Our lives are made up of so many moments. Moments that make us smile, moments that we’d rather forget, moments that will be engrained in our memory forever. Sometimes we know straight away that we’ve had “a moment”. Something has happened that we know will change us, will change our thinking. Sometimes we look back and realise everything changed “at that moment”.
I had a defining moment yesterday. It wasn’t a flash of light, and it won’t change the history of the world, but it made me stop and think about what we do, why we do it, and the choices I had made in my life. We had our monthly UK team call, and at the end of the call, one team member shared a message an anonymous donor had left on our JustGiving Page. They had woken up that morning in pain. They’d gone to the dentist and had been out of pain in just 3 hours. Whilst in the waiting room, they’d seen a Bridge2Aid leaflet, and had felt so guilty that there are others in the world who suffer with this pain for years, had gone onto our page and donated £10.
I remembered another defining moment. Phil and I were visiting Mark and Jo during our practice trip to Tanzania last year, and Mark mentioned in passing that they were looking for someone to take on the new role of UK Manager. It was a moment that could have been lost, just a passing comment. That small comment led to a couple of sleepless nights, and here I am – extremely privileged to be a part of the Bridge2aid family, and in turn being able to make a difference to the lives of others. I’m so pleased that I was able to make the right choice and take on the challenge.
Sia Baba said “What matters is to live in the present, live now, for every moment is now. It is your thoughts and acts of the moment that create your future. The outline of your future path already exists, for you created its pattern by your past.”
It’s important that we aren’t too busy to notice the “small” things that pass us by. Those small moments can lead to big opportunities, can affirm what we are doing, can affect the lives of those around us and can truly define who we are and help us to be closer to the person we want to be.
Shaenna Loughnane, UK Manager
Truly inspiring ! Thank you.