspired by his incredible example. Thank you, Sarge, for your incredible life of inspired service.

You can comment here on Facebook here

You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

Everyday with the WHO

2011-01-21T01:57:00.003-05:00

I don’t usually write too much about my everyday work with the Peace Corps, but as I’ve started working more closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) here in Mongolia over the past few months I’ve found myself in some great situations which really deserve some reflection.

For instance, just yesterday I got a chance to sit down with one of my colleagues and look over several of her projects on non-communicable diseases and health promotion. Two years ago, and even one year ago, I would have felt very overwhelmed by the amount and type of projects she was sharing with me. However, now that I’ve worked with Peace Corps for two years in the field, written my fair share of grants and collaborated on many projects, I was able to keep up as we discussed the projects in both Mongolian and English throughout the day.

A lot of what the WHO does revolves around granting funds, monitoring and evaluating other organizations who are working in the health field. Some projects might target improving road safety or educating children on healthy habits, others work with young adults suffering through alcoholism, and others on improving rehabilitation opportunities for recovering patients. The projects span the entire field of health and by this method of funding governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other actors in the community, a WHO Country Team of little over a dozen people can then monitor and evaluate hundreds of projects every year. They do this in partnership with local agencies like

Mongolia

’s Ministry of Health which my colleague says, “Watches every single penny in a project and wants to know where it went.”

It’s certainly not simple or easy to develop successful projects, two years in Mongolia has taught me that, but it is valuable work that makes a difference in people’s lives. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around all the organizations involved in health here in Mongolia (there are the Ministry of Health, Department of Health, Public Health Institute, World Health Organization, EPOS, and Millenium Challenge Account to name a few), but I’m also trying to keep my mind focused on the people that I know – the people that I met, worked with, helped and loved my first two years in Mongolia. They are the reason I’m not overwhelmed by all of this; I remember the doctors and nurses I know, some of the hardest working and kindest people I have ever met, and I think about what these projects would mean in their hands. These funds and resources, in the hands of the right people and for the right purposes, do tremendous good for real communities of people. Part of my work will include meeting these organizations, understanding more about what they do and learning from them as they try to help all people attain the highest possible levels of health in Mongolia. It’s been an honor to learn and continue to serve alongside such great people in the Peace Corps and the World Health Organization and I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity.

You can comment on this article on Facebook here
You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

Jack Tales

2011-01-19T01:39:00.000-05:00

Jack Tales take me back to my childhood, to nights when my dad would tell my sister and I stories of a crazy guy named Jack who seemed to be the most clever person I had ever heard of. He was able to get himself into and out of the craziest situations: stumping the devil, outsmarting kings, marrying princesses, befriending anyone he wanted, bringing down giants, and much more I just now beginning to rediscover.

My dad just sent me a website with over a dozen free Jack Tales called iBiblio, a public archive and digital library created by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and I intend to learn them and tell them myself. After all, as an oral tradition, they are meant to be told from generation to generation. I'm excited to take part in that tradition myself.

You can join us and share your comments on Facebook here
You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

2010 Annual Review

2011-01-16T10:28:00.004-05:00

Pass through New Years and you hit the season of resolutions, goals, hopes and dreams. In some years I've made goals long into the night and other years made none at all. Some years had days scheduled in 15-minute increments and more recently months without much scheduling much at all. I've read great books about goal-free living and other great books about being highly effective, some on simplifying and others on dream-lining. I suppose you can find just about any opinion on the subject and testimonials for each of them saying that they work great.

Right now, however, I am partial to the simplified route: a short look back at this past year, what went well and what didn't, a couple dreams I can count on one hand and a few steps on how I want to get there. I'll share my answers in case they are helpful as you think about your upcoming year, I really hope it is the best year of your life no matter who or where you are.

WHAT WENT WELL IN 2010?

This was a very exciting year in my work with Peace Corps. Several incredible projects developed throughout the year including Peace Corps Merit Badges (bringing in thousands of dollars to wonderful elderly women in our local Mongolian village), the Sukhbaatar Social Business Community Fund (helping families throughout our province help each other out of poverty), the Sports Complex for Kids (now serving thousands of children), and several others. It was also a great year with my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers, we attended summer camp training and later an improved summer camp in our province, a great close of service conference, and a wonderful last summer together.

In the fall I began my third year in Peace Corps and my first year as a Peace Corps Volunteer Leader here in Mongolia. I moved to the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, started work with the World Health Organization and after four years finally published my first book. I helped organize several great conferences and trainings within Peace Corps, wrote a few articles, finished applying to the Fulbright program and even had a chance to visit America with Tunga over the holidays to see family and friends during a wonderful six-week vacation.

WHAT DIDN'T GO WELL IN 2010?

Mostly my health, including exercise and eating well. I didn't spend nearly enough time meditating, lifting weights, eating healthy food at home and cooking on a regular basis. Although this improved some when I moved to the capital, Thanksgiving and Christmas undone anything I had going for me! I definitely need to work on that this upcoming year.

WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR 2011?

I would like to focus on five areas this year: Health, Relationships, Projects, Legacy, and Writing.

Health represents my overall health: sleep, fitness, nutrition, meditation, spirituality. I fell behind on this last year and I want to make it a daily priority - keeping myself physically strong and mentally awake. I want to eat and prepare my meals at home six days a week, do push ups and meditate every day, get plenty of sleep and wake up early everyday.

Relationships include my family, friends, and all the incredible people I feel so lucky to know. I want to schedule my time with people that I love, even though I am far away from them in most cases. It's easier than ever before to talk on the phone, video conference, send thank you notes, emails and much more. It's important that I make a strong effort to do those things on a regular basis. I want to support them, have fun together, share stories with each other spend time with people around me, doing things like telling Jack Tales to Tunga and Jonathan, listening to their dreams and goals, and supporting them however I can.

Projects will include ongoing projects, but I would also like to expand into more joint projects and coordination with the World Health Organization and our incredible Peace Corps Volunteers serving throughout Mongolia. We have lots of great health projects in the works, including a lot of hospital and preventative health activities like meditation, and I'm excited to support those this year.

Legacy is my big idea, the thing I want to do before I die. It's a social movement I call Advance Humanity and it's founded on the idea that we can change ourselves and change the world together. I write about it here on the blog and also at AdvanceHumanity.com. Right now it involves several dozens projects, a few inspirations, resources and lots of incredible people. I'm excited to continue developing the idea this year and you can join us anytime.

Writing revolves mostly around three things: my blog (I'd like to write 100+ blog entries this year), the Unofficial Handbook (updated second edition released this fall), and the Life is Volunteer book (released this winter). I love writing and I try to do it whenever I can - early morning, late at night, and in the place of other activities like television, games and so on. It's been very rewarding so far and I bet this year will be even better. I also love to read things that support what I like to write, like ZenHabits, the Art of Nonconformity, and great books.

Recommendations - I obviously recommend writing your dreams down (so you are more likely to accomplish them) and I recommend sharing them with others (for support, encouragement and accountability). I also suggest making them self-reliant so you don't wait on others to make your dreams a reality. And don't worry if they change, of course they will. Also, I like to use 43Things.com where I can keep track of how I am doing on things. You might like it too.

THEME FOR THE YEAR

I also have a theme and one-paragraph statement for the year. This is the summary of the whole year – what’s it going to look like? Who will I be for the next year?

I started doing this four years ago, after reading Goal-Free Living. Here are the themes I’ve chosen for myself:

Year of Discovery (2007) - When I graduated from college, applied to Peace Corps and prepared for discovering new things about the world and myself. Mark Twain's quote really inspired me.

Year of Endeavor (2008) - When I left for Peace Corps and began living and working in Mongolia as a health volunteer. I wanted to see the whole year and every day as an adventure.

Year of Advance Humanity (2009) - When I began deciding what this idea was all about, how I wanted to share it with others and how they could join in the effort.

Year of Greatness (2010) - When I wanted to define greatness for myself and my life. (I wrote in the theme statement, "This year I want to live my greatest life in the greatest service to others.")

I have decided I want 2011 to be a Year of Reflection. As I finish my time with the Peace Corps here in Mongolia I have a lot to look back on and a lot I want to write about. I also want to make meditation a more regular part of my life, pausing throughout the day to practice and not rush through life too much. I often feel like I take in lots of experiences only half-way, hopefully I can slow down a little and experience them more deeply whether they be a conversation, a visit, a book, or just time being with others.

Thank you for being part of this past year! It's really been wonderful and I feel very grateful to everyone who has been a part of it.

I hope 2011 is one of the best years you've ever had!

What is your theme for 2011? What are you most looking forward to?

Join us and share your comments on Facebook here

You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

Life, Death and Taxi Drivers

2011-01-10T19:03:00.004-05:00

Travel, especially when I fly around the world, makes me really think about my life and possible death. Maybe it's shows like LOST where planes fall out of the sky, or how exact times and dates are when I travel, or the occasional erratic taxi driver that reminds me of my temporary stay here on this earth. Yes, my time here is limited. No, it's unlikely I will know when it will end. Yes, this taxi driver is a little crazy.

When we get that chance to remember our own temporary nature, it often calls us to act. We should do today what is truly important, what we really believe in. If we aren't sure how long we'll be here, let's assume not long and act accordingly. That way no matter how long we live, we can be proud of how we spent our time. The people we loved, the projects we worked on, the help we were able to give to those in need, and the things we have learned make life worth living.

Maybe that's one reason I love the Peace Corps so much, everything about it reminds me on a daily basis that I have today to do good work, be the person I know I should be, and do what I can to make a difference. That makes every smile on the street and every conversation I have a little more important, because when it comes down to it those might be the last things I ever do.

You can join Advance Humanity on Facebook here

You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

From Home to Home

2011-01-07T21:37:00.001-05:00

This trip home to America was very different from my first one. A year and a half ago I visited home to be in my wonderful sister’s wedding, back in May of 2009. That was one full year into my Peace Corps service, when I had an amazing woman I loved and a job that I loved awaiting me upon my return to Mongolia. Five weeks in America was wonderful then, I had incredible conversations with people that I love, great memories and long drives, short trips and even shorter visits with people I missed a great deal.

This trip home to America, which just ended yesterday, comes two and a half years into my Peace Corps service. As a third year Volunteer I’ve had the unique opportunity to watch my Peace Corps service end twice and the chance to visit America in between each one.

My first trip was filled with certain answers, how much longer I’d be gone, why I love Mongolia so much, what I do, what I hope to do, my five year plan. I was eager to return to Mongolia and continue building on an incredible adventure that had exceeded all of my expectations. This second trip had much more open-ended answers, I’m not quite sure, why don’t we ask Tunga, I do a lot of different things, I’ve got several plans, but a five year plan isn’t one of them. I’m much more comfortable with uncertainty now than I used to be, but it’s still a funny feeling. I think sometimes we prefer certain answers from ourselves and others, even if we know they aren’t completely true. Uncertainty can be hard, but it can also be very fun.

This second trip back home to America was Tunga’s first trip anywhere outside Mongolia. It was her first time in an airplane, over an ocean, through customs and onto interstates, into crazy restaurants, surrounded by English speakers, thousands of miles away from family, immersed in a new culture and hugged around every corner by my friends and family. Uncertainty surrounded our trip, how she would like it, how it would feel, what she would think, who we would see, what we would do, but throughout everything it was always very fun. A lot of my open-ended answers were finished by Tunga - my smile would give way to her smile, her laugh to my laugh, and her hugs to my hugs. America is a lot to take in all at once, but I think Tunga did wonderfully. She has shared lots of her favorite pictures (america + christmas + campbell + charlotte), talked with her family and friends back in Mongolia almost everyday during the trip, and now has weeks and months to share her experiences with people in-person now that we are back in Mongolia. Maybe that’s kind of like Goal 2½ of the Peace Corps: help the world’s people better understand each other by introducing them and helping them bring the world home themselves.

More than ever I feel like I have two homes - two places I love to be, filled with people that my heart aches for every time I leave them. Some people say the Third Goal of Peace Corps is “bringing the world home” and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to do that with Tunga while still serving as a Volunteer. I feel very proud to be with Peace Corps, to be surrounded by incredible people who I love and love me back, and to be doing even the smallest things which help promote friendship and (I hope) world peace one person at a time. Thank you for being on this journey with me, as uncertain as it may be at times, because the very best journeys can always be judged by who you were able to share them with.

You can join Advance Humanity on Facebook here

You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

Notes from the Road, Week Four

2010-12-24T19:13:00.000-05:00

This week marks us being in America for more than a month! It's been a lot of fun seeing so many wonderful people (you can see weeks one, two and three here) and we've still got a few more weeks to go!

This past week was filled with some great Peace Corps discussions with friends both new and old. First Tunga, Jonathan and I were able to visit our close friend Michael Lee who teaches at Riverbend Middle School and Bunker Hill High School. There we met with dozens of ESL (English as a Second Language) students who had great questions about Mongolia's foods, culture, people, landscape, and animals, Peace Corps' history, purpose and my experiences learning another language, living in another culture and much more.

Since Jonathan will be coming back with us to Mongolia, the students also asked him to do things for them that they wished they could do like help build a Mongolian ger, help prepare an animal for dinner, visit the Gobi desert, visit a ghost town like in the movie Paranormal Activity and of course take lots of pictures. We had a lot of fun and it brought back a lot of memories walking through the hallways, eating cafeteria food and remembering what it was like to be in school.

Last week I also had a chance to talk with Hal Rowe for an hour on WHKY, which was great! You can read a little more about that interview here. All three experiences were very rewarding and inspiring and I look forward to upcoming opportunities to share more including on Monday Night Radio in two weeks. I really love Peace Corps and feel very grateful to be part of this amazing organization.

Tunga and I also had a lot of fun this week by organizing the house together and visiting Boone in the North Carolina Mountains for my mom's birthday, driving to McAdenville with my brother and sister to see an entire town covered in Christmas lights, visiting the Art Museum, playing plenty of video games with Elias and the boys, visiting with our good friend Amy Lee for dinner, doing lots of shopping, and even watching a few movies at the theater including Harry Potter yesterday.

It's certainly been a packed week for us, as I'm sure it has been for everyone else as well. I hope you each have a wonderful holiday and enjoy being with people that you love!

WHKY Interview

2010-12-21T17:38:00.004-05:00

This morning Tunga and I had a great visit with Susie and Hal Rowe on WHKY, the radio station in my hometown of Hickory, North Carolina. Hal is a good friend who I visited before I left for Peace Corps almost three years ago. It was great to visit with him again today and also share a little bit about the Peace Corps with my friends and fellow citizens. We talked about everything from Peace Corps training to Mongolia's healthcare system, with quite a few laughs in-between.

Also during commercial breaks and after the show we had a lot of great conversation. I feel very lucky to know Hal and Susie (his producer) and to have had the chance to visit with them. Thank you both for such a great time and thank you Mandy Pitts as well, for introducing us so long ago. If you would like you can also listen to or download the audio of the interview. Here is a short video clip of the interview compliments of Tunga, who was there with us the whole time!

Download now or listen on posterous

WHKY_Interview_(12.21.10).mp3 (55301 KB)

Notes from the Road, Week Three

2010-12-18T10:42:00.004-05:00

Tunga and I have been back home in Hickory for a week now, which has been a nice change from jumping from place to place. Though those awesome places did include Disney World, Gainesville, St. Augustine, Live Oak and much more!

Slowing down here at home has given us the chance to relax, play basketball together every morning, take the dogs out for walks, meet with old friends, cook Mongolian huushur for our family, help my dad with construction at home, take lots of pictures and even do some shopping for family back in Mongolia (which Tunga loves to do).

I'm really glad we've had that chance this trip: to highlight people rather than places. I feel very grateful to Peace Corps for allowing me such a long vacation and for Tunga being so excited to spend time with family and friends. I think the best things in America aren't things, they're people - people I'm very glad to be seeing again.

You can join Advance Humanity on Facebook here
You can learn more about Advance Humanity here

Notes from the Road, Week Two

2010-12-10T13:48:00.003-05:00

Tunga and I had a wonderful time this past week. We were able to visit with all of my grandparents all around North Florida, and Tunga even got to have her first driving experience (on a tractor) which she loved!

We arrived back in Hickory, North Carolina over the weekend and already had a chance to pick up a Christmas tree in the snow-covered Appalachian Mountains. As much as Tunga enjoyed seeing sights like the beach and Disney World, she said she really loves being home and relaxing with family and friends. Talking face-to-face, making breakfast as a family, spending slow afternoons and evenings together, driving on long country roads and having great conversations are certainly my favorite part of America. We're really looking forward to the Christmas season, listening to Christmas music, looking at houses covered in lights and spending time with people we love.

Last week I posted the article by Leo Babuatu, "The Case Against Buying Christmas Presents" and it really hit home with a lot of people. I think that's because the holidays aren't a special time because we buy a lot of stuff, they are special because of the people in our lives. We all have a chance to care about each other and give something every day - time, effort, help, and love. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season with people you love, wherever you are.

Notes from the Road, Week One

2010-12-01T13:18:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Gainesville, Florida where Tunga and I just celebrated Thanksgiving last week with a whole lot of family! We've been here in America for a little over a week and we've already had a ton of firsts: Tunga's first time on an airplane, flight airports (Beijing, Chicago, Atlanta), first time on a highway, and on and on. You can check out our pictures here.

So far we've seen beautiful autumn leaves falling in Hickory, North Carolina, President Obama singing autotunes, the ridiculousness called the Shake Weight, super 300+ Cracker Barrel menus, washers and dryers, and tasted Krispy Kreme donuts which Tunga preferred to pick the icing off. We visited the ocean twice (once in Savannah, Georgia and once in St. Augustine, Florida), had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner and even visited Disney World with wonderful family and friends!

Today we are speaking at the University of Florida and meeting with future Peace Corps Volunteers who want to learn about this wonderful organization. We will also meet with Amy for the first time, even after working for more than a year together to help release the Unofficial Handbook this past fall. After we meet a few more family and friends we will be headed back up north to the crisp winter, wonderful mountains, and houses covered in Christmas lights in North Carolina.

We hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! Enjoy all of your time with family, friends, tasty food and occasional snowflakes!

How to Be the Change with Gandhi

2010-11-28T14:51:00.001-05:00

Monday Night Radio, an online worldwide talkshow, recently hosted a wonderful program with Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, talking about his continued work and how people around the world can be the change they wish to see. I was able to call in as a guest and share a question with Mr. Gandhi which I have included here (you can also listen here to the audio clip):

Anne: The books look wonderful. Alright we are going to let Travis, calling in about the Peace Corps and his experience with the Peace Corps to talk with you have the last minute. Here you go. Travis, are you there?

Travis: I am here. Yes.

Mr. Gandhi: Hello, Travis.

Anne: Travis, you are on the air with Mr. Gandhi.

Travis: Hi, thank you so much for allowing me to say something here. I have been serving with the Peace Corps for two years. I have one more year that I have extended beyond the normal two years of service. I am in Mongolia. One of the things I have really noticed is that other people want to make change. They see needs in the community and people who are living very normal lives have extraordinary dreams that they want to come true. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, one of the things that I have seen is that it’s part of my job to help people see... (the connection here became difficult)

Mr. Gandhi: You are breaking up there, Travis.

Travis: Oh, I’m sorry.

Anne: No, don’t be sorry. It’s a long way to Mongolia. Can you restate your question?

