On my 30th birthday, I went to work (similar to what I’ve done for years). I silently went through the work day without telling anyone in the office that it was in fact my birthday. Why? Because that day, I was giving to others and it wasn’t about me. In effort to get back to what really set my heart aflame in work, I decided to volunteer my time to Aids Project Los Angeles (APLA). Prior to that, I had spent years working a job that conflicted with my values and I often wondered how I ended up there in the first place. I figured if I spent time giving, something could be awakened within me that would clear up the confusion. Somehow, my career plans paled in comparison to a person’s struggle to find affordable housing and food while they were unemployed due to being too sick and weak to go to work. A person stating that “all of their friends are dead,” and they had no family support due to the fact that the lifestyle they were living was frowned upon, made my struggles seem miniscule.
It’s funny how life has a way of reminding you what truly is important (as cliché as it may sound). I was seeking direction to clear up what seemed to be a chaotic life, and landed in a place where I was reminded of my blessings in health, support, family, and friends which was the complete opposite of chaos. In addition, I was given the gift of being able to give of myself. I became a more effective listener, less judgmental, and more aware.
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