Share Your Wins!
Sample:
“From the inspiration of my 'Living Vision' work that I completed while at USM, in 2006, I founded a non-profit organization serving over 2,000 orphans in India and Africa called the Children’s Art Village ("CAV"). Our mission is to connect children to themselves and to their creative spirits through art. Our focus is to use art and music as mediums of expression to initiate the process of healing for children who have been abandoned.
“There are many gifts I received from my USM education. However, the most important was discovering the joy of living a service-orientated life rather than an issue-driven life. Prior to USM my life was very narrow. I was focusing on what was in front of me and that meant primarily achieving in the corporate world. Through the curriculum in the Graduate Program, I began to see that my life was being limited by my unresolved personal issues—the blocks and limitations that were getting in the way of my experiencing more fulfillment.
“When I wrote my 'Living Vision,' one of the practices taught at USM, it contained a vision of my future self at age 60. I saw myself passing the baton to the next leader who would continue the organization I had started 25 years before—dedicated to healing and uplifting the creative spirits of abandoned children.
“I continue to rely on the tools and skills I have learned at USM on a daily basis. One of the most extraordinary skills taught in the Program is Compassionate Self-Forgiveness. Learning how to forgive myself for the judgments I was holding against myself and others has allowed me to be more present and more loving—with myself and with those I care about.
“I also learned the distinction between sympathy and empathy, which has been essential to my work. Being able to hold in empathy as I support these children allows me to sustain my service focus. USM has provided me with principles, practices, and the framework to use everything in my life for learning, growth, and upliftment—which includes working with children living in the most painful of circumstances.
“Through my USM education, I discovered my life purpose and the Spirit of Service. I am so grateful. ”
Mai Lai, '06
