by Holland Miller
Feeling inspired has never been difficult for me and my sister, Scottie. Over the years we have discussed numerous ideas to make a difference in the world. Taking an idea and translating it into something real, however, has been a challenge.
How-to books are great, but they don't help anyone much until he or she decides to take action. My sister and I have collected a few of these over the years, but the demands of 9 to 5 have, unfortunately, kept us in the "rinse and repeat" cycle of life
But something had to give, and at age 27 I finally find myself where I wanted to be all along: living my dream as a partner with my sister in a new, exciting endeavor that we believe is going to make a big difference for many who need help.
Our "ah ha" moment (as Oprah might say) arrived in January, 2009 after another idea-filled conversation. "This is it," we said. "The time is now for something to happen. This is the year when we do something awesome." Soon after we hit the ground running.
Over the next two weeks we determined exactly what we wanted to do and how we were going to do it. Starting a non-profit requires a commitment to hammering out the details, so we pulled out the how-to books collecting dust, bought a few more and carefully examined how we could get to where we wanted to go.
We witnessed a breakthrough in the first week of February. One night that week I went to bed early, but Scottie had a creative rush and finished the business plan before morning. She quietly slid it under my bedroom door, and I awoke the next morning to discover a blueprint for what is now element 7, Inc.
Starting a non-profit has been a long-time dream, but now it is reality. Scottie and I were taught growing up to be grateful for what we had and give back however possible. For us, helping others is not optional. If our neighbor is suffering, so are we.
I find great inspiration in this idea: "Until we are equal, there's work to be done." We know there are plenty of willing souls - the challenge is matching them with the "work to be done." This is the mission of element 7.
Our world and so many of the people who inhabit it are fragile and broken. Trying to make a difference is at first glance a daunting task, but it can be done if we are simply willing to join hands and get to work. We know the road ahead will not always offer an easy ride, but it's time to engage the gears and start moving.
We can't do this alone, and that's where you come in. If you like to work, have fun and see new places, then an element 7 trip is for you. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thanks to all of you who have supported us thus far. It is with anticipation, excitement and humility that we begin this journey.
Holland Miller
hollandmiller@goelement7.org
July 5, 2009
Dinners, Dreams and an Open Window
by Scottie Miller
After four years of talking, thinking, praying and dreaming - element 7 is finally here! Element7 is a way to serve others that combines all of my passions into one great experience: travel, volunteering, doing God’s work, spending time with friends and family, and meeting new people. We are excited to reach this moment, but getting here took a little longer than we thought. Read on to learn how we arrived at the door step of this exciting new adventure.
How did element7 take flight, and why is this idea we chose? Prayer and timing can combine to do amazing things. If you could have been present at each dinner when we discussed this "dream” over the years, you might have been tempted to believe we simply would never follow through. (Among the ideas we discussed were nanny and artist agencies as well as learning to be chefs in - France - all at the same time!) I believe God often presents "windows" to us in life through which our next set of steps is clear. Great results can follow, but you have to be ready and willing to work toward them. These "windows" don't appear forever, and when one closes there is no promise it will ever return.
Until recently, relationships and job commitments kept me believing, “Oh, I don’t have time” or “I don’t have the energy to do this”. I was also afraid. Fear of failing, losing money and never getting anything done kept me from moving forward.
The window I sought appeared in February 2009, and it coincided with a big dose of good timing. My job was good, but a relationship had ended and I had nothing to lose.
I woke up on a Thursday at 2 a.m. and could not return to sleep. Thoughts circled around my mind, but I couldn't escape the ideas of volunteering and travel. (Holland and I had talked about these possibilities before, but we could not tie them together in a way that made sense.)
I grabbed my notebook and for the next hour wrote about everything on my mind. I finally reached an epiphany and found myself excitedly thinking, “I have it! I figured out how to combine these two!” That morning I placed my notes in front of Holland’s door hoping she would read them first thing. (She and I are roommates, so expect to hear much more in this blog about living with your sister and starting a company!)
After going to work I eagerly waited for her to call, certain she was going to love my idea. But time passed and I did not hear from her. After I could no longer contain my excitement, I decided to call her and learned that my notes had slipped out of sight. She hadn't even read them yet!
She soon found them and called back. “Scottie," she said. "This is awesome! I love it.” My prediction about her reaction was spot-on. Do I know my sister, or what?
We met for dinner that night and began to formulate element7 even further. Who, what, where, when, why and how were all on the table. We still don’t have every detail worked out, but watching everything continue to materialize is the most exciting parts of the process.
If you like to work, have fun and see new places, then an element 7 trip is for you. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Scottie Miller
scottiemiller@goelement7.org
After four years of talking, thinking, praying and dreaming - element 7 is finally here! Element7 is a way to serve others that combines all of my passions into one great experience: travel, volunteering, doing God’s work, spending time with friends and family, and meeting new people. We are excited to reach this moment, but getting here took a little longer than we thought. Read on to learn how we arrived at the door step of this exciting new adventure.
How did element7 take flight, and why is this idea we chose? Prayer and timing can combine to do amazing things. If you could have been present at each dinner when we discussed this "dream” over the years, you might have been tempted to believe we simply would never follow through. (Among the ideas we discussed were nanny and artist agencies as well as learning to be chefs in - France - all at the same time!) I believe God often presents "windows" to us in life through which our next set of steps is clear. Great results can follow, but you have to be ready and willing to work toward them. These "windows" don't appear forever, and when one closes there is no promise it will ever return.
Until recently, relationships and job commitments kept me believing, “Oh, I don’t have time” or “I don’t have the energy to do this”. I was also afraid. Fear of failing, losing money and never getting anything done kept me from moving forward.
The window I sought appeared in February 2009, and it coincided with a big dose of good timing. My job was good, but a relationship had ended and I had nothing to lose.
I woke up on a Thursday at 2 a.m. and could not return to sleep. Thoughts circled around my mind, but I couldn't escape the ideas of volunteering and travel. (Holland and I had talked about these possibilities before, but we could not tie them together in a way that made sense.)
I grabbed my notebook and for the next hour wrote about everything on my mind. I finally reached an epiphany and found myself excitedly thinking, “I have it! I figured out how to combine these two!” That morning I placed my notes in front of Holland’s door hoping she would read them first thing. (She and I are roommates, so expect to hear much more in this blog about living with your sister and starting a company!)
After going to work I eagerly waited for her to call, certain she was going to love my idea. But time passed and I did not hear from her. After I could no longer contain my excitement, I decided to call her and learned that my notes had slipped out of sight. She hadn't even read them yet!
She soon found them and called back. “Scottie," she said. "This is awesome! I love it.” My prediction about her reaction was spot-on. Do I know my sister, or what?
We met for dinner that night and began to formulate element7 even further. Who, what, where, when, why and how were all on the table. We still don’t have every detail worked out, but watching everything continue to materialize is the most exciting parts of the process.
If you like to work, have fun and see new places, then an element 7 trip is for you. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Scottie Miller
scottiemiller@goelement7.org
June 4, 2009
What is element 7?
The mission of element 7 is to serve humankind with our hands, heads and hearts. This organization will strive to improve the livelihood of the public with the help from volunteers, donations and grants.
Element 7, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to volunteers, who want to be involved in their communities, by creating an volunteer vacation. These different vacations will allow volunteers to provide service while also spending quality time with their families, friends and loved ones.
We will serve as a liaison between volunteers and sought out organizations looking for improvements. These organizations may consist of, but not limited to, schools, churches, daycares, parks, etc.
It is our hope that everyone involved with element 7 will continue to find ways to improve the lives of others with compassion and an understanding for all humankind.
www.goelement7.org
Element 7, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to volunteers, who want to be involved in their communities, by creating an volunteer vacation. These different vacations will allow volunteers to provide service while also spending quality time with their families, friends and loved ones.
We will serve as a liaison between volunteers and sought out organizations looking for improvements. These organizations may consist of, but not limited to, schools, churches, daycares, parks, etc.
It is our hope that everyone involved with element 7 will continue to find ways to improve the lives of others with compassion and an understanding for all humankind.
www.goelement7.org
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