View allAll Photos Tagged MakeADifference
PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 16, 2021) Two Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC), attached to Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 5, receive directions from Sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) during LCAC recovery operations. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine training operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
to use our ability
to keep this place alive...
~
The amount of trash we take out has gotten smaller and smaller over the years. We have a large bin outside that stores all our plastics and metals that can be recycled. We have another, smaller one that has all our cardboard boxes from store-bought products, and we have a wastebasket inside for shreddable paper. Every couple of weeks we take this all to the local recycling center and do our part.
Sometimes, doing something...anything...just feels good.
What have you done? I'd like to hear how you make a difference in your community...in any way :)
Happy Sunday peeps.
PACIFIC OCEAN (May. 26, 2021) An SH-60s Seahawk attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3 prepares to place cargo on the flight deck of amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) as part of a vertical replenishment-at-sea. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine operations in U.S. Third Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 16, 2021) Sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) handle the phone and distance line as part of a replenishment-at-sea (RAS) with fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Keiser (T-AO 187) during a routine underway. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine training operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 16, 2021) Sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) stand watch as the ship steams underway. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine training operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 21, 2021) Sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) receive training in team movements as part of flight deck firefighting training during a routine underway. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine training operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
This image was taken for a not-for-profit that has changed its named, focus, and mission to KEZA.
Remera, Kigali.
Rwanda. Central Africa.
October 6, 2006.
PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 11, 2021) Sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) direct the crane operator during rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) operations. John P. Murtha is participating in exercise Freedom Banner, an annual exercise that involves strategic projection of the Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) and associated combat forces. This year’s iteration supports Large Scale Exercise (LSE) 2021, globally integrated training that demonstrates the U.S. Navy’s ability to employ precise, lethal, and overwhelming force across three naval component commands, five numbered fleets, and 17 time zones. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 11, 2022) Amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) fires a rolling airframe missile (RAM) during a live fire exercise. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
ACIFIC OCEAN (May. 27, 2021) Amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) conducts a replenishment-at-sea with fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Keiser (T-AO 187) as USS Spruance (DDG 111) comes alongside Henry J. Keiser. John P. Murtha is currently underway conducting routine training operations in U.S. Third Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
PACIFIC OCEAN (March 15, 2022) Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Kyro Lee, from Miami, assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), directs an MH-60S Seahawk, assigned to the “Easy Riders” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37, to move into position during a vertical replenishment-at-sea. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
“Regardless of whatever I do, I know what my purpose is: to make a difference in people’s lives.” – Tim Tebow
What does it mean to make a difference? It is the ability of each individual to utilize the resources that they have access to so that they can make their community a better place. The best way to do that is to harness the talents and skill sets that a person has while continually increasing their knowledge base by tapping into the intellectual capital of those around them.
We know that we are able to appropriate our resources accordingly when we use them to create more resources rather than diminish them. It is when we do this that we are able to create a self-sustaining entity for good. When we develop something that takes care of itself while taking care of our society, we have produced a commodity that can change the world.
In order to do this efficiently we can’t be wasteful with our time, our money, or even the way we market and choose to produce our product or service. It is our responsibility to the other members of our community to ensure that we don’t waste the resources that we have access to. The social impact we are able to make is dependent upon being frugal with what we have while continually working to create something new.
If we just focus on the profit and not on the social impact we can make, our driving force will only be money. As much as we may enjoy having access to capital, we won’t be driven as hard because sometimes money does not have enough inherent value for which we are willing to sacrifice our time.
When our purpose for working is instead other people, we are less likely to take the easy way out because it is no longer what, but for whom we are working. This inevitably increases the value proposition that a company is able to provide to its customers as well as to its employees. People want to buy from and work for an organization that is unafraid of the unknown, unafraid of creating something new because they are buying and working for something larger than just themselves.
When we focus on making a difference we are forced to be more productive across the board. Having a bigger purpose for why you get up in the morning and work so hard each day will undoubtedly increase your company’s profits as a bi-product. When we are working for others we can’t waste a single second, we can’t waste a single resource along our journey.
