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Learn how to live a life that matters!
Dear Friend,
It is my belief that deep down (as I am sure it is yours) we all want to live lives of significance. We want our lives to mean something, to know that it has all been worthwhile and that we have made a difference to the lives of people around us. GVN has developed the Lives that MatterTM Program. This program was created with the purpose of enabling you to live a life of significance! We have had lots of feedback from people who after returning home from volunteering, are unhappy about picking up where they left off. They want their life to change direction but are not really sure how to go about it. This program has been created to enable you to make the required life changes and live a life that matters. If you are like many people I have met you will be afraid of falling short of achieving your goals. In fact you may be unsure of whether you will actually achieve the dreams that lie within you. You will know of people around you who have had big dreams which they failed to realise. Like me I am sure you find this a great tragedy and you will not want this to be the case for you. What excites me now is that with the right strategies in place you can achieve your dreams. You can live a life of real significance and make a massive difference in the lives of those around you. What follows is my story and a little of the journey I have been on... It was Easter 1988 and at 18 years of age I stood at the edge of a lake with tears running down my cheeks. From where I was standing I could see the village where I had been for much of the day. The images of malnourished children and emaciated adults kept playing like a slide show in my mind. I had been in the highlands of Papua New Guinea for the previous five weeks where I had been volunteering with an organisation that provides radio communications and technical services to remote and isolated groups. Over the Easter weekend I had travelled with a few friends to visit some remote villages near Lake Kutubu. To get there we had flown for one hour, tramped through a tropical jungle for four hours and then spent a further two hours on the lake in a hollowed out log (which the locals referred to as a 'canoe'). We were then welcomed like family as we arrived at the village. I will never forget the smiles on the children's faces despite the rust colour of their hair which indicated the lack of essential vitamins to help them grow and develop as they should. The images of the day now played heavily on my mind as I reflected on what I had seen. Although we had brought food and medicine, which would provide them with some immediate relief, I could not get past what would happen to the children in the longer term. Although I did not realise it at the time, the decision I was about to make would significantly alter the direction of my life. As I wiped away the tears I began to focus on what I could do to help create a world where all children regardless of their race, colour or location had the opportunities to grow and develop as intended. I picked up a small stone and tossed it into the pool of water in front of me. I watched the ripples of water get wider and wider and larger and larger. It was at that point I realised that by myself I could do very little to bring about long term change, but that a multitude of like minded individuals could literally create enough momentum to significantly change the world in which we live. As the sun began to set and the splendour of the sunset above reflected on the water before me the importance of this idea gripped me: imagine it, an ocean of people who wanted their life to matter. People who wanted to leave the world in a better state than when they entered it. It was at that point I decided I wanted to live my life in a way that enabled others to live a life of significance. At the age of eighteen I had no idea how I would do this. Fifteen years later the dream is beginning to become a reality. Throughout these years I have committed myself to a process of discovery and learning. I have read hundreds of books and attended countless seminars, as well as completing a Bachelors degree in Social Policy and a Masters degree in Development Studies. This commitment to education has led to the discovery of the strategies and techniques required to enable me to have a huge impact on not only my own life but of those around me. If you would like to learn strategies and techniques required live a life of significance, then you will be interested in our Lives That Matter™ Program. In October 1998 I was in northern Ghana carrying out research for my Masters in Development Studies. While I was there I visited a number of schools and I was shocked to see how few teachers there were. One school I visited had one teacher for every 100 children. As you can imagine, not a lot of teaching was going on! It seemed to me that although the long term goal was more Ghanaian teachers, the short term solution was volunteer teachers to ensure that we did not lose a generation of children. Upon returning to New Zealand I set up the Global Volunteer Network (www.volunteer.org.nz) with the goal of connecting volunteers with communities in need. Our vision is to support the work of local community organizations in developing countries through the placement of international volunteers. I believe that local communities are in the best position to determine their needs and to help them achieve them we provide volunteers to help them. This is a reciprocal process, and the programs give volunteers an opportunity for personal growth in their own lives. We started in 2002 with volunteer programs in Ecuador, Ghana and Nepal. During that year we placed 240 volunteers. In 2003 we placed over 700 