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Ami Campbell is a consultant and stewardship educator. She helps people find their "giving selves". Ami has co-authored a book on generosity, "Love Let Go: Radical Generosity for the Real World". She also co-chairs TEDxWilmette, a community of women who consciously elevate ideas that support the greater good both local and abroad. Generosity has its benefits - generous people are physically healthier, have greater empathy, lower rates of depression and live longer. So if being generous is so good, why is it so hard? What holds many of us back from being generous is scarcity. A scarcity mindset leads to self-reliance and independence. The presence of money gives us the feeling of power and security. In being generous, there is a ripple effect - those random acts of kindness we at Rotary we know well, is a social contagion. Ami used the example of a family she had been supporting through World Vision for several years. When she met the Tanzanian family the mother, Nasaru, had children ranging from a toddler and teenagers. Since Nasaru's husband was in the hills with the cattle and goats, she and the children took care of the plantings on their farm. She carried water every day for the crops and the children. As years went by, with Ami's continued generosity, the family and the community soon had a co-op where there was a mill for maize, sheets of corrugated steel for the school's roof, and bricks replaced mud walls. Over time, the effect of that generosity made a huge difference in the lives of that community. When deciding where to give your money, Ami said you should find out what and where your passions lie and make that commitment. Here is information on Ami's book and her upcoming TEDxWilmette talk: you can watch the TEDxWilmette talk or visit the book website. She also has three hardcover books available for sale at our author price of $10. The e-book can be purchased on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. |
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