Travis: Sure, sure. I’ve worked with a lot of people and helping people who are very inspired to change their communities. They don’t think they are capable of doing that themselves. I wanted to ask what your experience has been when you are helping people and when you are working with others and you are trying to inspire them and see what they are capable of. I think that is also what a great leader can do is help see people what potential they have to make change themselves and do simple things in their lives to help others. If you are trying to help others and be a leader and share with others what they are capable of doing, what kind of things have you seen that are really helpful?

Anne: That is a great question, Travis.

Mr. Gandhi: One of the things that I did was to study the people and find out what are their potentials. Even the people who are volunteering to bring about the change, they have certain potential and certain capacities and we need to learn about them and project them. Very often we are motivated through change but the person themselves they don’t know how they can use their own strength and their own abilities to help that change. We as the leaders of this group we need to examine this and find their strengths and make them realize those strengths and then use those strengths to help the poor people there.

Travis: Yes. I think that is so true.

Anne: Travis, thank you so much for the call. I’m sorry to cut you off, but we’ve run over.

Travis: Thank you.

Mr. Gandhi: Thank you, Travis.

Anne: Thank you for your service as well.

Travis: Thank you so much.

Anne's assistant was also kind enough to talk with me after the program to ask more details about my Peace Corps service, my recently published book the Unofficial Peace Corps Volunteer Handbook (which they mentioned at the bottom of the transcript for that night's program) and invite me onto the program in the next few weeks to talk about Peace Corps. We will see how that goes, but if it can help promote the work of Peace Corps, encourage understanding inside and outside of America and maybe even help encourage one more person to join this incredible organization, I really look forward to the opportunity.

If you'd like to listen to the whole program with Mr. Gandhi, you can find the audio available here on iTunes and the full transcript here at MondayNightRadio.com.

You can join Advance Humanity on Facebook here.

You can learn more about Advance Humanity here.

Inside Worldview

2010-11-11T10:32:00.003-05:00

This month, Worldview (the magazine of the National Peace Corps Association) came out with its 50th Anniversary Issue to honor the speech by John F. Kennedy which first mentioned the idea of our organization. Throughout this next year the Peace Corps worldwide community is celebrating 50 years of friendship and world peace, ending with big celebrations around the world next September.

This issue of Worldview includes great articles by Volunteers and Staff from the early days of Peace Corps all the way up until present day. I'm honored to say I got a small spot alongside other great stories as I was asked to write about what I think Peace Corps means to us today. I wrote about success and how we can make the Peace Corps experience last as long as we want it to. Thank you to Todd, Alex, Claire, Alison, Judy, and Erica for your help this summer as I tried to write something good enough to be read by 30,000+ RPCVs, PCVs, staff and people all over the world.

Anyway, here is a PDF of the actual printed article and I've also included the text below...

Peace Corps Volunteer, 2010 Edition

By: Travis Hellstrom

Sometimes a story is so good that I don’t want it to end. As the pages in my right hand get lighter, I might even flip back a few chapters to try and enjoy it again—to remember what just happened and maybe catch something I missed.

For whatever reason, I brought that blue invitation packet with me across the ocean, the same one every Volunteer gets in the mail with “Peace Corps invites you to serve” printed on the front. It’s been a long time since I opened it, more than two years. A couple papers fall out: a booklet entitled Your Assignment, a Staging Workbook, a Diarrhea Flow Chart from the PCMO (with “No pun intended” written below the title), maps and a few other handouts. It all feels like it happened yesterday, but strangely it feels like it happened to someone else. I open up the Staging Workbook to a page with the heading Personal Definition of Success. Ruled lines and blank space fill the page underneath the sentence, “I will know that I am a successful Volunteer when…”

A lot has changed since I wrote on that page. At some point during service my understanding of success and happiness (and which comes first) reversed. As my relationships grew, “being” with my counterparts, students, fellow volunteers, friends, and family became more important than “doing” and relationships became the end, not the means. It was simple but profound for me.

The point was driven home last week when I spoke with my host country counterpart and friend. I asked her what she liked about Peace Corps and she thought about it for a while. “Volunteers help people,” she said, “they’re kind and they listen, they’re talented in many areas and they stay with us for a long time.” I smiled and asked, “Don’t other organizations do that too?” I named a few organizations we were both familiar with, but she looked back at me a little surprised, “Those have people?”

In a world of budgets, deadlines and benchmarks it’s easy for me to forget about people, but a Volunteer should never do that. When someone smiles at the mention of Peace Corps they’re probably thinking beyond awesome projects. They are thinking about who they knew: the teacher who served in their village, the counterpart who became their friend, the Volunteer who became part of their community. More than what we do, people remember who we are. With that in mind, every interaction changes and so then does the end of the story.

When my Peace Corps story began, I thought there was a set number of pages to fill—twenty-seven months worth. However, more recently, I’ve noticed the story just keeps getting longer. Twenty-five months in I feel like I’m just now hitting my stride, I’m still at the beginning. We live in a changed and changing world with technology that allows us to communicate with people like never before. Now especially our service in the Peace Corps can be just the beginning of life-long and life-changing friendships, if we want it to be. It’s our choice.

Maybe that’s one of the best things about our Peace Corps stories and the relationships we form as Volunteers, they last as long as we want them to. We have our whole lifetime to finish the sentence, “I will know that I am a successful Volunteer when…” If the story is so good that you don’t want it to end, it doesn’t have to.

Travis Hellstrom is a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Mongolia. He is editor of the Unofficial Peace Corps Handbook. To learn more visit www.peacecorpshandbook.com.

Two Days, Two Amazing Friends

2010-11-05T07:39:00.002-05:00

In the last two days I have met two incredible Mongolian friends who found me through the Advance Humanity project and it has been unbelievably inspiring for me.

Last night I met with Uuree, a wonderful woman who just finished her two master's degrees at Syracuse in Public Policy and International Development. Her English was better than mine and her smile and laugh were contagious. She talked to me about growing up in Mongolia and then going to school in the U.S., working since 2003 with USAID and then developing a passion for international development. “I wanted to talk with you,” she said, “because I want to help someone. I want to know that because of me someone’s life has changed for the better.” She read about our Community Fund project after hearing about it from our friend Yoomie and she wanted to learn more, so we met together to talk it over. The idea is still young, but it has a wonderful story developing around it: a family coming together, a grandmother learning how to read and write, a community store being built and a group of friends from all over the province honoring millenia of nomadic tradition while stepping into this new century.

After speaking for an hour, it was time for us to say goodbye. As we walked outside into the chilly Mongolian night air she turned to me and said, “Travis, I am so proud of you. You are so young and look how much you have already accomplished. You have a lot to be proud of.” I told her how happy I was that, because of this wonderful family and this wonderful project, we got this chance to meet together and work to help others. If this is how the Advance Humanity project continues to develop, we will all have a lot to be proud of.

Then tonight I met with Mendy, an ambitious man who just got back to Mongolia in the spring after attending the MBA program at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. “I was the youngest in my class by about 10 years,” he told me, “and when the instructors asked the other students in class, ‘So how many businesses have you started?’ I always had to answer none. I left the program to get some experience back here in Mongolia, but I am excited to go back and finish my degree in the next 5 years.” In the past few months, he has started a business that now has 30 employees and a waiting-list of 20 organizations who want to partner with him. The projects he listed in just a few minutes floored me, it was like listening a Mongolian Steve Jobs.

Over the next few months, one project we are excited to work on together is a TEDx Mongolia event. It’s a lot to take on for sure, but Mendy is all over it. Whether he’s pitching an idea to the Mongolian Prime Minister (which worked), or starting up Mongolian Silicon Valley (now under construction), fear doesn’t seem to be in Mendy’s vocabulary. I suppose it shouldn’t be in mine either.

To learn more about Advance Humanity, visit here.
To join us and add to the conversation, visit here.

Focus

2010-11-01T09:25:00.001-05:00

I am a huge fan of ZenHabits which is a blog on simplifying life by Leo Babauta. I like the weekly articles, the clean look of his website and the helpful advice he shares with his readers.

One example is this 121-page PDF which he released this past week called Focus. You can download it for free, no catches. If you are interested in focusing in on things you care about and letting go of distractions, finding some calm in this often chaotic world we live in or if you are even just trying to let go of a few bad habits, you might like this book. I read the whole thing very quickly and found it very inspiring. I’ve even stopped biting my nails since reading it, which is one of my worst habits. I know it’s not always easy to change how we live, but that’s what Advance Humanity is all about it. Change yourself and then change the world. And focus always helps.

Click here to comment or join us on Facebook
Click here to learn more about Advance Humanity

You Are Going To Die

2010-10-31T03:27:00.000-05:00

You are going to die. I am going to die. We are going to die. Tunga and I were just watching "What About Bob?" and there is this wonderful scene where a young boy named Siggy talks to Bob and says these lines. Bob, played by Bill Murray, is terrified. He already has a wide range of psychological problems which he feels define him, but this is a bit too much for him to handle. The look in his eyes is hilarious but understandable, it’s the same look that many people have when they consider the idea. You are going to die.

That’s the fact though, isn’t it? It’s not like it’s a surprise to us. It’s a part of life we can all count on, the end part. And it’s also not surprising to us that we probably won’t know when it’s going to happen. One moment we will be breathing, the next moment we won’t. It might happen in a car, in a plane, at the breakfast table, walking down the street, who knows. Very, very rarely do we have any clue when we will die. So, we know it will happen, we know we probably can’t predict when, and yet we prefer not to think about it. Why in the world would we prefer not to think about it?

I like to think the more we think about it, the better we begin to live our lives. If you consider the possibility that you will die next week, petty frustrations become obvious, life becomes less of a bother and every interaction becomes more precious. As Michael Singer writes in The Untethered Soul, a wonderful book I highly recommend,

"Let’s say you’re living life without the thought of death, and the Angel of Death comes to you and says, “Come on, it’s time to go,” You say, “But no. You’re supposed to give me a warning so I can decide what I want to do with my last week. I’m supposed to get one more week.” Do you know what Death will say to you? He’ll say, “My God! I gave you fifty-two weeks this past year alone. And look at all the other weeks I’ve given you. Why would you need one more? What did you do with all those?” If asked that, what are you going to say? How will you answer?"

