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Quote:" Let others lead small lives, but not you.   Let others argue over small things, but not you.  Let others cry over small
hurts, but not you.  Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." Jim Rohn
 

                  The Power of Words, and Deeds
                  -----------------------------
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school.  His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?  He must really be a nerd."  I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friend the following afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him, and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye.
I handed him his glasses and said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives."
 
He looked at me and said, "Hey, thanks!"  There was a big smile on his face.  It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.  I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. It turned out he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before coming to this school.

I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried his books.  He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.  I asked him if he wanted to play football on Saturday with me and my friends. He said yes. We
hung all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him. And my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.  I stopped him and said, "Damn boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.

When we were seniors, we began to think about college.  Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class.

I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation.  I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.

Graduation day arrived - I saw Kyle and he looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.  He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.  He had more dates than me and all the girls loved him!

Boy, sometimes I was jealous.  Today was one of those days.  I could see that he was nervous about his speech.  So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"    He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.  "Thanks," he said.  As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began.

"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.  Your parents, your teachers, your
siblings, maybe a coach... but mostly your friends.  I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best
gift you can give them.  I am going to tell you a story."

I stared at my friend in disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.  He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.  "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."-  Unknown

What wonderful words!..... "Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture, you can change a person's life."

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."

I was touched when I read this story, and those words. All the more so, because it says so well, what I expressed so awkwardly last issue about the work of the Life In Africa Foundation.

If YOU would like to change a person's life; if YOU would like to be the angel helping someone to their feet, please join us in
helping deserving people to get on their feet, by reading the next item, and sending me an email with your pledge.
 

             Whose Life Have YOU Touched Today?

             ----------------------------------
Last week, we had another heart-warming story in our Inspiration section, entitled "Information Please". It harked back to an
earlier technological age that many of our readers will not have experienced. That doesn't matter, because the human message was timeless. The story ended with the question, "Whose life have you touched today?"

In my own small way, I hope the words we print in these pages reach out to help, reassure, support and inspire. But I know in
my heart, that producing this ezine not enough. I know that most of our readers are from the First World, and that as a group we enjoy one of the greatest standards of living in the history of  our species. For all our problems and shortcomings, we are uniquely blessed. Many are not so lucky. They live with hunger, disease and oppression daily.

The underlying motivation of A Better Life:ItsYourFuture!, is to support and encourage those who want to take control of their own future- in how happy they choose to be, in their health, and in the realm of personal finance. For most of US, our problem lies in not taking advantage of the wealth and opportunities that lie all around us! For most in the world, and those we seek to help, the opportunities are much smaller, and much further out of reach.  Over the last year, I've been drawn back a number of times to a web site that helps change the lives of many people. Its called Life in Africa, and its purpose is to help individuals set up small enterprises to support their families. The amounts of money involved are a pittance to us, and beneath the normal banks' dignity.

Very briefly, supporters of Life in Africa donate money. The money is used to guarantee small loans to individuals who can make a good case. Most of them are women, trying to help provide for their families. As the loan is repaid, the money is recycled further loans are guaranteed, helping even more people. It's called Micro finance.

By self-selection, readers of A Better Life:ItsYourFuture! are a wonderful group of motivated, supportive, compassionate people.  I'd like to propose that, as a community, we work with the Life in Africa Foundation to support the endeavors of those with the initiative to develop ways of helping their families. I'd ask you to have a look a few web pages....

http://www.lifeinafrica.com/give/borrowers/may00.htm will show you the kind of people we can help.
http://www.lifeinafrica.com/microfinance/microfinance.htm     will tell you how micro finance works. http://www.lifeinafrica.com/report.htm will show you how some individual donations are working in practice. Have a look at how $100 donated by a couple called Bruns, has guaranteed 4 loans worth a total of $599 in just 6 months.

This issue, I invite all our readers to make a small donation by credit card. Money that for us only means a couple of magazines or a Big Mac Meal. I'm talking $5, $10 or $20. Nothing to us. Please email me at  johnspayne@itsyourfuture.net   and let me know how much you would like to donate. I'll get back to you when the web page is up to take your credit card payment. The total amount will be forwarded to the Life in Africa Foundation as a donation from the readers of this ezine. So that you know that 'the right thing has been done', I will publish a list of donors, and the amounts they donated, in the first Issue after we have processed the payments. (I will be using Clickbank to handle the charges. They cost $1 per transaction, plus 7.5%. It will be at least a month between the charges being made, and my getting the Clickbank check. It will then take a few weeks to clear, as it will be a US check in US dollars, and I have to deposit it in Australia. Please be patient!)

From then on, we'll keep you up-to-date on a monthly basis with information on the people who are being helped, and their projects that have been made possible by your generosity. I for one, will feel a little prouder of my answer, when I see the question, "Whose life have you touched today."

NEVER underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture, you can change a person's life. Please join us in this.
I'll get the ball rolling by pledging $20. Over to you!
- John ( johnspayne@itsyourfuture.net   )

For ideas for managing your time, organizing your home, getting your family to help more and putting an end to the nagging and fighting with your kids, take a look at The Business of Mom (click here)