The journey unfolds in new ways

It is amazing to review the past 6 months of this journey and reflect on where I am and what is ahead.  It all started when I saw a need–a need for young children in Deep Sea Village to have access to education and early learning opportunities.  It blossomed into an idea to have a 3-4 week camp during the time I had off from work, and it was then watered with the vision of John to have a preschool.  There were bumps and boulders and smooth sailing and pot holes along the way, but throughout the process, I continued to learn…about Kenya, about myself, about areas of need all around the world for young children to have access to education, about how I can best be a steward.  My goal was to help create opportunities for people who wanted something more–my hope is that this goal was met at least on a small scale for the children in Deep Sea during the short time that the school was open.  What comes as a surprise is that this experience has actually created an opportunity for me!

There have been a multitude of wonderful aspects through the course of this endeavor.  I have met amazing people who are doing great things to help others help themselves, there have been conversations that have widened my global view in ways I would never have anticipated, and have been in a position that called me to examine how I can best use my resources to be a steward.  Without having experienced this process, I am not sure that I would have been open to an opportunity that presented itself to me.  I learned of a doctoral program that would allow me to work with a colleague for whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration, and which would prepare me to do research and teach in a university setting.  Choosing to apply for this program would shift my immediate focus on the children of Deep Sea to an immediate focus on myself/my education with a longer term focus on how I can invest in the future of other leaders who will have an impact on the lives of children around the globe.

One of the things I learned about myself through the experience of starting the preschool in Deep Sea is that I need to be around people who are passionate, committed, strive for excellence, take action, and are intrinsically motivated.  I thrive in such an environment, and while it may create challenge, it does not create struggle.  I believe that by expanding my knowledge and abilities, I will be able to have a greater impact on more people who touch the lives of children. I have been accepted into the Ph.D. program, and have chosen to undertake this adventure!  As a result, my level of involvement with the children of Deep Sea will, at least for the time being, decrease significantly.  I am so grateful for the incredible support that so many of you have offered through this journey.  Each of you has touched my life!  For those of you who may be interested in continuing the path with a school in Deep Sea, please let me know and I will share the resources that have come my way.  My hope is that each of you will be open to the opportunities that present themselves to you, and that through following your heart you realize the significant contribution you make to the world.

Asanti Sana

Since last month…

The month since I have posted has been full of activity, experiences and opportunities!  I continue to find programs and people who are working to be a part of helping people living in Kenya slums to make desired changes.  The possibility of furthering my studies has become a reality.  Watching “Waiting for Superman” reminds me of the level of need that exists ‘in my own backyard’.  It is a time when I’m realizing the importance of determining how I am best able to be a steward of my resources, and what action will have a meaningful impact.  There are times when I feel that I am closer to knowing, and times when the answer is more elusive.  Finding the balance of preparation and action is a learning experience!  Thank you to everyone who continues to support this process both directly and indirectly!

So many amazing people!

The last few weeks have been busy as I have connected with numerous people who are interested in being a part of my vision.  What an experience it has been!  It is delightful to meet so many people who are dedicated to sharing themselves in a way that creates opportunities for others to make a better future for themselves. 

One of the aspects that has come to the forefront for me to explore is stewardship in my community as compared to stewardship around the world.  My initial thoughts related to the many services that are already in place in the US vs the lack of resources in developing countries.  My goal is not to change the infrastructure of what exists, but to empower the individuals in the community to advocate for themselves.  That need exists around the world–including in the US.  Another aspect that was presented to me relates to the type of resources that are needed in the US as compared to developing countries.  It was suggested that in developing countries, less money is needed, but that time goes farther in the US.  As I am not privy to the experience of being independently wealthy, the idea of being able to fully utilize the financial resources I do have is one that I appreciate.  At the same time, there were many times in Africa when I felt that I was viewed as a magic cash machine.  It feels counter-productive to foster an attitude of ‘hand outs’ without any personal investment from the receipent…it seems quite the opposite of empowerment/self-sufficiency.