Since joining Peace Corps I have started to take my life a lot less for granted. I regularly reflect on the idea that today could be the last day, remember that I probably won’t know when it’s going to happen, and try to live the best I can and not spend too much time on the small stuff.

The end of the scene in “What About Bob?” is fitting. After accepting that they are going to die, Bob and Siggy wake up the entire family by jumping up and down on their beds (they are bunking together that night) while screaming profanities at each other pretending to have tourette syndrome and laughing about how life could be worse. It could be over after all.

Why You Should Consult Your Advisors Often

2010-10-23T23:51:00.008-05:00

"The best effect of fine persons is felt after we have left their presence."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Moving to the other side of the planet probably wouldn't change who your trusted advisors were, I know it hasn't for me. They are the people who have been with us, sometimes since kindergarten, who know who we really are. If you find someone like that, even just one, they are worth holding onto.

Yet, somehow we forget to hold onto them. Now that technology has sped up our lives it's tempting for us to be doing something, anything, ever second. It’s easy to forget what's most important to us. We fight so many little fires during the day - filling up our time with urgent things that aren’t that important - that we put off that letter we wanted to write back to our friend, or that conversation we've been meaning to have.

In Stephen Covey's famous book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he uses a great example. If you have a jar, he says, and two groups of rocks – one group big and one group small – how would you go about filling the jar? If you put the small rocks in first, the big rocks won’t all fit in later. But if you put the big rocks in first, the small rocks will fall all around them and both can fill the jar. The analogy to our lives focuses on priorities – if we put first things first then all of the more urgent things fall into place around the more important things.

I would argue that your advisors, the people who inspire you, encourage you and support you, are big rocks you should always put in your life first. The technology that has sped up our lives has also given us an unique opportunity to contact others in more ways than ever before. Finding the time to Skype together, talk on the phone, meet in person or write letters will pay you back tremendously. You can start today by just making the time for one big rock - one call, one meeting or one letter - and see what a difference it makes.

How to Raise $1000 for Your Cause

2010-10-19T09:22:00.080-05:00

Fundraising can be very difficult and frustrating, but also a very rewarding and necessary activity. Over the past few years I have watched several of my close friends raise thousands of dollars for projects and charities through running marathons, asking for money to help disadvantaged students travel abroad, and even help pay medical costs and save the lives of their friends. After watching them closely, and raising funds for worthy causes myself, I think I have seen some qualities which great fundraisers seem to share.

Being Sincere and Having Integrity

This can't be overstated. Through the life you lead and the places you put your own money, people will watch you much more closely than they listen to you. If you demonstrate your commitment to an idea by putting your heart into it, people will notice. And if you want someone to part with their money, which they have worked hard to earn, they will want sincerity and integrity from you as the fundraiser. I've been humbled by this more than once, when someone doesn't even need to hear the entire explanation behind why I need to raise money for a cause. They just smile, say "I trust you" and give me much more than I was asking for.

Giving Yourself

In a similar way, the great fundraisers I have watched gave a tremendous amount to the projects or charities they were championing. Sometimes this meant money, but more often it meant time and energy. You can demonstrate your commitment to an idea through letters, personal conversations, events and even running, swimming and cycling for miles on end. People are inspired by energetic leaders who don't say, "You first," they say, "Come on, I'll go first."

Openness to Ways People Can Help
Allowing people to help you in more ways than just giving money can be hugely... helpful. A lot of incredible people will be ready to give you their skills, time and energy if you say the right words. Being open when you approach someone and figuring out what they love to do might unlock a door into your work that you couldn't have predicted. Maybe the person you are talking with can help you make a website to promote your cause, or share your charity within a club they love, or take photos for you or get donations from their professional contacts. The list goes on and on. If you show an interest in what they love to do, they will probably return the favor and help you out in surprising ways.

Following Through

This is very personal and can be taken in creative directions, but it revolves around both the cause and the supporters. I've seen people send out monthly updates, thank you notes, certificates, personal letters and individual communication - all which help people feel appreciated. People often give without wanting anything in return, but being thanked and shown how what they did made a difference can be very rewarding. Think about why people would want to give to your cause or ask them why they did, and then try to honor that in some way. It's a nice touch that people appreciate.

When it comes down to it, fundraising is about asking people to share their priorities out in the open. Money, time and energy are resources which demonstrate what we care about and what we feel like are worthwhile causes and experiences. Not everyone agrees on the specifics certainly, but I have found that respecting others, listening to them to understand what matters to them most and trying to find out how we can work together and help each other really goes a long way. I think deep down everyone wants to do good and offer what they can to help. In fact, I am regularly surprised by how much people will give when you ask them if they could.

On Writing A Fulbright Research Grant

2010-10-16T02:26:00.001-05:00

Just today I finished a process which began over a year ago: understanding, designing and submitting a Fulbright research grant. In January I will know if my application made it past the National Screening Committee to the final round, and in April I will know whether I was accepted as a Fulbright Fellow for the 2011-2012 year. However, before all of that I wanted to share a little bit here to catch everyone up to speed.

About Fulbright

The Fulbright Program began, much like the Peace Corps, when a United States Senator decided he wanted to help "bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship." Since 1946, the program started by Senator J. William Fulbright has sent over 300,000 students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists to and from more than 150 countries worldwide. Now the Fulbright Program includes more than a dozen different programs, including the U.S. Student Program for which I applied.

About My Research

With my intended Fulbright research I hope to dive deeper into a field which I have loved for a very long time: meditation. My research is titled Mindfulness Meditation and Health in Mongolia and the primary aim of this research study is to develop a deeper understanding of mindfulness meditation, how it is affecting the Mongolian people and what that means for the future. The findings and resources developed will bring together organizations and community members, encourage dialogue and cooperation, create publications and integrate valuable information for future generations in partnership with national and international health organizations.

About The Process

The Fulbright application for a research grant (in addition to a personal essay and lots of background information) requires a detailed proposal which explains the who, what, when, where, why and how behind the research you plan to do. Here you can view my application, including my personal essay and my grant proposal. Additionally an applicant must have letters of recommendation and letters of affiliation from organizations inside the host country where they wish to conduct research. My proposed affiliation in Mongolia will be with the National University of Education's School of Psychology.

Thank You's

Since I began tracking my activities a year ago, I have had the encouragement, help and support of many incredible people. These included close friends, professors, monks, fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and lots of new friends along the way. Thank you Dale, Annie, Dr. Metz, Tunga, Dr. Weaver, Shaw, Jim, Taylor, Tsoogii, Terendondov, Brian, Chase, Amy, Darren, Mom, Dad, Katie, Dr. Guzman, John, David, Ankhaa, Dr. Barry, Jenn, Dr. Bartlett, Nomin, Dr. Hubbard and Erica. We still have a long way to go, but it's been wonderful so far and I know it will keep getting better. Thank you all so much!

More Information
To learn more about my intended research visit travishellstrom.com/research
And to learn more about the various Fulbright Programs visit wikipedia.org
Also, to received monthly updates on this and other projects visit travishellstrom.com/updates

How The 80/20 Rule May Matter For You

2010-10-12T01:31:00.002-05:00

You might have heard of the 80/20 rule. Also known as the the Pareto Principle, the 80/20 rule has a variety of interpretations and implications throughout business, economics and popular teachings. In general the rule states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.

For instance...

In health care in the United States, it has been found that 20% of patients use 80% of health care resources.
Several criminology studies have found that 80% of crimes are committed by 20% of criminals.
In Microsoft by fixing the top 20% most reported bugs, 80% of the errors and crashes were eliminated.
In his book, Tim Ferriss recommends focusing one's attention on those 20% of things that contribute to 80% of a person's income as well as letting go of those 20% of customers who take up 80% of one's time and cause the most trouble.

In my life I have found an 80/20 situation which you might find you are in sometimes too...

I can get a tremendous amount of work done (80%) in a very short period of time (20%) when I am passionate, focused and free of worry.
However, when I worry, procrastinate and nit-pick at stuff I find myself spending a huge amount of time (80%) on a very small amount of work (20%).
I found this was especially true with the Unofficial Handbook, writing on this blog and working on projects.

The take home lesson for me has been focusing on the passionate 20% time and letting go of the worrisome 80% whether I am writing, working on projects or trying to prioritize my time. If you find yourself worrying, agonizing over the tiniest details, or getting stuck in some random fear, feel free to label it as that 80% and let it go. It's probably not worth it in the long run.

Starting Our Unofficial Community

2010-10-09T12:17:00.003-05:00

The Unofficial Peace Corps Volunteer Handbook has been a long-running project that I began almost four years ago when I was applying to become a Peace Corps Volunteer. It is based on the idea that we (applicants, trainees, volunteers) all go through experiences that are shared around the world and make us part of the Peace Corps community. I kept track of my questions, as well as questions that other people have shared with me, and then wrote down answers to those questions a little bit every month. In August, the Unofficial Handbook was released as a paperback and hardcover book and there are already copies on several continents around the globe!

It took a lot of time and hard work, but it's been very rewarding and especially wonderful to connect with so many volunteers worldwide. We had an incredible team of people come together to share stories, advice and wisdom and we have received wonderful comments and support from dozens of readers. It's really been amazing to be in contact with so many great people all around the world including returned volunteers, experienced volunteers in the field, trainees leaving America, applicants getting their invitations in the mail from Peace Corps, and people just starting their applications. I feel very fortunate and humbled to have access to technology that allows us to share our experiences and reach out to help each other no matter where we are.

This really is only the beginning. We are raising hundreds of dollars for Peace Corps projects, starting great conversations about an incredible organization and sharing wonderful experiences with people all over the world. I look forward to connecting more with incredible people in our Unofficial Peace Corps community for many months to come.