It is when we concentrate only on the money that we allow ourselves to cut corners and to be destructive with our environment because unknowingly we trade human prosperity for an increase in the quarterly dividends. The amazing thing is that our profits will increase so much more so when we no longer have it as our focal point.
Making a difference in the lives of those around you starts with a psychological shift from working just for oneself to working for everyone else. We rationalize at times that it is okay to let ourselves down by not working as hard but it is much harder to do so when we are laboring for one another.
How each one of us makes a difference will differ because we all have unique skill sets. Our diversity is one of the great things about this world that we live within. It is the collective good that we are able to generate when we realize our purpose in life that allows us to make our communities better together. It’s easy to get lost on the journey to figuring out what it is we were meant to do, what it is we were meant to be. But the guiding light should always be how we can make the largest impact on those around us, because when we do so, we will find that everything else will fall into place.
It’s not about what we do, it’s about who we do it for. We are not just what we continually do, we are who we will never stopping for. Today is the day to make a difference in the lives of those around you so that you can be a part of the change you’ve always wanted to see.
(The difference that we are able to make is dependent upon how hard we are willing to work for others.)
@TimTebow
#TimTebow
#MakeADifference
#MakeAnImpact
#Purpose
#Leadership
#LiveForOthers
Updates of November 7, 2018
Jean de Dieu Ngirabaganwa Jardon is a filmaker in Rwanda. He and I remain in contact and I want to share his work with the world! Years ago, Films Without Borders/ filmswithoutborders.org brought him to study in London.
To read more about John's work and to contact him, please go to ngjadon.wixsite.com/home
________
1600 ISO. No flash, it's almost pitch black as I show kids examples of playing around with angle, perspective, composition. This first lesson is emphasizing The Portrait, but I've encouraged the kids to fool around, choose any subject. Building confidence is tres importante, and experimentation is key to developing an eye. As I watch the orphans work the camera, I learn from them how to see differently.
This is a portrait of John de Dieu (10). He's normally quite serious, so I was so
surprised when I turned around and squinted through the darkness to see him with
this expression. He's the little guy who is learning computer skills, helping me to identify the names in the hundreds of photographs I've taken across two summers
here at the orphanage. All this builds community, as every step of the process
attracts several children all eager to work together to learn and be creative.
Please note: all the photos on this Flickr site were taken by me. I'm in the process
of starting a Flickr site for the kids... :)
There is a whole generation of genocide survivors, their stories must be heard.
Gisimba Memorial Center.
The girls' dormitory.
An orphanage on the outskirts of Kigali, in Nyamirambo.
Rwanda. Afrika.
August, 2006
Deborah wearing my hat and offering me the stuffed animal I gave her last week.
This image was taken for a not-for-profit that has changed its named, focus, and mission to KEZA.
Remera, Kigali.
Rwanda. Central Africa.
October 3, 2006.
PACIFIC OCEAN (May. 26, 2021) Engineman 2nd Class Mason Bee, from Akron, Ohio, attached to amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), participates in non-lethal weapons familiarization training. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine operations in U.S. Third Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
This week the UK released a psa www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGE8LzRaySk which shows the consequences of texting while driving. After trying to watch it twice now and not being able to I realized in order for me to get past it I have to write about it.
FACT: Most of you won't know this but a year and a half ago, on New Year's Day at noon my daughter was in a serious car accident. An uninsured driver pulled out in front of the vehicle my daughter was in as the front seat passenger and she bore the brunt of the impact. She suffered a broken and retracted femur which required a lengthy surgery that day and to place a steel rod in the length of her thigh and a head injury. The next year was a difficult one both physically and mentally and had an impact on my family that I would not have believed possible. However, she is amazing and strong and we are getting through it and definitely moving forward.
