When you picture “the good life,” what comes to mind? Is it landing a book deal, having a big house, lots of travel? The word “service” doesn’t often come to mind for most. Which is not surprising as we are not taught to revere the idea. In fact, some are given “community service” as a punishment for a crime.

 

We are taught instead that achievements and acquisitions are the definitions of a successful existence, but these are only nurturing to the ego. Instead, a life of service is the highest level of achievement for which one can strive, especially if one is interested in their own happiness.

 

Everyone is looking for direction in life. Some of the luckiest have a true calling (or callings, really they come in a series). Nature will give us assignments based on our capability and level of awareness. When you bring your awareness out of your small self or ego (the wave of self) and bring it into the Big Self (or ocean of self), your larger nature will point you in the right direction. This is where meditation comes in.

 

It lets us hear that inner voice that is often a set of instructions. The more closely you follow those intuitive instructions, the more complicated and bigger assignments you will get. Meditation also is the tool for finding fulfillment within. When you no longer need to look outside for happiness, you will feel compelled to bring your fulfillment to others. Your life becomes one of service from that point on.

 

We are joined by an incredible individual who shared is life with us and his quest in life.

 

Allan J. "Alonzo" Wind is a retired Senior Foreign Service Officer from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), having worked on and off with the Agency primarily overseas on diplomatic assignments from 1990 to 1992 and 1999 to 2019 in the Peru, Nicaragua, Angola, Nigeria, Iraq, Afghanistan and South Africa and the Southern Africa USAID Regional Missions. He provided oversight to U.S. government foreign aid development and humanitarian assistance, and supported U.S. Ambassadors as their senior development officer on multiple U.S. Embassy Country Teams.

 

In South Africa he helped establish the Southern Africa Regional Leadership Center as part of President Obama’s Young African Leadership Initiative, and contributed to other youth development efforts and business incubators.

 

He previously worked as the Global Programme Coordinator for the International Save the Children Alliance Secretariat and as a Country Director and Health Sector Coordinator for different nonprofit private voluntary organizations including CARE and PLAN International in a range of countries including Ecuador, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom.

 

Taking a mental health screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition.

Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable. And recovery is possible. To take your Free Mental Health screening visit https://walkthetalkamerica.org/ or click the following link. 

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