Life Is Barely Long Enough

2010-09-26T07:39:00.001-05:00

This guy has got me laughing out loud! I really like what he said in this short clip.

"Life is short. We don't have that much time. And it's too short to do what we feel that we have to do. It's barely long enough to do what we want to do."

Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar teaches the most popular classes at Harvard, nicknamed Happiness 101, about Positive Psychology including discussions on Mindfulness Meditation which is what I hope to study with a Fulbright Scholarship after Peace Corps. I've still got my fingers crossed on that. To see more of what Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar has to say check out his page on BigThink.

Accelerating Our Lives

2010-09-19T04:35:00.001-05:00

Maybe it's hard for any generation to imagine what it was like to live in generations past. We live better than kings lived hundreds of years ago, but it's just another day for us. We can communicate with hundreds and thousands of people while sitting at home on our couch, we can eat food that has been flown to us from across the world, we can fly across oceans at hundreds of miles per hour or cover distances in a day that used to take months. We live in an amazing time and yet some people are still looking ahead of where we are to see where we could be.

I admire Chris Anderson and his work with the TED community, a worldwide conference-based group of incredible individuals living amazing lives. In his recent TEDTalk he spoke about crowd accelerated innovation and the idea that the internet, especially now with streaming video, is pushing humanity forward so that we now compete, learn, and share ideas at a world-class level. Before speakers were limited to small groups or, with select media, maybe hundreds of thousands of people. Now "millions of hits" on a video or website happens overnight and anyone, absolutely anyone, can be heard, watched and shared by millions of people. I know this technology has changed the way I look at Peace Corps (with this blog being a perfect example), and I believe it offers all of us an incredible chance to accelerate and innovate our own lives for the better.

What do you think? What inspires you to live a better life and create the world as it should be?

New Life In The City

2010-09-13T06:39:00.000-05:00

Our new apartment has really been a blessing for Tunga and I, a wonderfully large place with room for many people to sit, talk, rest, eat and play together. It has a large living room, kitchen, separated shower and bathroom and large bedroom with a wonderfully large bed. I've never had anything larger than a twin sized bed, from childhood all the way through college, so it's pretty crazy to be able to roll around and not roll off the bed.

Tunga and I spent a lot of time our first few days cleaning, rearranging things and organizing the new place how we would like it the most. Now we spend most of our time just living and relaxing, which has been really nice. I can sit in the living room writing on the computer while Tunga and her friends enjoy a nice snack around the kitchen and a Peace Corps friend takes a hot shower. This is quite a change from our relaxed countryside life in Sukhbaatar but so far it's been really wonderful and fun to experience together.

The past three weeks have been full of Peace Corps training events for our first and second year Volunteers. I was able to participate in sessions that closed Pre-Service Training for our newest Volunteers before they swore in and left for their 70+ new homes all around Mongolia, as well as help lead Mid-Service Training for our wise group of 50+ Volunteers who have just finished up their first year. It was really great to see so many new people and get to know them over the course of these few weeks. As PCVL, I will have a chance to work with them all year which I think will be a blast.

Now that all our Peace Corps trainings are over for a few months, we have started to relax a little more in the headquarters office this past week. We have a lot of work to do, but it's all great work supporting Volunteers and thinking of ways to improve our country. The capital is a huge place, very different than what my last two years have been like, but I'm excited to explore the incredible opportunities being here offers me. I'm very humbled by being PCVL and I feel very fortunate to serve all of our volunteers, staff and host country friends this year.

The Before and The After

2010-09-08T08:02:00.001-05:00

It feels like Peace Corps moves faster than anything in my life has ever moved. When I sit down with my Peace Corps friends and talk about arriving in Mongolia two years ago or when I think about how much has happened since I first opened that invitation packet, I become more and more confident in telling current Volunteers that it will fly by. Maybe because it has been fun, new, exciting, unbelievable and confusing or maybe because it's been unlike anything else I have ever experienced in my life... two years in Peace Corps goes by amazingly fast.

I had a wonderful dinner tonight with great friends, the first Volunteers I met and shook hands with more than 30 months ago as we flew across the ocean together to serve in Mongolia. As Judy, a wonderful Peace Corps Volunteer who I admire greatly, said tonight, "Sometimes it feels like it was yesterday and sometimes it feels like it was an eternity ago." I couldn't agree more. As I looked into the eyes of my fellow Volunteers, my friends, it's almost as if I could see both people - the before and the after. I can feel that in myself. I am the same as I was and I'm different. I'm still naive and crazy, even though I do know better now in many cases. I still eat crazy foods and don't exercise as often as I should, even though I weigh 60 pounds less than I did before Peace Corps. And I still have the same unreasonable idealism, even though I have seen more difficulties and inequities now than ever.

Maybe it feels like yesterday and an eternity ago because, at some level, there is a part of us that is still experiencing every moment as if it is the first time. Almost as if the soul doesn't experience time at all. And if there is anything that I can say about the Peace Corps Volunteers I saw tonight, and all the ones I admire, they have a lot of soul.

Micro-Financing Redemption

2010-08-19T01:58:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a lot about microfinance over the last few months - what it is, what it isn't, how it works and so on. Thanks to Judy Gates I recently read this great speech on microfinance which goes really well with a great article Kara Estep shared with me on the new face of microfinance. There is a lot happening and, especially in our work here with the Sukhbaatar Social Business Community Fund, there is a lot we have to remember as we move forward.

Here is a quote from the end of the speech, a quote from George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman:

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, the being a force of nature, instead of a selfish, feverish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me, it is a sort of splendid torch which I've got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

They'll Call Me Freedom

2010-08-16T23:49:00.000-05:00

Most people know that Wavin' Flag by K'Naan, in its multiple versions around the globe, has experienced a tremendous amount of success and popularity worldwide. However here are some things about the song you might not know...

They'll Call Me Freedom ¹

When K'naan was 11 years old he and three of this friends were attacked and fired on by gunmen in Mogadishu, Somalia. His friends were all killed, but he survived. The chorus of the song, "When I get older / I will be stronger / They'll call me freedom / Just like a waving flag" is his response to this experience.

K'naan says, "At some point it becomes a song...it was hard to look back on that experience, but then you write it and you make it a melody and all you have left is a beautiful melody and it's a song now....I have redrawn my whole life that way."

As Somalia looks to its future I hope K'naan provides encouragement to his people, "As someone who is from Somalia, and has a strong community at home, I have more affinity to my people than to my career," he says, "Music opened an eye or two...to my own life, written as a country disguised as a person. If you pay attention to how I write, what I write, it's almost as if I'm writing about a collective experience, rather that just my personal life... trying to make sense of our identity. A lot of my songs are still weighty, but they don't stay there, they don't stay in anger, they don't linger in sadness, they address it and kind of fall into the light... That's the sentiment that people care about."

And We All Will Be Singing It ²

With over 3 billion people watching the World Cup, the song played before and after every game, and two ads running throughout the tournament in 160 nations, Wavin' Flag is playing everywhere. There are now more than 20 duet-versions of the song including Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, French, Greek, Japanese, Nigerian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai, Haitian, Arabic and Mongolian. I've included the Mongolian version here if you want to check it out and here is a good playlist if you want to hear other languages. I hope you all have enjoyed the song as much as I have.

JRC Sports for Peace

2010-08-12T23:02:00.000-05:00

JRC Sports for Peace, a non-profit charity founded by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers from Mongolia in honor of James Robert Campbell, has been an inspiration to us here in Mongolia over the past two years. They have helped with great projects including...

Center for Disabled Children in Bayankhongor, Mongolia
English Resource Center in Khovsgul, Mongolia
Basketball Program in Hovd. Mongolia
Scholarship Program for Students and
Sports Complex in Suhkbaatar Aimag

It is currently being led by Mike Prelaske who is a great former Volunteer and a great friend. Thanks for all of your hard work Mike, you are doing great things and we really appreciate it!

Shipping Out

2010-08-09T04:19:00.001-05:00

Two very exciting things are shipping out this week: the first orders of the Unofficial Peace Corps Volunteer Handbook and... me. We just launched the online ordering system for my first published book and several copies are already shipping around the country and even around world - one new Volunteer named April just left for her Peace Corps assignment on Saturday and had her handbook shipped all the way to Africa to meet her when she arrives. So cool!!

I myself will be shipping out on Thursday, leaving my comfy apartment here in the eastern steppe for a deluxe apartment in the blue Ulaanbaatar sky. In the capital I will be serving as Peace Corps Volunteer Leader (PCVL) this upcoming year as well as working closely with the World Health Organization. I'm very excited and I will be sure to share more information soon. It will take me a week or two to set up internet in my new place, but once I'm all settled in I'll be sure to post some pictures, answer my emails and Skype like a madman!

Oh, also, if you order the Unofficial Handbook, please let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas! Thanks!

Helping Aiman

2010-08-05T22:25:00.000-05:00

This update comes from Matt Becker, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Mongolia, who has been working very hard to help his friend Agii whose sister Aiman is having a very difficult time....

As of today, we raised $1,030 dollars, which I just transferred to Travis Hellstrom. As soon as Travis is able to withdraw the funds, he should be able to start transferring them to Agii's bank account. Hopefully, this money will help out at least a bit, allowing Agii to not go bankrupt and/or sell everything in order to pay for his sister's medical care. I sent Agii an email a few days ago but haven't heard a response to I may try and call him soon. I heard through Scott Burt (my friend and former site mate), who is a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bayan Olgii and works with Agii, that Aiman and their older sister had made it to Almaty, Kazakhstan, that she had to undergo a lot more evaluations, she will have the operation soon and that doctors seem optimistic. As soon as I hear back from either Scott or Agii, I'll post another update. I just wanted to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone that made a donation. Thank you to Jordan, Cathy, Eric and fam, Ryan, Sean, my mom, Nik, Andy and Debbie, Melissa, and my dad and stepmom. Also, a big thank you to Travis Hellstrom for being my 'man on the ground' in Mongolia, for being an awesome help and friend. Hope I didn't forget anyone! Thank you so much for your generosity and for recognizing that this is very important to me in so many ways.

