Living a BIG Life!
Are you living a BIG Life?
A year ago, I was asked this question, and sadly my answer was no. In order to do this I needed to understand what that meant for me. Ultimately it came down to setting a goal that would challenge and push me out of my comfort zone in ways that I never anticipated and more importantly could not control.
I also wanted to find a way to make a difference in this world. I have been so incredibly blessed and grateful to have that life that I live today. And I try very hard to practise gratitude for that every day. I’ve gotten here because of the many hands that have helped me up and held me up on my journey and now it’s my time to do the same.
So for me, living a BIG life means giving back/paying it forward, finding a way to make a tangible difference on someone or something in this world.
In less than a week, I’ll be leaving to join 11 other SAP colleagues to spend a month on a short-term, high impact, pro-bono voluntary assignment in Harare, Zimbabwe.
I am one of 120 SAP employees who, over the next year, will be working across 10 countries for a variety of NGOs and Social enterprises. The Social Sabbatical program pairs SAP employees with these organizations to use our professional skills to solve concrete business challenges of non-profit and social enterprises around the world.
As a team, not only do we have the opportunity to opportunity to turn SAP’s purpose — help the world run better and improve people’s lives — into action! But, we are also supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of sustainable prosperity for all and powering opportunity through digital inclusion.
How’s that for making a difference and LIVING a BIG Life!
The 12-person team heading to Zimbabwe — Team Unhu (pronounced Hoon-Who) — is comprised of professionals from 9 different countries with varying years of experience in marketing, consulting, project management, customer service, product management and a variety of other disciplines.
Assigned to 4 different organizations, each team will partner with their client to find solutions to challenges that are impacting their ability to grow and scale. We will each be stretched to deliver projects that may have nothing to do with our day jobs, but will challenge us to draw upon our collective experiences to bring forward a workable solution for our clients.
So now at T-1 week from the start of the sabbatical, my bags are packed to bursting — literally and the excitement is building. But in addition to the excitement, I’m also reflective. Excited because I’m going to have my BIG life experience, but reflective because I know that this experience is about change me.
“You were not put on this earth to hide in the shadows. You were put on this earth to make a difference. To have an impact. To leave your mark.
Your mark, not someone else’s.
And you can’t do that by living a small life. You can only do that by living a BIG life.” www.liveabiglife.com
19 Business Days
12 SAP Colleagues
4 Clients
1 chance (my chance) to LIVE a BIG LIFE!
See you soon Harare!
