Give More. Expect Less.
There are three kinds of people:
Those who give.
Those who don’t.
Those who only give expecting something in return.
I spent the last four days in Puerto Rico with twenty-three people within the security industry rebuilding a home destroyed by Hurricane Maria. Twenty-one of whom, were complete strangers. What floored me about our group, was that every single person was there to give. None of them were there for the PR, to get “likes”, or a photo-op.
Sure, we (myself included) were posting about it, taking photos, etc. We wanted to capture a glimpse of what I can only explain as an electric culmination of teamwork and service.
Our three day mission was to replace a roof, and *possibly* reframe one wall if time permitted. We knocked both tasks out in the first day. When we huddled up that night at the hotel for a debriefing, ideas of additional projects for this family were pouring out faster than we could write them down.
When we arrived at the job site on day two, we quickly broke into four groups tackling complex projects. Two of the four were completed that same day. That night at the hotel debriefing, MORE ideas came in. “We should do all of their laundry”, “We should fill their refrigerator”, “We should burry the plumbing under the house”. The energy and desire to give to this family was contagious.
On our final day at the job site. We were able to finish up every project we had started. Expecting a new roof, they were left with an entirely new home stocked with food, supplies, toys, and more.
I expected nothing from this trip. None of us did. I gave everything I had for three days straight. I should be exhausted, but I am amped up by the pride, happiness, and accomplishment of the past three days. I gained a group of friends and contacts who will always share this memory. I gained more general carpentry knowledge. I gained knowledge about a culture that is not my own. It has gotten my mind running overtime thinking about how I can do more of this in my own community, and plan my next service trip. And most important, there is a family in Ponce, Puerto Rico that will always remember twenty-three individuals (including the “big beard guy”) who gave them their home back.
Give more. Expect less. Do great things.