Concerned Consumers

2010-08-05T20:47:00.000-05:00

Something I have learned in Peace Corps, and had reinforced during many conversations with my family and close friends back in America, is that we have a huge impact as consumers. Beyond anything we could imagine. Action expresses priorities; purchases express priorities. Whether you buy from this store or that store, this brand or that brand, you are telling an organization that you support what they do - paying workers 10 cents an hour, paying executives 10 million a year, raising animals humanely or inhumanely, respecting or destroying the earth.

In my opinion one of the best things we can do to change our world is be informed and make wise decisions which express our priorities. Whether it’s by watching documentaries like The Corporation, Capitalism: A Love Story or Food, Inc. (all of which I highly recommend) or asking hard questions and searching for the answers, it has never been easier or more important to be a concerned consumer. Especially in America, where we hold a huge percent of the world’s wealth, we have a tremendous opportunity to make a difference every day.

Keep Moving Forward

2010-08-02T08:06:00.000-05:00

I am absolutely fascinated by people who do extraordinary things. People like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mahatma Gandhi, Brian Johnson, Muhammad Yunus, Walt Disney, and the list goes on and on. They are people with vision and they inspire me to create, imagine and to see what is possible.

With people like this leading the way, isn't it exciting to think about how our future may look? In the Disney movie Meet the Robinsons, which I saw a long time ago with my brother Eli and my sister Anna at the $1.50 theater, the future is incredible and amazing - something children can easily imagine.

I think that's why I love watching children's movies so much, they aren't used to the world the same way adults are. Children see how full of wonder the world really is and how wonderful things can become. I appreciate people that continue to inspire the children in our world and the children inside each of us.

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things because we're curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney

New Address

2010-07-29T19:05:00.000-05:00

Along with my exciting move next month comes a new address. If there is anything you would like to send to me here in Mongolia, like the occasionally postcard, birthday card or jar of peanut butter, here it is:

Travis Hellstrom (PCV)
Peace Corps Mongolia
Central Post Office
P.O. Box 1036
Ulaanbaatar 15160, Mongolia

Oh and just kidding about the peanut butter, I have plenty of that.

Dariganga Village Water Project

2010-07-26T19:41:00.007-05:00

After seeing several effective projects organized by my Peace Corps friends Esayas, Kara and Lindsay through Water Charity, I thought I'd give it a shot too. The Dariganga Village Water Filter Project's aim is to provide clean drinking water for hundreds of children at the provincial summer camp where I have worked for two years. I'm very excited to be taking part in this project and it's really been a pleasure working with Water Charity. It took less than a week from submitting the application to receive the money here in Mongolia, which is absolutely astounding. I highly recommend working with them if you are a Peace Corps Volunteer anywhere in the world. You can read more about the project at AdvanceHumanity.com, but I've also included some details below...

Community Description
Dariganga Village is a small community of 2,800 people and is home to one of the most sacred mountains in Mongolia (Altan Ovoo) as well as the only summer camp in the province. This summer there will be over 500 children attending summer camp over a period of two months. There is not a safe water supply at the camp. Currently, children and counselors are forced to purchase bottled water, which must be brought in during camp sessions. This is costly, not environmentally friendly, and not an effective use of resources.

Project Description

Project funds will be used to purchase a water filtration system to make current well water safe and drinkable for the children at the summer camp. This filtration system will use the newly acquired electricity which arrived at the summer camp this year and allow children, counselors and camp staff to drink water at the camp at any time. The community decided to use individual filters, which are available in the provincial capital city, and are well known and widely used throughout the country. These use electricity to boil the water, which is then filtered and rendered safe to drink. Filters, pitchers and 5-gallon water containers will be purchased for each room in two large dormitories.

Project Impact
The water filtration system will supply these 500 children, and over the years thousands more, with safe drinking water.

To learn more visit AdvanceHumanity.com or WaterCharity.org!

Living A Life of Service

2010-07-22T03:28:00.000-05:00

I recently had the privilege of talking with Shannon Ryals from my alma mater Campbell University. She is Assistant Editor at Campbell Magazine and wrote a beautiful piece in the magazine highlighting Peace Corps here in Mongolia. I really hope it inspires others at Campbell to consider this amazing opportunity that our country offers us. It's really changed my life and I hope it changes many more for years to come.

Thank you Shannon for a great conversation and for writing such a nice piece.

Naadam

2010-07-17T22:29:00.000-05:00

I just experienced my third Naadam celebration this past weekend, this time with just Tunga and her family which was a nice change of pace. It was very relaxing and tons of fun to spend time together. We watched horse races (with children wearing helmets thanks to Alex's hard work), national wrestling, archery and thousands of people from the community getting together to celebrate, wear traditional clothes, eat their favorite foods, and have a wonderful time.

Naadam festival is an annual summer celebration in Mongolia which is like March Madness, the Super Bowl, and the World Series wrapped into one big celebration every year. It features wrestling, horse racing, archery and ankle-bones, with some basketball and volleyball thrown in there for fun. My first summer with my host family was great. They introduced me out to all the festivities, filled with Coca Cola, meat pastries called huushuur and even a little ice cream or two. We sat in the stands to watch wrestling, stood beside the archers as they shot their arrows and talked with our family and friends while all the horses raced around the countryside. Once the official events had passed, we went to our uncle’s house and ate an entire goat during what was pretty much a family reunion. Every part of the goat was eaten...every part. I mostly hung out with the little kids and played games, while avoiding the popular intestines as long as I could. If you can imagine what intestines filled with fried blood would taste like...it tasted worse than you think, I promise. Two years later, I'm still playing with kids and avoiding the intestines...

Here are some long lost videos from my first year in case you want to check them out!

Helping Azgarig

2010-07-15T12:14:00.003-05:00

Esayas Wureta served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia from 2008 until 2010 where he worked in Ovurkhangai as a Community Youth Development Volunteer. During his service one of his friends and students named Azgarig became paralyzed during an accident and Esayas has been raising money to help him receive treatment abroad. Here is more from Esayas...

Azgarig Oyunbola is a nineteen year old male living in Arvikheer town in Ovurkhangai province Mongolia. He was my student until he graduated high school in 2009 and began studying medicine in UB at ACH School of Medicine. A few months into his study he became a paraplegic. Azgarig Oyunbola has lost feeling in his myelophafy from G7 till Th2. After various doctor appointments, the doctors informed him that he can not receive treatments in Mongolia and would have to seek treatments in Inner Mongolia, China. He received his first consultation in July of 2010 and has shown significant signs of improvement. Unfortunately the treatments cost thousands of dollars and he still has four more treatment sessions to go, but the funding is lacking. We are taking donations to support his treatments. We would greatly appreciate any contribution. Also if you are a doctor and can assist this young man in his treatments feel free to contact us. To make a donation or learn more, please visit AdvanceHumanity.com anytime. Thank you.

Summer Camp

2010-07-13T12:25:00.000-05:00

This year's summer camp was amazing, crazy, rewarding and exhausting. We did a tremendous amount of work in preparation for the camp this year, but after last year's camp I really was only prepared for ten days of craziness. Instead I would end up staying for twenty, which felt something like training for running a mile and then trying to run two miles. We (all of us Peace Corps Volunteers, Mongolian English teachers and friends) did a great job I think, but it was truly exhausting.

Since it was an English language summer camp we had language classes in the mornings (two 1.5 hour classes), followed by swimming, 1.5 hours of life skills, 1.5 hours of speaking and then evening activities like scavenger hunts, capture the flag, dances and other crazy things. Our first ten-day camp had over 90 children and 10 teachers, while the second camp had over 130 children and 10 teachers. We also had assistant teachers who helped a lot, but considering last year's camp only had 60 kids this was quite a step up.

We had a tremendous amount of Peace Corps support for our camps thanks to Alex, Elaine, Todd, Claire, Terrence and Lindsay. Everyone did an amazing job and it was a lot of fun to be together, especially considering it was our last big project/activity together before Alex and Elaine finished their Peace Corps service and went back to America (they left the week of July 12th). I loved being with everyone, my fellow Volunteers, our Mongolian friends (Nema, Tunga, Enebish, Aldermaa, Khisgee, Tumbee, Sege, Tuvshee, Anuka, and Bocha) and especially all the amazing kids. Thank you all for making it so enjoyable, you all are so great. We will miss you like crazy Elaine and Alex!!!!

To see more pictures from camp, visit Facebook and Google Photos.

Helping Aiman

2010-07-11T11:10:00.002-05:00

This is a guest post by Matt Becker
Peace Corps Volunteer in Community Youth Development
Bayan Olgii, Mongolia (2008-2010)

Matt, a good friend and fellow Peace Corps Volunteer here in Mongolia, has a very important project which I would like to share. His closest friend in Mongolia (Agii) has a sister named Aiman who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. Matt is raising money and awareness to help Aiman, if there is anything you can do (including sharing any medical expertise you may have in this area), please contact Matt anytime. Here is a little bit more from Matt, who was willing to take some time to share his thoughts with us.

Can you tell a little about yourself and how you know Agii and Aiman?

My name is Matthew Becker, I'm 28 years old, from Colorado and currently working in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as a teacher. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia from June 2008 to April 2010 and I worked in Olgii, which is in the western Kazakh region of Mongolia. Agii is an English teacher who I befriended in early 2009. Agii is a very intelligent, hard working and charismatic guy and he's very interested in doing the best for Olgii and Mongolia. Needless to say, we became good friends very quickly and began working on education and youth development projects. From early 2009 until I left in 2010, we worked together often and I spent some holidays at his family's home.

Could you tell us about Aiman's situation?

