Happiness, Marine Kore Style!

Awareness is the first and essential step to erradicating anything.  Awareness about gender oppression and how it impacts all of us, every day--in every day life is the seed.  Without a seed, nothing germinates.  Okay.  Now, this creates a question.

What exactly is gender awareness supposed to germinate?

Awareness is like growing corn.  If I plant one kernel of corn, I get a corn plant.  My corn plant produces many more kernels.  One seed, many results.  So, I don't want to limit the possible germinations of awareness by answering the question too narrowly.  I do want to talk about one specific result that awareness produces because I think it is fundementally overlooked and fundamental to personal well-being.

Awareness produces response.  One of the facts that has evolved out of decades and decades of research into what makes for a happy human being, is the irrefutable truth that happiness is directly related to having an impact.  When we feel that what we are doing has value 'out there', we are happier.  My basic state of well-being improves when I can point to something bigger than myself and say, I am a part of that. I have known a number of people who's daily lives were tumbling.  Finances in the tank, love relationships cratering, problems with their kids, death and loss...and yet, many of these people still reported being happy, at least some of the time. 

All of these people were involved in something bigger than themselves.  This doesn't have to mean selling all your posessions and live in the DRC or Mumbai as a missionary.  It can mean volunteering once in a while in a community garden, sponsoring a microloan for a woman in Rwanda, walking for breast cancer research, teaching your kids why recycling is really so important,...it can be anything. I know a couple who, instead of recycling their newspapers, collects them for a month and takes them to a local animal shelter.  The shelter has a great need for donated newsprint.  Who knew?  We think animal shelters just need money and people to walk the dogs...not so.

Finding out how you can be a part of something bigger than yourself doesn't mean you have to figure it all out on your own either.  Maybe start by getting clear what you can't do (like move to Mumbai).  Call the organization that captures your interest and say: Hey, I want to help.  What are the ways you could use my support?  If you know where your initial limitations are, it will be easier to figure out how you can contribute.

Be Happy.  Be Involved.

Marine Kore Strong!
T.