When I first started skiing, I went to the mountain known
for tree skiing—Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Trying to navigate two long boards
on my feet around rigid, immovable objects was not my idea of fun. However, at
the end-of-the-day boasting session, I was not bashful about describing my
expert tree-skiing ability. The problem was—just like fish stories—my ski
prowess was a bit overstated. Then the next morning, I had to demonstrate my
skiing ability while my friends observed the catastrophe.
As I struggled down the slope, a kind friend, Ted, had mercy
on me and offered some advice, “Where are you focusing as you ski down the
mountain?”
I replied, “I am looking at the trees that I do not want to
hit.”
“That is the problem,” he said. “You do not want to ski to
the trees, you want to ski the openings between the trees.”
That advice not only improved my skiing ability, but it also
caused me to examine other areas of my life. It was all about changing my
perspective and it happened again today when I was searching online for a gift
for a friend. I discovered a website called Give
Back America.
Give Back America
was founded by a group of friends who saw an opportunity for people to “pay it
forward” through online shopping. When making a purchase through Give Back America you are redirected to
the retailer’s online store, which gives a commission to the charity that you
choose. The consumer pays the same price they would if they purchased from the
retailer’s website. There are over 900 retailers and 1400 charities currently
participating.
What a unique way to give to charity and doing it by buying
what I was going to buy anyway! It doesn’t cost me more, but it donates money
to a good cause. Once again I learned a lesson in changing my perspective.
In Giving,
Robin
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