Aiman is Agii's younger sister who is 27 years old and also lived in Olgii. I met her briefly a few times when visiting Agii's family. I have remained in contact with Agii over email and we have many mutual friends in Olgii. In June he let me know that Aiman, who was pregnant, went to the doctors in Olgii and they said due to complications, they would have to send her to the capital Ulaanbaatar (UB) to give birth. During examinations in UB it was discovered that she had a brain tumor. They did an operation to remove her baby early and the baby is now in good health but because of the size and location of the tumor, Mongolian doctors recommended she go to Germany for the operation. They warned that in Mongolia, there was a 50 percent risk that she wouldn't make it through the surgery and if she did, half of her body might be paralyzed. Agii expressed to me that living in Mongolian conditions has not prepared him for something like this and that he is willing to sell his home, his jeep, his business, anything he can to help his sister.

Once I received the email from Agii, I sent out emails to friends and family - many of whom donated money, books and school supplies to projects I worked on in Olgii - to see if anyone would be interested in donating money to help Agii, Aiman and their family. I received emails and messages back from a few people interested in donating and so far we've raised $450. The more money we raise the better. If anything, maybe we can raise some to help with the operation, but even money for travel to a place like Germany or Korea would increase their chances of finding doctors willing to perform the operation. Agii has called hospitals and doctors in Korea and Thailand, and is waiting to hear back from hospitals in Beijing and India. He has asked me for any information on hospitals or doctors willing to help. Unfortunately I don't know any doctors but I'm hoping that someone who sees this might be able to point us in the right direction.

How can we help?

If you would like to donate money to help Aiman, we are collecting donations through PayPal. Once we receive the money, we will withdraw it and deposit it into Agii's account in Mongolia.
If you would like to share your medical expertise with us, that would be extremely helpful and generous. We have included a more detailed description of Aiman's medical condition here.

To learn more or to contact us directly, please:

Exciting Move

2010-07-08T00:01:00.001-05:00

I suppose one of the biggest challenges right now, for many Volunteers including myself, is transitioning through the end of our service. I will be extending for a third year as PCVL, but since I will not be at site in many ways this feels like leaving my home and starting all over again. I'm sure it will go well, but it's always a little uncertain when you start something new and you're not sure what to expect.

I look forward to next year, to helping the new and current Volunteers, in helping everyone improve our Peace Corps post, in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps and the 20th anniversary of Peace Corps Mongolia and I also look forward to starting work with the World Health Organization and other great organizations in UB. It will be a certain change of pace for me (moving from the slower and easier pace of living in the countryside), but I think it can also be really enjoyable to be in the city with people who I love being around and to be engaged in work that is definitely worth doing. It's exciting and challenging at the same time.

Water Charity

2010-07-05T21:37:00.046-05:00

This is a guest post by Kara Estep

Peace Corps Volunteer in Community Youth Development

Tsetserleg, Arkhangai (Mongolia)

Kara, who we mentioned last month with her Mongolian Helmet Project, is also working to provide better facilities for children at her local summer camp. Here is a little bit more about her project.

Could you tell us a little bit about your project?

The big project that I've spent a lot of time helping my counterparts with is helping get our new summer camp ready. Last year my agency acquired some camp facilities that had been out of use for about five years. Before that they had been privately owned. Unfortunately, over these five years of not being used the facilities became quite dilapidated. In addition to figuring out how to repair the buildings and grounds, my agency needed to learn how to run a summer camp, as they hadn't previously done so. I spent much of the spring working with them on grant proposals. In addition, my coworkers and I also attended trainings about how to run a summer camp.

This specific project that I received funding from Water Charity for was for the building of four new outhouses (latrines). The old latrines were one of the things that had been left in very poor condition. It's not a very glamorous project but it's obviously something very necessary for the health of the children. Fortunately, I found Water Charity, an organization structured to help with projects just like this one.

How did you hear about Water Charity?

Actually, Water Charity found me. Somehow they found the blog that my husband and I write and they posted a comment on one of our posts telling us about their organization. I think they're fairly new so they're trying to get the word out to Peace Corps Volunteers. They're set up just for PCVs because they recognize that sometimes there are small community projects that need funding quickly. The funding limit is $500. The turn-around time from submitting a short application (only a few paragraphs) to getting funded is about a week. Water Charity gives PCVs the funding before they've even secured the funding themselves. After funding the PCV they post the project on their website and try to secure funding for it.

Thanks Kara!

To learn more and help out with Kara's project, please visit her page at WaterCharity.org.
Also if you are a Peace Corps Volunteer and want to create your own project, learn more here.

District 9

2010-07-01T11:19:00.001-05:00

District 9 was incredible, amazing. I knew very little about it before seeing it, which is my favorite way to watch fantastic movies. I knew that it involved aliens coming to Earth above South Africa and living like refugees. In case you haven't seen it, I won't tell anymore than that since that's all I wanted to know.

It's a brilliantly written, acted and directed film which touches on everything that makes us human and inhuman. It has my highest recommendation and I really appreciate all the things it has given me to think about, even though that has also made it hard for me to sleep that night...

Secondhand Lions

2010-06-28T05:08:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to watch this film for a while and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I especially appreciated the speech that Uncle Hub gives during the movie - a small part of his speech on how to be a man...

Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in.

Now if I could just hear the rest of that speech...

Freedom to Choose

2010-06-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

Freedom. That was the one word which described why Tunga's father thought democracy was a good thing for Mongolia, even though it required a very painful transition process including hundreds of thousands of people living in unemployment for decades. It's easy for me to forget that freedom is something that not everyone in the world enjoys, not something that every citizen is born having.

"A New Place" in Mongolian Script

Throughout the community fund experience, it has become apparent again and again that Mongolia's future is in the hands of its everyday citizens. As Americans, we are here as friends and advisors, but we are not the visionaries, the deciders or the ones who will choose what Mongolia will do with that future.

One of the best things I have done, as a friend and as a Volunteer in my community, is listen. I listen to my friends and colleagues about their past, their future, their hopes and their dreams. After hours and hours of listening, one of the questions I was recently asked and really took me off my feet was, "What do you think we should do?" They - their family, their community, their country. I told them I thought we should try our best, together, each of us, to make this country what they dream it can and should be. It starts today, goes until tomorrow and never ends. Every day we have a choice to live in the world we have and create the world that we want. The world as it is and the world as it should be. Together we can get there and we are getting closer every day.

Buddhism in Mongolia

2010-06-21T21:30:00.002-05:00

This post was written by Travis for the Mongolia Travel Guide

which is currently being written by Leslie, Nathan and friends

For many of us in the western world, we have watched our religious traditions grow unimpeded for the last few centuries. Especially in America, our history of freedom of religion goes back to our very founding documents and our first years as a new nation. Although Chinggis Khaan was one of the first world leaders to encourage religious tolerance, his homeland of Mongolia has seen many changes in its religious landscape over the last century.

By all accounts in the early 1930’s Mongolia was estimated to have over 800 Buddhist monastery centers, more than 3,000 temples and at least 100,000 monks and lamas (teachers) across the country. By 1990, only 1 monastery remained standing and only a small community of 100 monks was allowed to practice Buddhism in Mongolia. With the fall of communism that year, the long period of communist control on religious practice ended and Mongolia’s modern spiritual history started being written. This recent rebirth of spiritual and religious traditions in Mongolia, following the establishment of a democratic form of government, has offered a unique opportunity for visitors in Mongolia to watch a culture in transformation. Dozens of monasteries have been rebuild, the number of monks and lamas continues to rise and a national identity and pride in religious traditions is taking hold as more and more people openly discuss, join together and share in their daily and yearly practices.

There are several “auspicious” or special days every month and a few very special days every year which are recognized throughout the entire country based on the ancient Tibetan calendar, which you can find tucked away in almost every home in Mongolia. These days are favorites for wedding celebrations, trips to the local monastery and candle lighting ceremonies in large squares around the country in cities large and small. Mongolian people are very open to sharing information with you about these events and allowing you to be as involved as you want. Since the dates change all the time, if you want to learn more ask a Mongolian friend or travel agency about upcoming events and how you can be involved. These are a great opportunity to engage in a deep and proud tradition that many hold very dear to their hearts.

In addition to these special days and ceremonies, there are also other opportunities to learn more about Mongolian spiritual traditions year round. Especially in Mongolian homes, and in particular throughout the countryside (outside the capital city of Ulaanbaatar), most families mix together long-held shamanistic traditions - which were still allowed to be practiced during the communist period - together with Tibetan Buddhist traditions. These may involve a morning ritual of stepping outside to toss spoonfuls of fresh milk to the sky, spinning of small prayer wheels on family altars upon entering home for the first time, or lighting small candles on special days during the month and year. Some of these traditions have been practiced within families for dozens of generations and again, if you have the chance or wish to learn more, Mongolian people are very excited to share their thoughts and traditions with you if you are kind enough to ask about them.

Lastly, especially in the last decade, several famous monasteries and sacred sites within Mongolia have either been renovated or completely rebuild. Whether you are passing through the capital city, the Gobi Desert, the eastern steppe, or the central north, visiting these special sites offers a wonderful view into the re-emerging spiritual landscape of Mongolia during this very exciting time in their history.

By visiting, listening, and learning about Mongolian spiritual traditions you have a chance to do more than just observe Mongolia’s spiritual rebirth and transformation – you are participating in it. It's not just a story of the past; it's a story that's being written. It's a story that you can be part of.

Interesting Fact

The title of Dalai Lama can be traced back to roots in the Mongolian language with Dalai meaning “ocean.” Altan Khan, meeting Sonam Gyatso (the 3rd Dalai Lama) for the first time in 1578, addressed him as Dalai Lama since Gyatso means “ocean” in Tibetan. As the history of Tibet and Mongolia continued to intertwine, the name stuck. The famous Tibetan spiritual leader and 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner Tenzin Gyatso is currently the 14th Dalai Lama.