So, where does all of this leave me and my vision?  My vision remains, and at this point, I feel a need to do a bit more research.  I would like for the efforts I make in actualizing my vision to have the maximum impact, and to ensure, to the extent possible, the sustainability of the project.  The area that I am researching right now is whether to focus on children who have disabilities or those who are typically developing.  I have learned a great deal about the status of specialized services in developing countries.  As a speech-language pathologist, it has been rather heart breaking to learn about the lives that these children experience.  It is certainly an area of significant need.  For my efforts to be maximized in this area, my preference would be to work with the people in the community who are providing services to these children.  I have met a number of people, and found several organizations where this is a possibility.  In April, I will have an opportunity to meet with the individuals, and see how the organizations operate.  There are many places that were developed as a way of empowering people, but through design actually oppress them.  This is different from what I hope to accomplish.

As I get to know the people and programs, I will post about them.  If you have thoughts or suggestions, please pass them along.  It has been through ‘word of mouth’ that I have had the chance to meet so many of the amazing people who are on a path that is similar to mine.  The ways are numerous, but I have found with certainty that one person really can make a difference.

Refining my vision

It has been just over a month that I’ve been back from Africa, and that time has been filled with wonderful new people, lots of new information, important conversations, and a great deal of contemplation.  One of the most important conversations that I’ve had with a number of people relates to the way Lotus benefits the children…how it provides a service that is different from what is already available to them.  After much consideration, it appears that the primary benefit to the families is that they did not need to provide a birth certificate in order for their child to attend school.  With a birth certificate, the children would be able to attend a variety of other schools that are better equipped to provide a healthy learning environment. 

This realization helped me to clarify the skills and experience I am most able to share with the children.  Within the context of early childhood education, literacy, language/communication, and intrinsic motivation are the areas that I believe are most important in creating life-long opportunities.  The philosophy that most resonates with me is a developmental, relationship-based, and active engagement approach.  I believe that developing a program that centers around these aspects would be of much greater service to children, even those who have a birth certificate!

While I have clarified my vision, the team in Africa came to some realizations also.  They have determined that they are not ready to undertake this project, and have chosen to close the school.  While the email I received informing me of this decision was very disappointing, it also presents an opportunity to bring together a team that shares not only a common vision, but a similar purpose in manifesting an excellent learning center for children who live in Deep Sea. 

I’ve started the process of connecting with people in Kenya who are potential new team members.  It will be much easier once I am back in April, so my efforts here are focused on developing training to ensure that those who are interested in being active team members are able to maintain the program.

I continue to feel blessed by the support and encouragement that so many of you offer!  Thank you for continuing to be a part of this journey!

A New Friend

This weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting Donna, who works with Cheer for Children.  She had many wonderful items to donate to the Pre-School, and clearly has a big impact on our local community.  I felt a special connection when she mentioned her love of elephants, and asked the question…what would I be able to do if I went to Africa.  I wondered the same thing!  My friends were certain that I when I went to Africa, I would stay there, sleeping with the elephants!  Little did I know how things would unfold as a need presented itself to me, and I felt a call to fill it.  If you wonder…what can I do…I encourage you to be open, and you will find out!

Meet our students

Meet our students!  As you will see, we have a full range of ages!  Some of the children have sponsors, but most do not.  Are you able to help?  Fifteen dollars per month will ensure that the child is able to continue to participate in the program.  This includes important medical care that they would not otherwise be able to receive.  Any  support you are able to provide is greatly appreciated!

Jackline

Kelvin

Marion

Martha

Mary

Melvin

Milka

Morris

Musyoka

Nickson

Dennis

Esther

Ann

Brian

Hellen

Teacher for a Day

Teacher Winnie will be out for a time, due to illness, and in her absence, our Co-Director, Ruth stepped in as teacher!  Ruth was also able to speak with another teacher who will be a substitute while Winnie recovers.  Extra prayers and blessings are appreciated!

On a personal note…

Paulo Coelho

‎”When you find your path, you need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes

I’ve used this blog mostly as a means of documenting the progress we make with the school, and am going in a different direction today to share the value I found in the quote above.  Overall, the past few months have been an amazing adventure with such rapid success, and so much for me to learn.  There have been many challenges and frustrations; but until this past week, the scales always tipped in the direction of excitement about what is being accomplished for the children. 

With the start of the school year, the team in Nairobi found it important to move from having two half-day classes to having one full day class.  This was something we had discussed many times in planning, and while both approaches have benefits and down sides, we planned the structure of the program around two half-day classes.  When I found out that the format had been changed, I was very concerned that the many issues that need to be addressed to make that change had not been taken into account and/or that they were not attended to.  Without the proper structure in place, and with the resources we currently have, my fear was/is that the program will need to shut down until the proper structure is put in place.  It will be April at the earliest that I am able to put the same amount of time and energy into such an undertaking, and the thought of the school closing even for those few months was very frustrating and disappointing to me.

Our team continues to grow and work together.  We’re looking at what can be done to keep things going in a new way, and how our needs will change in this new context.  One of the biggest impacts this change will have is that our financial needs will increase just to maintain our current site.  We are looking for creative ways to generate revenue to not only maintain the current program, but also to be able to afford moving into a more appropriate location. 

I know that this is a wonderful project, and that it is having a significant impact on the lives of children and families.  I’m learning to have different kind of courage and patience through the process.

If you have ideas about how we can raise funds, please pass them along!

Through the week, you will be introduced to our first official students!

A Great Meeting!

This morning, I had the pleasure of meeting with William Welch who works with The Volunteer Center, South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach.  He was amazingly informative, resourceful, supportive, and encouraging about Lotus Pre-School!  

While the benefits of our short time together are too numerous to count, one of the aspects that I valued was learning about some of the specific organizations and resources that are available.  I have a lot to learn!

My decision to become involved in starting a school in Deep Sea was very serendipitous and organic.  William provided a larger context from which to view this project, sharing his experiences with starting programs in other developing countries.  He provided examples as to why starting a program in Kenya will likely meet with great success, and has the potential to more easily have a significant positive impact on the community in a short time period. 

I was aware that many volunteer programs have been designed specifically for women and children.  It had been my assumption that the reasoning behind this related to the different status that males and females hold in many cultures.  William shared the notion that many of the issues developing countries face can be addressed through population control.  From this perspective, it is the women who need to be empowered and educated. 

I left our visit feeling very inspired, with a very expanded view of this project and the impact it can have, and grateful for meeting such a fantastic fellow human!

Powerful Quote

“Be thankful for the wonderful gift of being able to serve humanity, your planet, and your God. Be grateful for the opportunity to live your life purposefully in tune with the will of the Source of All. That’s a lot to be grateful for.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer

And I am very grateful!  Many thanks to the wonderful people who have joined our vision and become a part of our journey!  It is such a blessing to meet so many people who have chosen to be active participants in creating a beautiful world!

2011 School Year

Our first school year has officially started!  We currently have 14 students enrolled.  Many of the children are new to us, as they did not participate in the camp activities we offered in December. 

Work on the uniforms and getting the school registered continues.  We will operate informally until we are able to establish a more appropriate learning environment.  To do this, we will work with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Services, and collaborate with the Ministry of Education.  Once we have the necessary property, we will be able to work directly with the Ministry of Education.

While it feels wonderful to be back in the U.S., it’s also hard to be away from the school as the new year starts.  I am grateful for the team in Kenya who keeps me posted about the happenings, and who continue to work hard to gain local financial support.

Every time I have an opportunity to share how much we accomplished in such a short time period, I am amazed and grateful!  Wonderful opportunities are being created for children!  Thank you to everyone who continues to provide emotional, financial, and material support for our vision.

Racism by any other name…

The following is from Kenya’s daily paper ‘Nation’ and is written by Kate Getao.  I appreciated the play on words and enjoyed a good laugh.  Hope you enjoy:

There is a malicious rumor doing the rounds that a certain Kenya marathon runner was interviewed by an international journalist after winning a race.  When the person was asked whether she was surprised to win, she is rumoued to have replied “I am not surprised at all because I have always been a racist.  Indeed all my family members are racists, and when we race, we win!”

Health Resources!

Today I met a gentleman, Christopher Kariuki, who works with Mother’s Mercy Home in Limuru, Kenya.  They also run a medical clinic.  We have established a collaboration, and the students at Lotus Pre-School will be able to receive medical assistance at no charge!  We hope to raise funds for transportation, and will be able to address their health needs on an on-going basis.  Amazing expansions continue for this project!

Uniform Material

The material for the school uniforms has been purchased.  The boys will wear grey shorts with a light purple plaid short-  sleeve shirt, grey socks, and black shoes.  Girls will wear a grey skirt with suspender-like straps, a light purple plaid short-  sleeve shirt, white socks, and black shoes.  Both boys and girls will also have a grey knit sweater with a purple stripe.

It is exciting to have a women’s group to collaborate with–the project of making school uniforms will present an opportunity  for the women to learn new skills of clothes making, as well as create an opportunity for them to earn income by  participating in the work.

The work on the uniforms will start next week, and we hope to have pictures of the process to pass along.

Many blessings during this special time of year!  We are grateful to have you as part of our journey!

Closed for the Holiday and District Level Administration

It has been a very busy few weeks, and we have accomplished so much in getting the school established.  While the students and teacher are finished for the month…and therefore year…we continue to move forward administratively.  Today we met with the district level ministry of education officer and the district chief to share our plans and get their support.  Due to the conditions in the slum, it has been recommended that we register not as an educational institution, but as a social service.  This will allow us to operate legitimately while we raise the funds to rent a property that is within walking distance for the children of Deep Sea, but also has more sanitary conditions and is a safer environment.  Tomorrow, we’ll visit the ministry of culture and social services.

This has been an intense and productive month.  It’s gone by so quickly!  I’ve loved being here to be a part of the process directly, and also look forward to ensuring that the team here is able to operate independently.  As I prepare for my next visit, there are some ‘wish list’ items that we are already aware of…if you’re able to donate any of these items, it would be greatly appreciated:

a lap top or net book computer

construction paper

digital camera

coloring books

large crayons

paint

pre-school theme books for the teacher

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey both directly and indirectly!

 

Our first field trip!

Little did we know that lunch would be such an adventure!

Today was a big day!  We had a field trip for our students and their siblings!  A bus came to Deep Sea Village, then took us to the Giraffe Center where the children hand fed giraffes, visited two other animal parks, and enjoyed a lovely lunch.  While having lunch, two hungry baboons continued to visit the group, trying to take plates of food.  After many attempts, one of the baboons got away with a cup of juice!  It was quite exciting!  The children had a mixture of finding it funny, being frightened, and being protective of each other.  Seeing other monkeys throughout the day created animated conversations.

The children enjoy seeing baby crocodiles

Children Work Samples

December work samples show the range of experience the children have

As you can see, the children in our school have quite a range of experience.  Some of the children are learning to use a crayon for the first time, all the way through the developmental stages to Anna who is able to write the alphabet and several numbers.

It will be a wonderful process to watch them grow!

Indoor Outdoor Activities

With tables and chairs aside, the students have a space to run

On the third day of school, the children and Teacher Winnie have gotten to know each other, and are operating as a class!  It is wonderful to see how quickly the children learn, and how receptive they are to lessons that are presented.

Since we do not have an outdoor space where the children can play, Teacher Winnie and the children move the tables and chairs aside and play inside.  They enjoy the freedom of running, and also learn the basics of group physical games.  The floor is in poor condition in many places, so the children stumble and fall frequently.  We look forward to having the funds to create a more appropriate learning environment for the children.

It's not snowing...it's dust that fills the air

As the children run around, the ever present dust fills the air.  Though it does not appear to have an immediate impact on the children, it is difficult for me to breathe in this environment.  One of the goals we have to help create a safer environment is to have indoor shoes that the children can change into when they enter the classroom.

The condition of the floor makes physical activities and cleanliness challenging

 

It has been a great first week!  Next week, the theme will be animals as we prepare for the field trip!  It will be a great experience for the children!

Finding the Red Tape…

Our time at the Ministry of Education was very informative

Today was dedicated to undertaking the registration of the school.  We started with the Ministry of Education in the Early Childhood Development office.  While the guidelines are out of print, and therefore not available, we obtained the mailing address and a suggestion to submit a letter sometime next year.  We were told that the student-teacher ratio is supposed to be 20:1; however, many people do not follow the rule.  As we intend to have a quality program, we had already determined that there would be a maximum of 20 students in the class.

Our next stop was one floor down, where we learned about registering the school.  There are many inspections that need to be conducted, however, the information about the standards being applied for these inspections are not available.  We were informed that the school needed to be operational prior to beginning this process.  Since the classroom is in a slum, I would expect that there would be difficulties in passing the health and safety inspection.  We will likely need to operate informally until we are able to obtain funds to rent a more appropriate site.

From here, we went to another office, and began the process to register the name of the school:  Lotus Pre-School.  One gentleman offered his assistance, ushered us through security, went to the head of the line to obtain a form that was needed, waited as we filled it out, then told us the cost to have it processed.  We thanked him for his help, then told him we would gain further information on our own, since the price he quoted was 3 times as much as we had been told.  Ten minutes later, we submitted the form for a much lower fee and were on our way!

As had been recommended, we went to the Westlands District Office to speak with the local officer about our plans.  When we arrived, we were informed that he had moved his office to another location.  On our return to the car, we met the Chairman of Deep Sea, Benson Mbithi.

Benson Mbithi, Chairman of Deep Sea

As chairman, he, in conjunction with a committee, oversees all aspects of Deep Sea.  He offered to help us in any way possible.  It was a wonderful meeting, and he was very helpful!

While John and I were in town, Ruth introduced our first visitors to the school!  It is exciting to see the project developing, and to see how responsive the children are to this opportunity.  Teacher Winnie reports that the children did even better today than yesterday!  I’m excited to be back with them tomorrow!

Asanti for being a part of this journey!

A Fantastic Day 2!

The class is pulling together beautifully!

After some of the bumps yesterday, it was exciting to have such an amazing second day!  The students are getting familiar with being in class, and teacher Winnie is stepping into the new experience of working with this age very well!  It is a lot of work balancing the expectations of having the children actively engaged in learning during all of the time they are in class, and respecting the way class rooms are typically run in Kenya.  The children are very responsive to participating in activities, and teacher Winnie is able to take a suggestion and make it her own!

It is such an honor to be part of this process!  Asanti for joining us!

First Day of School!

Ann filled two pages front and back!

Nickson enjoyed coloring!

Jackline shares her coloring

What a busy morning it was!  We had a number of parents drop in and register for school, and several children from Deep Sea who were very interested in being inside with us!  Teacher Winnie has her hands full with the wide range of student experience with being away from parents, using school materials such as crayons, and sharing.  Today was spent getting to know the children, and letting the children get to know us.  I’ll try again to up-load pictures to post;  as you will see, some of the students used crayons for the first time today, while others had a bit more experience.

One woman came in to speak with us about an 8 year old boy who was left in her care when his mother died several years ago.  Due to his diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, he has not attended any school, and she would like for him to be able to participate in our program.  We are getting to know about many additional needs of the children and families, and it’s a bit of a challenge to balance providing quality services to the children we are able to right now, with the awareness that there are so many other children who would benefit from what we are doing, though serving more children right now would decrease the quality.  I am left with a desire to find a ways for our program to grow, and to be able to provide more comprehensive services.

School Starts Tomorrow!

We are thrilled at the progress we have made, and excited about school starting tomorrow!  Today was dedicated to getting the furniture and materials to the classroom.  The children were anxious to help, so while the older children wanted to carry many chairs, we had them lessen their loads to allow the younger children to help also!  Tune in tomorrow for updates!

Children help carry tables down the walkway to the classroom

It’s been a week…

It’s been a week that I’ve been here in Kenya, and the progress we have made is exciting!  The children will start school next week on Tuesday as Monday is a holiday.  We are all ready for a bit of a rest as you can see!

Aftermath of busy days and late night meetings

Student Registration

 

 

 

 

 

 

John arranges the furniture in the school preparing for registration

Ruth and Beatrice read a post on the school door

Teacher Winnie answers parent questions during registration

Ruth helps parents complete enrollment forms

Beatrice, my hostess in Kenya, bringer of joy, and team member

Teacher Winnie

Ruth, Co-Director of Lotus Pre-School

It has been a busy day here in Kenya!  We have a date set for Dec. 21 to take the children on a field trip to a number of animal centers!  It will be the first time that many of the children

The December rains make the walk to the school a bit messy

have left the slum!  It will be an exciting experience!

We had the first day of registration, and 20 students are now enrolled!  It is interesting to be a part of the process as women discuss the challenges faced in obtaining birth certificates for their children, especially when the children are not born in a hospital.

Pastor John, my host in Kenya, and one of the Pre-School team members

We have a teacher!

What an experience it is learning about daily life in Nairobi!  I have come to appreciate so many things that I often take for granted in the US–electricity, public transportation that is at least mostly safe, access to the internet, being able to have photo copies made with ease, and being able to avoid traffic jams most of the time!  It is helpful to be a part of a family here so that I can have this ‘inside’ view and be a more responsive part of the pre-school team.

It has been decided that we will call the school Lotus Pre-School.  We do not yet have a logo, but have decided upon uniform colors of white shirts and grey shorts/jumper and black shoes.  There is a possibility that we will partner with Rehoboth Women’s Project to make the uniforms.  This will offer a reduced cost for the families who purchase the uniforms, and will create training and work opportunities for the women.  It is an exciting collaborative effort!

We have offered a teaching position to Winnie Wangari Gitonga, and she has accepted!  As a recent graduate of Meru Teachers College, she brings fresh ideas and dedication to the field.  She currently lives in Nakuru, which is about two and one-half hours from Nairobi, so will be relocating for this position.  We have a community meeting scheduled for Thursday to introduce the school, so she will have an opportunity to participate from the outset!  I plan to take pictures during the meeting, so you will be able to put a face with her name.

During the meeting on Thursday, we plan to accept formal admissions to the school!  Children who are registered this month will be able to begin attending the sessions we hold this month.  In Kenya, the school year runs with the calendar year, so our timing worked out very well!  We will maintain a calendar that is congruent with the other schools, and be year-round; classes being in session for three months, then having a one-month recess.

Many thanks for all of the well wishes!  Even operating on ‘Kenya time’, we are making significant progress, and are on schedule to officially begin in Jan.  As we complete the necessary, important, and somewhat tedious aspects of laying the foundation for the school, the exciting part of having children and families involved begins on Thursday!  Hoping that access to the internet has been mastered by that point, there will finally be pictures!  Stay posted!  Asanti!

Back in Africa!

Jambo kutoka Kenya!  Hello from Kenya!  I am here with a wonderful family, John, his wife Beatrice, their daughter Ruth, their grandson Jesse, and their granddaughter Chico.  It has been a busy few days.  We have had several meetings about the pre-school determining the hours, developing forms, and establishing the calendar.  This week, we’ll be getting the furniture, interviewing teachers, and holding a meeting for the Deep Sea community to let them know about the grand opening!

Now that I’m able to get on-line, watch for pictures and frequent updates!

 

Ta-Da!

One of the benefits of waiting until the ‘last minute’ to pack is that there’s not time to over-think what will stay and what will go!  Two check-in bags, and two carry-0n bags, and the weight is maximized…it’s been a good morning!

Packing the supplies for the school was exciting, thinking about the experiences that will be shared with the children!  And through the bustle of packing, the loving calls sending me off just made the excitement build!  It is such an honor and blessing to have so many wonderful people in my life.  The love, prayers, intentions are so inspiring!  This is an amazing journey, and it’s only just begun!  Thank you for joining me! 

My next post will be from Africa!

Grand Send-off

Here it is, the night before I leave for Kenya, and rather than feeling a bit overwhelmed with the packing that remains to be done, I am filled with joy and gratitude.  Special thanks to Tammy and Laurie and her family for celebrating this wonderful journey with me!

Team Zebra, you have been a wonderful support, and a part of this project from the beginning!  I’ll pass on the special greetings you have to everyone!

After serious conversations with several people ‘in the know’, I believe I have the correct information and supplies to be able to use my computer while in Africa!  So…you are invited to join from near and far as the school opens!

Asante sana!

(Back) Into Africa…

Wow, the time has gone so quickly…tomorrow I go back to Kenya!  Now that I’m down to the last few things that need to be done (like packing), I’m even more excited.  This process has been so effortless…it is clear to me that it is being orchestrated and I am a vessel helping a vision manifest.  It is a pretty awesome feeling! 

My plan is to share how things unfold while I’m there.  If that doesn’t work out, know that I’ll catch up when I return!  It continues to be such a blessing to have so much wonderful support and to meet such great people!  Thank you for helping children have access to education!

Quotes that came my way this morning

Dalai Lama

Our life depends on others so much that at the root of our existence is a fundamental need for love. That is why it is good to cultivate an authentic sense of responsibility and concern for the welfare of others.

Maya Angelou

If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.

May you find the inspiration that comes your way!