On the other hand I think I often take my good health for granted at times. I feel for the young girl who struggled with cancer, and yet she wasn't complaining. I get sick with the flu, and I act as if I were to die.
I admire the millionaire for his generous contributions, and hope that I could have a heart as generous as his, and the women who opened her house to all. Selfishness destroys lives. My hope for myself and others is to think of others every once and a while, and count our blesses. Heavenly Father has given each of us so much to thankful for, sometimes we just need to step into another's shoes to see more clearly.
In closing I would like to share a quote that got me thinking from Pinterest (my favorite website,) "If we all threw our problems into a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back." I hope be a little more optimistic, and be grateful for what I do have!
Brooke Irvin
I agree in that watching "The Secret Millionaire" made me more grateful and appreciative in how blessed I am. However, I find Canada's contribution more compelling and effective. While I think it's great that the millionaire and his son were able to have that experience, It was only a week and as much as I'm sure that money helped the girl with cancer and Kathy with her children, the two men have plenty more at home. Their day to day lives were not significantly effected by their contribution. I in no way want to belittle what they did, and I'm sure they took a lot away from that week, but Canada has dedicated his life to making a change. His personal contribution to his program as well as the time and energy he has invested make him a much more impressive person to me.
ReplyDeletePalolo Prince
The discussion on poverty certainly was an eye opener for me too. All of the simple things that we take for granted each day don't seem so simple after seeing what so many others have to live without. How many times a day to I feel grateful for the fact that I grew up in a home with a mother and a father who provided me with clothing, food, toys? Disappointingly, I have to admit that I don't recognize those great blessings nearly as often as I should. From "The Secret Millionaire" and the chapter on poverty, I felt the need to be more grateful for the simple things that I take for granted and I need to be seeking out opportunities to serve. I may not be able to give monetarily, but I can give my time.
ReplyDeleteRachel England.
I agree about how watching "The Secret Millionaire" was eye opening and that it made me feel more grateful for what I've been given. However, the thing that struck me most was the power of one individual in affecting change in the lives of others. People like Canada and Kathy were not only grateful, they did something about it! I agree with the previous post that maybe as college students we can't afford to give monetarily at the moment, but we still each have our own sphere of influence which will hopefully only widen as we leave BYU. I guess my hope is that the perspectives and awareness I've gained as a result of this class will stay with me! After watching these videos I'm sure everybody, including myself, thought, "Holy cow this is so inspiring, I just want to go out and give money to people and change people's lives!" I know it's easy though to slip back into being self-centered and materialistic and at times it's much more uncomfortable to be aware of other people's difficulties. Long story short, I hope the desire to serve I've gained as a result of this class stays with me for awhile!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAs everyone has already pointed out before me, "The Secret Millionaire" really was emotionally moving. It was interesting to watch how the father and son grow to really appreciate what they have, especially their good health. However, what really stuck out to me was the woman (Kathy) who gave everything to those less-fortunate. I mean, she was feeding them with her social security! By her example, I want to help out somehow, even if it is just dropping by a gift to someone who is sick.
DeleteIn comparing "The Secret Millionaire" to what Canada has done, I am more impressed with Canada. He has really devoted his life for those kids while the millionaire and his son just spend a week in poverty. With their kind of money, they can do wonders if they put it toward a greater cause, like Canada did. I agree with what Brittany said, in order to show your gratitude for what you have, you need to do something about it.
Taylor Stacey
I really enjoyed this section of class, our discussions, and watching these videos. It was inspiring, and humbling. One thing I also thought about was maybe one reason why we don't go out to help others. Both situations were people in extreme need. I think most people at BYU don't run into that kind of extreme need very often, if at all. Do we, at this university, talk with people who didn't get a good education? When would we run into people living on the streets? Sometiems we do, and we can help them. But I was thinking about how we can help people around us - their needs might be smaller, or different, but they're there. I love this one quote - Look at everyone as if they're going through something really difficult, and almost all the time you'll be right. Idk who said that, but I love that because I think its true.
ReplyDeleteWhat if we talked to everyone, for one day, really sincerely and really tried to make sure they were okay. Were there, showing them we were there to support them, for them to open up to us. A lot of the time we don't realize how much we can do. Canada probably didn't think he could make that big of a difference when he was our age.
