The Community

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Nathan

Hello fellow Sharers!

It is my complete pleasure to introduce to you IAmDavid, a fellow Austinite who is fully invested in living through sharing and living in community. IAmDavid is one of the most genuine, honest individuals I know, and I would strongly advise you pay attention to the great insights he brings to the table! If you’d like to hear more, either check out www.iamdavid.org or come meet him in person at LoveATX fest (see blog/photo for more details)!

————————————————————————————————————————–

The history of man began as a family, a clan, a tribe.
Everyone had a place in the community. Everyone brought value in product, service.

We have strayed from that plan. We have closed ourselves off from the people around us.

In community, we share what we have, what we do, and what we are.
Together we all have more, and therefore, we are more.

Most of my things are in storage. A 10X10 room that is not half-full. In 56 years of working, buying, and collecting, this is what is left. I share what I have, do, and am.

As a group of creatures, we are not happy with what we have. We always want more.

The Sharing Way is ‘Old’ and ‘New’.

We are finding that more is not always better. Some of the things in my storage have not seen the sunlight in 9 months. These things cost me almost $200 per month just to store them.

What if a group of Sharing People could find a way to list what they are willing to share and to list what they are seeking to use? This would answer and solve many questions.

I am glad to say that I recently discovered this group. It is www.ActsOfSharing.com . My community meets on Mondays at 8pm, at Whole Foods. We are on the second floor, outside near the playscape, and anyone reading this is invited. For more details visit www.meetup.com/AOSATX . We’d love to share with you!

There are so many Sharing Groups in Austin. This Sunday, July 1,2012 we will join LoveATX Fest at Soma Vida, a place I visit often. Visit www.SomaVida.net for more details. I promise you will love LoveATX as well as the many events that they host.

It is not too late to save our world and help our fellow brothers and sisters. We are promising to do our part. Will you? Thank you very much for helping us share this message.

iamDavid.org
512-650-7171

Motivation through Righteousness

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Nathan

Hello fellow sharers! It is my pleasure to introduce to you guest blog writer, Danish Momin, a member of our business development team! He has some great insights to share with you regarding his perception of the collaborative consumption initiative and the sharing movement!

———————————————————————————————————————–

In today’s society, we tend to forget the fundamental principles of duty while carrying out our daily lives. As stated by John F. Kennedy, “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” Individuals often undermine their value systems and ethics on the road to achieving “success,” and as a result, these individuals fail to gain a full sense of purpose. However, today’s society also consists of individuals who are motivated by righteousness.

Acts of Sharing is an excellent example of a community that is fueled by conviction and not by the objective of gaining material wealth. It is for this reason that I decided to intern with Acts of Sharing. I strongly believe that the successes and goals that Acts of Sharing has accomplished are attributed to its purpose of assisting the community. Accordingly, the beauty of working with Acts of Sharing lies in observing the sharing community grow and develop. Working alongside individuals who share the passion to help our community continues to motivate me to perform at my best. Since joining Acts of Sharing, I have learned that ‘You get back what you put in,’ meaning that results are an indication of efforts. I look forward to having a very productive summer and hope to be able to help Acts of Sharing grow!

Encouraging Sharing Through Encouragement

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Nathan

The beautiful thing about sharing is that we can share with others through a multitude of outlets. As children, we are led to believe that sharing is only of materials. But as we grow, we realize that there are other items that are of value to us. Our time becomes more valuable as we learn to manage it, our hearts become valuable as we learn to love. Our materials continue to be valued possessions, but they are accompanied by these other methods of sharing.

When reflecting upon those possessions, I realized that I’ve become very proficient in sharing my possessions and time, but my heart was something that I was afraid to share with others. When I refer to sharing my heart, I’m not speaking as a romantic, but rather a Christ-follower. “Love your neighbor as yourself” has always resonated with me strongly, but I’ve been hesitant to act upon it. For me, sharing words of encouragement with others and verbally expressing the blessings that each and every individual helps bring into my life are ways that I have found to share my heart.

Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to speak with an old friend who had been struggling with drug-related issues among a multitude of other challenges since arriving at college. Upon contacting her, I knew that the best way I could help her was to share my time with her and listen to what she had to tell me. And more importantly, I knew that I wanted to share my heart with her. I wanted to use the opportunity to share all the amazing accomplishments that she had, and let her know about the significant impact that she had made on both myself and others in the past. I was able to take the time to fill her heart with hope and optimism, and erase any doubts that she may have about the future. Encouragement to change, encouragement to move forward. Encouragement to share her heart with others. This encouragement is one of the greatest gifts that any of us can share. And the best part about sharing encouragement is that it is mutual. Just as I built her up and warmed her heart that afternoon, she came back a few months later and shared that encouragement with me when I needed it most. It’s amazing how simple of an action sharing can really be, and a shame that people do not do so more often.

As a result of this encounter, I have made it my goal to continue encouraging others each and every moment that I can. In fact, I unintentionally bury some of my friends in words of encouragement, but in my opinion, there are far worse problems that one can encounter. The lack of sustainability is one of the largest problems that the world faces. Unsustainable living, spending, growth and consumption are all urgent issues that can be alleviated through the sharing of materials in this new sharing economy that has begun with these current generations of individuals. However, sustainability of the heart is another urgent concern that is not considered nearly as much as it should be. Societal boundaries could be broken through simple encouragement and bringing out the positives in people instead of becoming irritated over the negatives. Unity between generations, races and countries could be better achieved through breaking the societal norms of reserving encouragement and positive feedback instead of only making efforts to bring out those things that we dislike and want to see changed. Sharing, in all its forms, is an extremely valuable solution to many problems currently endured, and one that will be implemented through the perseverance, passion, and motivation of forward-thinking individuals who are the current and future leaders of society.

Shared Memories

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Esther

I was pumped. I got in the car to make the slightly-longer-than-an-hour drive from Cypress to College Station to visit a friend attending the rival school (Hook ‘Em) and swap out life stories at our favorite coffee shop (shout out to MugWalls and all the Aggies reading this).

It was going to be wonderful. I had all the essentials for a good road trip, including the life-changing book I planned to share with my friend - The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis. Looking at the cover triggered memories of the three cities and 9 bookstores I raided to hunt down the book with less than a quarter of a tank of gas, of lamp-lit nights I cherished while sprawled out on the floor with a notebook and a glass of milk nearby and of relationships enhanced by the lessons found within the pages.

Each memory sparked another, and I realized the book was worth so much more to me than its monetary value. And as I drove, the excitement I initially held slowly started to morph into something else.

Tiny insecurities bubbled up in the corner of my mind and accumulated till I began doubting she would enjoy the book, assuming she would be irritated at the notes I scribbled in the margins and dreading she might accidentally misplace the book. Each new worry rose in its degree of intensity and began to plague my mind, causing me to doubt whether I should share the book with her.

Then it hit me.

I was worried my friend wouldn’t respond the same way I did to my book. That worry made me hesitant to share it. If she did not share the same interest in the book, a representation of my intimate memories, could that mean she did not share interest in other things I valued closely? Would that have a negative effect on our friendship?

I parked in front of her house still uncertain of what to do, and as I moved my backpack from the passenger seat my friend opened the door and saw my book still lying on the seat. She immediately said, “Good! You brought it! I can’t wait to read it.”

Those few words dissolved all the worries that had been boiling up within me.

Friendship is one of Lewis’ four loves, and of it he wrote,“In this kind of love, as Emerson said, ‘Do you love me?’ means ‘Do you see the same truth?’ – Or at least, ‘Do you care about the same truth?’ The man who agrees with us that some question, little regarded by others, is of great importance can be our Friend. He need not agree with us about the answer.”

Because I focused on the degree of influence the book would have on my friend’s life, I forgot the importance of simply sharing interest in Lewis’ thoughts on love. That shared interest created opportunity for a deeper bond and new memories to form between the two of us. It made me wonder how often I let my worries inhibit opportunities of growing friendships and adding new, life-enhancing memories bound to my belongings.