volunteers and added opportunities in China, New Zealand, Romania, Thailand, and Uganda. At the time of writing this in 2004 we are on track to place 1500 volunteers in a wide range of programs in twelve different countries. With the Global Volunteer Network now established, I feel that it is time to focus some of my time and energy on helping people like you to live a life of significance. Now it is your turn You have the ability within you to create your own story and embark on a journey of living a life of significance. Of course, your journey will be very different from mine. What you end up doing or creating will be in line with your experience, and the skills that you have. But what is important is that you choose to live a life that matters. One question I am often asked and you may well have yourself is "how could I make a difference. I am just one person". In response to this I often relate the following story from anthropologist Loren Eiseley. "Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean. He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?" The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean." "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man. To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die." Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!" At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one." For most of us it is not the desire to make a difference that holds us back, but rather the "how to" that stops us achieving our goals. With this in mind we have put together the following Lives That Matter™ Program as a home study course with the following features: 
Chapter one is called 'The power of a dream' and focuses on helping you develop your life's purpose. Chapter two is titled 'Learning from our heroes' and shows the importance of learning from those who have gone before us. Chapter three gets personal and is headed up 'It starts with you - your life matters!' The chapter looks at where you are now and where you want to be. Chapter four focuses on 'Converting your dreams into action' and gets you started on the journey of living a life that matters. Chapter five is purposely titled 'Doin it!' and helps you to get movement on your life plan. Chapter six is called 'Beating self doubt'. This is one of the biggest barriers to success. Chapter seven is titled 'Going the distance', outlining the principles required to make a difference in the long term. Chapter eight explores the topic of ''Getting others on board', using other people's experience and resources to help you develop your dream. Chapter nine focuses on 'Achieving excellence', helping you to incorporate a quality mindset in life. Chapter ten is called 'Leaving a legacy' and helps you to complete your plan of leaving the world a better place than when you entered it. So how can the Lives That Matter™ Program benefit me? One thing that has always inspired me is stories of people who have achieved what I would call 'greatness' in their lives. By this I mean people who have succeeded beyond expectation, beyond imagination, in a field in which they have dedicated themselves. The exciting thing is that this can be you. You can achieve 'greatness' by living a life that matters. The Lives That Matter™ Program will give you the skills and confidence to make lasting changes in your life. You will be able to put the steps in place to live a life of real significance. Click here to read how other applicants see our program benefiting them. Over the length of the course you will learn the strategies and techniques required to live a life of significance. By the end of the course you will be well on your way to achieving your life's dream and living a life that truly matters!. Take Action Now! Now the Lives That Matter™ Program is not available to everyone who requests it. We will only offer it to those who really want to create a life that matters. For this reason, you will need to be willing to do what it takes. You will need to be willing to let us work with you and support you. I did not create the course to make money. I developed it to enable people to live lives of significance and in doing so create massive change around the world. With this in mind I have limited the program to 20 participants per month. The Lives that Matter™ Program is avaliable now for a special discounted price of US$197.00 or 4 monthly payments of US$49.25. The 177 page course is contained in a hard cover folder and will be shipped (any where in the world) to you free of charge. ... Remember, there's absolutely no risk. We have developed a protection guarantee to ensure you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Protection: You have 90 days to try our Lives That Matter™ Program and start your journey towards living a life that matters. If you are not absolutely thrilled with the course then just call or e-mail me within 90 days for a complete 100% refund. No questions. No hassles. If you are willing to do what it takes, then click here to fill out the application form and I will be in touch with you shortly. Sincerely, 
Colin Salisbury Executive Director www.livesthatmatter.com P.S. Please be aware that we only have a limited number of courses available each month. Apply now and take control of your life while you have the chance! To apply for this program, click here. |
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Feature Fundraiser: Climb to Everest Base CampOur second feature fundraiser is planned for October 2005, when volunteers will have the opportunity to raise money for the Nepali Children's Fund. As a participant of this fundraising trek to The Base Camp of Mount Everest you will have the opportunity to visit ancient temples and palaces in Kathmandu. more >> |
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