Children's Camp

2010-06-16T10:15:00.000-05:00

This week we head out to our first summer camp session in Dariganga Village for the year, and for some Volunteers this will be their last. Alex Yang and Elaine Law, my wonderful fellow Volunteers who I have lived with these past two years, are finishing up their Peace Corps service after camp and heading back to America in July. I will miss them like crazy, but it will be a lot of fun to spend the next ten fun days together at camp with over 100 crazy kids!

After months of planning, writing and organizing we will have almost four times as many children at camp this year as we did last year. In 2009 we had 60 kids in one 10-day session, this summer we have 110 kids in our first 10-day session and 120 kids in our second. We are expanding in every way, with counselors, PCVs, fun games and stuff for the kids, and much more. This has required a lot of hard work and included:

Receiving a $1000 grant to improve curriculum (including HIV/AIDS and life skills lessons), provide scholarships for disadvantaged children and expand helpful community programs
Receiving a $500 grant to improve water quality for the children at summer camp and
Developing a 37-page Summer Camp Toolkit to help PCVs and counselors improve summer camp programming all across Mongolia

The focus of everything is the children - what is best for them and what will help them enjoy an incredible camp experience. I'm very proud and excited to see so many more children able and ready to attend camp this year in Sukhbaatar. When I return in twenty days I will be sure to put up tons of pictures like last year, I know it will be an exhausting and amazing time for all of us!

Greatest Mongolia Travel Guide Ever!

2010-06-14T07:14:00.002-05:00

This is a guest post by Nathan Chamberlain

Peace Corps Volunteer in Community Economic Development

Bayankhongor, Mongolia

Leslie and Nathan, a married Peace Corps Volunteer couple, are two of the most incredible people I have ever met. After years of discussion between all of us as friends, they decided to make a difference in the travel world by creating a guide to Mongolia written by Peace Corps Volunteers. It will be the first of its kind and I couldn't be more excited about it. I think it's unbelievably awesome and I am so proud of them. Nathan was kind enough to sit down with me and answer a few questions about the upcoming Mongolia Travel Guide which is scheduled to be released in early 2011.

You are writing a travel guide to Mongolia, can you tell us a little bit about that?

We're writing a travel guide because we wanted to offer a different perspective for tourists bound for Mongolia. We have the unique opportunity to share Mongolia as we and our fellow Peace Corps Volunteers experience it – from the inside. Some of us have lived in these communities for up to 4 years. We have Mongolian friends, including host families we each lived with for three months, we speak Mongolian, we live in rural areas, and we’ve enjoyed traveling in our host country.

We've been talking about the need for this kind of book, from this perspective, since we got here in 2008. Unfortunately, the most popular guide book about Mongolia characterizes some places so negatively and so disparagingly we felt Mongolia and Mongolians deserved something better. We noticed immediately the disparity between the characterizations offered in that book compared to the realities on the ground, and we wanted to provide something that more reflected what we saw.

How did you hear about Other Places Publishing, how are they unique?

After chatting about how interesting it would be for Peace Corps Volunteers to write about Mongolia, Travis found Other Places Publishing. He emailed the publisher with a general inquiry, and after an invitation to submit writing samples and an outline, Travis asked Leslie and I if we would be interested.

Obviously, we were interested in being a part of showing off Mongolia to travelers, but we knew we couldn’t do it alone. We contacted fellow Volunteers Andrew Cullen and Ashlee Christian, who are both photographers and writers. Once they joined, we knew we had a solid team with great experience and the ability to deliver a quality book. Our target audience is budget conscious travelers who want a more cultural experience, i.e. not sitting around at a resort. These usually include younger, adventurous backpackers and flashpackers who want a different kind of travel experience and have the time to do it.

What has been something particularly enjoyable about writing this book?

We have had a good time digging deeper into some areas of culture that we only had a surface understanding of before the research and writing began. We have also had the chance to meet a lot of wonderful folks who are working hard to develop Mongolian travel infrastructure despite limited resources and a slow-moving mechanism.

Anything we, your future readers, can do to help out or just wait in anxious anticipation?

You will hopefully find our book online in April of 2011. Until then, if you plan on traveling to a developing country that might have Peace Corps Volunteers, check out one of Other Places Publishing’s other books available through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Baker & Taylor, and Indie Bound.

Thanks again for taking the time to answer these questions for us Nathan!
If you want to learn more, please visit Leslie and Nathan's website and AdvanceHumanity.com.

Sophie's World

2010-06-10T20:18:00.007-05:00

I just finished reading a great novel that I couldn't put down for several hours yesterday, which is saying something coming from a guy who only reads fiction as often as he watches television. In fact, I walked around doing laundry and chores while reading it which surprised even me. Maybe it's because the novel mixed philosophy (which I love), the whole of human history and an ingenuous turn of events that made me speed through the book. It really is, as The Washington Post said, "a whimsical and ingenious mystery novel that also happens to be a history of philosophy."

If you're even a little interested in philosophy or any of the big questions like, "Who am I?", "Where did we come from?", "Where are we going?", "Is there a God?" and "What's the point of life?" than you will probably love Sophie's World. It has renewed my interest in both fiction literature and philosophy as a whole. I must admit that I was one of the many people who Goethe warned about when he said, "He who cannot drawn on three thousand years is living from hand to mouth." Thanks Jostein and Todd, for helping me draw on quite a bit more than I did before.

Starting a Community Fund

2010-06-07T23:56:00.004-05:00

A recent project that has been very exciting is the Sukhbaatar Social Business Community Fund, which is a cross-sector project spanning between Health and Community Economic Development.

It was envisioned after several conversations with my local friends and colleagues, and quite a bit of personal research on the idea of social business, which demonstrated that many small businesses in our community only need a little bit of money to get started and make huge changes in the fabric of everyone's lives. Together with our friends at the Mercy Corps office, including Peace Corps CED Volunteer Alex Lyddon, our team embarked on designing, planning and fundraising for several community businesses which will serve as the core of this social business community fund movement. These businesses will pay back the money they have borrowed, without interest, and that money will be made available through the community fund to support other small social businesses. This will not only offer economic opportunities for families to pull themselves out of poverty, but also offer very real social improvements to the community through addressing challenges in the areas of education, nutrition, exercise and healthy community engagement.

After months of preparation, the community stores are now being built. It is an exciting time not only for us as advisors and Volunteers, but most of all for our community friends who own the project. They are deciding their own future, developing their own solutions to problems and becoming the change they know their community needs.

To learn more please visit AdvanceHumanity.com and Facebook.

The Two Year Mark

2010-06-03T21:02:00.010-05:00

Our Close of Service Photo by Richard Sitler (also tagged on Facebook)

Passing the two year mark often inspires a tremendous amount of reflection on the part of us the Volunteers, as well as our staff and friends who watched us get off the plane what seems like yesterday. We have all changed so much, grown in ways we could have never imagined, met people we would later marry, followed interests that would turn into passions, and taken steps that would lead us down a path we could have never mapped out. Not just a few of us, but dozens of us. Maybe all of us.

I love what this experience has helped me learn, who it has helped me become, and how it has helped me grow. I have found in Peace Corps that people will want to love you, to bring you into their world and make you a part of it. Instead of retreating from that and holding onto old views of right and wrong, good and bad, success and happiness, I appreciate what has happened as I've let go. As I've let loose of my grip and fallen from where I was, I feel like where I stand now is maybe somewhere a little more down to earth.

Peace Corps, for me, represents as much a way of life as it does an experience in my life. To ask what Peace Corps has meant to me is to ask who I am and who I have become. I feel like my world has expanded, I can see further and wider than I ever have before and somehow that makes me feel lost and found at the same time. Maybe I lost who I was and found who I am.

Mongolian Helmet Project

2010-05-31T20:13:00.000-05:00

This is a guest post by Kara Estep

Peace Corps Volunteer in Community Youth Development Tsetserleg, Arkhangai (Mongolia)

Hello! My name is Kara Estep and I am a Peace Corps Volunteer currently serving in Mongolia organizing a project to collect helmets for child jockeys to wear in Mongolian horse races. I was inspired by fellow Volunteer Alex Yang's helmet project in Sukhbaatar province and decided to replicate it here in the Arkhangai province where I live. AND one of my Mongolian colleagues actually brought up the idea without me even having mentioned it. How cool is that? Right now we have collected 89 helmets for this summer, but we still need a few more! Here I'd like to tell you a little bit about our project and how you can help...

What is the Mongolian Helmet Project?

Since long before the time of Genghis Khan horse riding has been a popular tradition amongst Mongolians. Even today horse riding remains an important part of their cultural heritage. In addition to the everyday use of horses by Mongolians, more formal horse races take place throughout the year. Some of the most dangerous races are during the winter when sub-zero temperatures create dangerous racing conditions. However, the biggest competitions occur every July at the Naadam Festivals taking place all over Mongolia. Every year more than 30,000 child jockeys ranging from the ages of 4 to 10 years old participate in 12 to 28 kilometer races. Unfortunately, on average, about 5% of these children fall off of their horses. Due to the lack of financial resources, lack of knowledge, and indifference, many of the children embark on these races without proper protective gear like helmets and pads, and sometimes even without shoes or saddles. As a result, every year many children suffer from severe lifelong injuries, and for some of the most unfortunate, death. Though measures have been taken on a legislative level, laws to provide the children with protective gear are rarely being enforced, especially in places outside of the capital city of Ulaanbaatar.

How You Can Help

Donate a new helmet.
Donate a used helmet.
Donate other protective riding gear.
Hang up a flyer at your local equestrian goods store.
Share this project with you local 4-H clubs and riding clubs.
Share this project with your friends and family.

Together we can help these children continue to participate in this century-old tradition without having to risk serious injuries or their life. Thank you for your time and consideration, I look forward to hearing from you! Thank you!

To contact Kara or for more information please visit: