One of my best friends is an extraordinary man, not only one of the most successful realtors in Los Angeles for years and owner of a Keller Williams location, minister, built 17 schools in Malawi  and also Creator of these summer camps for teens for the last 10 years or so. These camps are nothing like one imagines – he hsa volunteered and given his time, energy, soul and commitment for years. Whenever I think I feel pressed, the mere thought of him and the work he is doing and change he is initiating on a daily basis gives my spirit and self fuel and energy to do more and create more.

Every year on the mountaintop, they do a global service project. One year, they cut up favorite t-shirts to make book bags for youth in the schools of the Malawi School Project. Another year, they packed 100,000 +/- meals to be served in locations in Africa, and another time, quilts were made for babies in the Ukraine.

This year, they did a tree-planting project. The purpose of this was to honor the amazing unfolding of the 17 schools that have been built by the Malawi School Project (check out the website www.malawischoolproject.org) in the last 5 years and the wonderful things that are taking place in Malawi – all due to education. Within this workshop, they had the inaugural tree-planting for the STAND FOR SAM Foundation. This foundation was created to honor the life of one of their teens who passed away a year or so ago, quite unexpectedly. This young man is a part of a family of organic farmers, and he was very clear his purpose on this planet was to reforest Mother Earth with trees. From the stories told by his family, as a small child, Sam would leave the house and go visit the trees on their property. He was deeply connected to the earth.

In this workshop/project, they planted almost 100 trees on the grounds of Buckhorn Camp. Additionally, there will be approximately 2000 trees that will be planted by the women of the villages in the Adult Literacy programs at four of the Malawi Schools, all to signify that we each have the power to plant a seed of intention in our lives and create change.

In the closing ceremony, one young man went to the microphone and stated, “All my life, my family, my teachers, etc., told me I never do anything and can’t do anything.” He went on to say, “TODAY, I did something!”

This young man was making a statement that he stood for something and personally accepting that others were not going to define him or his life. He was going to take personal responsibility for how his life is going to look.

Malcolm X, the influential civil rights leader, said, “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” Why is this important to understand? It is because as enlightened, empowered beings of the Universe, we know our words and our thoughts have power. It is because the Infinite, Universal, Impersonal Power must bring into form for us, that which is equal to our consciousness. Therefore, if we are not clear on our beliefs, desires, and intentions, we will experience life in a murky and muddled way. This is just the way it works.

I encourage each of us to let go of anything -yes anything -we may hold in our belief system that is preventing us from “STANDING FOR SOMETHING!” Take a stand regarding your spiritual beliefs, your self-worth, your standards of living, the amount of love you wish to express, living beyond the boundaries of others’ imposed limiting beliefs, and your past.

Take a stand, and give yourself permission to think bigger, to create change, to forgive quicker, and to love more often. The moment is now to HATCh ANEW.