- Katria Hale
I also agree that "The Secret Millionaire" was an eye opener to the poverty that people all around us are living with. After seeing this clip it makes me wonder how that really affected the lives of the father and son. Was this a once in a lifetime experience that made them grateful for what they had that day or did it impact them enough to change their own lifestyle in order to help those in need.
ReplyDeleteIn the world we live in today most people seem to worry more about themselves than helping other people. I was very impressed with the woman who opened her home to feed and take care of those in need. I wonder what I would do if I was in the position of the millionaire and his son. Seeing this has made me so grateful for what I have and has shown me how small my own problems are. I want to look for any opportunity to help others.
Heidi Lyman
Kathy was definitely inspirational. Whereas both Canada and the "secret millionaires" gave because they had enough to give, Kathy was giving when she barely had enough for herself. She saw a need and decided to do something about it. There is no financial way for her to improve the lives of thousands of children (the way Canada has with the Harlem Children's Zone), but she's the type of person who knows that making a difference in even one child's life is worth everything.
ReplyDeleteCanada blew my mind. He began with almost nothing, and really went from rags to riches. And not only did he decide to give back, he made giving back his whole life. He's a visionary.
Both of these people showed initiative that I think many people consider, but almost never act on.
Kali Shiloh
I was very impressed after watching the "secert millionaire". The woman who gave homes to people in need was amazing. I was so amazed that a woman with so little could give so much. She is truely a great woman. After watching that show I realized that I could do a lot more to help those around me. She inspired me to become a better person.
DeleteI also thought the story about Canada's schools was incredible. I have known about the problems kids that come from poverty face. However, I was unaware that such a program existed. After watching that I was so happy to see that there was a successful program to help kids in poverty have a "bright future".
Camille Cole
I completely agree with this post. After watching Secret Millionaire,I realized that I have truly been blessed in my life. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to receive an education, so that I may better my circumstances. Secret Millionaire also taught me a great lesson, it is not enough to simply be grateful, we must show our gratitude by helping others. When we serve others we are telling God that we are grateful for all that he has given us. I am so grateful and after this lesson, I am now inspired to help others to show it.
DeleteMary Nannette Wright
I really enjoyed watching the Secret Millionaire video because it helped me to once again realize that there are a vast number of people that live in conditions similar to the conditions seen in the video. It becomes very easy to look around at our own situation and not think about how people in poverty live. When you aren't around poverty often, it doesn't really enter our minds the way they live because we aren't reminded of it. Too easily do we only concern ourselves with our own small area of existence and forget that there are huge numbers of people that don't know where their next meal will come from. During high school, I had a few opportunities to volunteer at a soup kitchen with my ward. It was a really different experience for me because before that time I hadn't really seen very much poverty. I have been very privileged throughout my life so I hadn't had any experience with it up until that point. This experience really opened my eyes to poverty because many people would come through to get food and that was their only meal for the day. The Secret Millionaire brought back memories from these experiences and gave me a better appreciation for what I have and a better insight into poverty.
ReplyDeletePreston Porter
I was really touched by the amazing people that The Secret Millionaire highlighted. There is this sister in the ward I used to serve in, who was just like the older lady in the show. She would take in kids that had nowhere else to go. She'd give them a good place to stay, away from all the troubles that they would have inevitably found out on the streets. She was by no means, wealthy. She was providing for all of these people with her social security and food stamps. Even more, she would invite the missionaries to have dinner with her all the time. She is the epitome of charity. I hope that we can all be a little more charitable towards one another like these two amazing ladies.
ReplyDeleteRobin Lyles
I really liked this video clip as well. It made me so sad to watch parts of it because it's hard to accept the reality that people really do live in some of those conditions. When they were checking out the motel room and had bugs crawling everywhere and inside the bed, I thought to myself that I would never stay there but I recognize that some people have no other choice. It makes me truly grateful for the circumstances in which I have been raised. My heart aches for the millions who struggle every day of their lives just to get by. This clip was a real eye opener and I wish that more people could go through this experience.
ReplyDelete-Meghan Smarinsky