By Stephanie Staples

Build it and they will come!

Aug 20, 2014 | 4:59 AM

Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited

I am so excited to be able to add ‘roofer’ to my resume, I think I’m going to put that right behind mascot. Yep,  I was a mascot for a day but it wasn’t nearly as fun or satisfy as this latest adventure. It was  the second year in a row of what I hope with be an annual event, a Habitat for Humanity build.

You’ve heard about them, you’ve read about them, if you’ve already participate – thank you! Maybe you’ve thought about participating but just haven’t got around to it yet?

Maybe you’ve wondered …why take a precious day or days out of our already short summer? Why get dirty and sweaty and possibly work harder than you do at your real job? Why indeed.

Here are a few reasons that I hope will get you jazzed up about signing up:

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1. Seeing the faces and hearing the stories of the people you will be building the houses for – Working side by side with them, watching them watch their house being built after years of anticipation and wait. It’s very different than writing a cheque to a cause. It’s very humanizing and  humbling indeed.
2. Learn new skills – not only do you help with the build, but the patient leaders explain why things are to be done a certain way, the names of the tools and gadgets and how to work them and other little trade secrets.
3. Experiential learning – to step into the shoes of people who do outdoor manual labour. I have a new respect for those folks.
4. To be inspired –  by the hundreds of volunteers and their reasons behind volunteering. Everyone from the kitchen personal to the cleaner uppers! With most everyone having their days full to the brim – seeing so many people take a full day out of their busy life, is pretty …wow.
5. To show gratitude – when we give back it is a way of saying thank you for all the gifts and blessings we have received. Thank you that I don’t need to access a Habitat House, thank you that my life has not been a financial struggle. Just thank you.  When we give back, we subtly give appreciation to our own lives.

As an added bonus this year, I meet Walter. His family hosted a unique family reunion by coordinating a day to do a family build. Inspired by their Oma, they called their group Oma’s Tribe and they all gathered, from the professionals in the family to the 80 year old uncle, to work together for a cause.  Walter talked about how different it was from a typical reunion. How people had conversations and learned things about others that they normally wouldn’t have spent time with. How working side-by side created a great bond.

It gave me the idea that a ‘Birthday Build’ would be a cool idea.  Instead of gathering for a potluck or party of some sort, what about gathering with the intention of doing good for someone else. What a great way to express gratitude for getting to take another spin around the sun.

Joining a Habitat for Humanity build is just one more way you can live, your life unlimited!

This week on Your Life, Unlimited radio, Cornelius Buller Habitat for Humanity lead builder, Cornelius Buller, PhD gave us some great insight and inspiration into the side of a Habitat build that most of us don’t see.  Your can listen in to our conversation here, I hope we can inspire you and your friends to sign up for a build…Your LIfe, Unlimited with Stephanie Staples and Cornelius Buller, PhD

Stephanie Staples, CSP* is the author of When Enlightening Strikes – Creating a Mindset for Uncommon Success and an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker. She empowers audiences & clients across North America to bring their ‘A’ game to work and to life. Stephanie has a special interest in working with and empowering nurses and healthcare providers. She happily calls Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada home. You can get loads of complimentary resources to help with issues such as work/life balance, wellness, stress management and happiness in general, as well as find out more information about her coaching and speaking services at http://www.YourLifeUnlimited.ca.

* Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), conferred by the National Speakers Association is the speaking profession’s international measure of professional platform proficiency. Less than 10 percent of speakers have earned this credential and are recognized as some of the best in their fields. Stephanie was one of only five professional speakers in Canada (and the only woman) to attain this designation in 2013.

The post Build it and they will come! first appeared on Your Life Unlimited.

Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited