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Expat Living
365 Days of Giving
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
August 2020
COMMUNITY
Written by Emily MacCosham
M
an has been searching for meaning as far back as we can remember. Crippled by this existential crisis, he has turned to alcohol, drugs, sex, and soulless jobs in order to fill this deep void. What if the answer to this crisis were actually very simple? What if, as Tony Robbins put it, “the secret of living is giving?” Very simple, indeed – yet tremendously profound. I live in a rural town called Yeonggwang, with a captivating temple named Bulgapsa. As I meander along the temple path, I ponder the simple life of a monk. He spends his time immersed in meditation, chanting, studying, reading, and of course, giving. These monks have no possessions. What could they possibly offer people? To quote the wise and enlightened Buddha, “Give, even if you only have a little.” The monks have much to give: their time, their wisdom, and their knowledge of The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. There is much to learn from this simple life. Perhaps you are someone who believes in fate and messages from a higher power. Sometimes a sign is sent to you during your most trying times in life: the times when you were suffering the most. That was certainly how it felt for me when I stumbled upon an inspiring TED Talk by Jacqueline Way titled “How to Be Happy Every Day: It Will Change the World.” Now, who would not want to be happy every day? Jacqueline made the simple commitment to give back to the world every day for one year with her three-year-old son, Nick. Nick asks in the video, “Mommy, how many days are in a year?” Nick was so excited that he wanted to start giving on his birthday. In the video, he learns the magic of compassion and how it sends positive ripples throughout the world. At the age of three, Nick learns to recycle! If you are curious about Jacqueline and Nick’s story, check out their website at https://www.365give.ca/author/admin/. They have inspired thousands of educators and students around the world.
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Jacqueline’s project roused a deep longing inside of me to connect with strangers in positive ways and to give back simply. Empowered by this TED Talk and by my husband, Michael, we decided to start our own “365 Days of Giving” project in South Korea. On our first day, we fed two Jindo dogs some tuna! I think the dogs were more excited to eat the tuna than to see their foreign friends. On the second day, Michael and I started reading a book called “Peace Pilgrim” about a woman who walked around America sharing her eloquent messages of peace with anyone who would listen. She walked for 28 years before she died. If you are interested in getting her book for free, check out the following website: https://www. peacepilgrim.org/. On Day 3, Michael and I wrote letters for “Operation Gratitude,” which is the largest nonprofit in America for volunteers who support the military, veterans, and first responders. We hope these letters are received well by these courageous Americans and a ripple effect of giving can begin.
7/27/2020 12:28:24 PM