So I tried to watch the video, and EVERYONE should, but in the video, after the accident when the driver is screaming and crying for help I had instant pain in my chest (screaming and crying is what I heard when my daughter called me on her cell phone while she was pinned in the car) and then in the video a young man runs to the car and starts to call for help because the door is jammed closed (and that is how I found my daughter when I arrived on scene before they had her out of the car) my eyes filled with tears and I was done, I left my office. My co-worker told me later the video got much worse and I shouldn't see it. In two short minutes I was exactly back to a place in my mind I never wanted to be again.
Three weeks after the accident we were on our way to an appointment with our daughter (we spent over half an hour assuring her that we could get her there safely, she was so afraid to be in a car and was crying most of the way) when she received a cell phone call from her friend....she was screaming, we could all hear, her sister had been killed the night before in an accident while driving with friends, she was away at school and the police had just called her family. Two days later, at work, I met with the family of the other girl to complete the cemetery arrangements and felt guilty to think that three weeks before it could have been me in their place and how lucky I was to still have my daughter.
FACT: last year texting while driving was responsible for 40,000 deaths!!!
I don't know that texting played a part in either of the accidents I described but clearly there was a lack of focus or attention of the drivers that caused them.
FACT: texting has become too much a part of our daily lives....I am as addicted to my Blackberry as everyone else but it has a place!! And this I know... you will survive not knowing whether Sara bought the red or pink dress at the mall until you see her and you will survive not knowing if Evan asked Melissa to the school dance and whether or not Ryan thinks you're cute too until you get home and call them. BUT you may not survive the 10 seconds it takes you to read such highlights while driving!!!
I'm sure some of you will have similar or worse events in your own lives and those of you that don't I pray you never will. As a parent you would give anything to take the pain yourself to spare your child. Please take the time to watch this video and if your children are of an age...watch it with them.
Teach them to be safe and focused in cars.
Teach them so you will keep them....
TINIAN (Aug. 10, 2021) Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Donte Russell, from New Orleans, assigned to Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 1, casts a line ashore from a Landing Craft, Utility (LCU) carrying vehicles and supplies during exercise Freedom Banner 2021. Freedom Banner is an annual exercise that involves strategic projection of the Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) and associated combat forces. This year’s iteration supports Large Scale Exercise (LSE) 2021, which is designed to refine how we synchronize maritime operation across multiple Fleets in support of the joint force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
PACIFIC OCEAN (July 26, 2021) Quartermaster 3rd Class Ethan Brackett from Collinsville, Okla., assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), observes the Voyage Management System (VMS) console. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine operations as part of U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
The pot of beans will take two hours to cook.
Directed by Jared Miller (USA), Sisters of Rwanda is a young NGO helping to empower and ennoble prostitutes in Remera, Kigali. This series documents their lives off the streets.
Remera, Kigali.
Rwanda. Central Africa.
October 9, 2006.
For Sisters of Rwanda
This is a series documenting the sisters' lives off the streets.
If you don't think you can make a difference, please, think again.
"Sisters of Rwanda is a non-profit organization focused on women who make their living as a commercial sex worker, and/or have been sexually abused. Our purpose is to provide these vulnerable girls with a sustainable income and life/business skills that will ensure a better quality of life for them and their families."
Please do not blog or use any of the photographs from the Sisters of Rwanda series. Thank you.
PACIFIC OCEAN (Jan. 31, 2022) Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Tasad Townsend, from Marion, South Carolina, assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), directs a CH-53E Super Stallion, aaaigned to the “Warhorse” of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 465 to launch from the flight deck. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 17, 2021) Sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) combat a simulated fire as part of a fire drill during a routine underway. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine training operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
There are thousands of street children in Butare. Everyday they scavenge for food. Some make their home in trash heaps boardering the streets. At night, these children burrow beneath blankets of rotted refuse, heads at odd angles to the highway.
Some of these children are orphans, others come from broken or abusive homes, a sobering fact which can turn street life into near sanctuary.
Butare, Rwanda.
Afrika.
July 8, 2006.
PACIFIC OCEAN (May. 27, 2021) Ens. Braxton Hudson, from Athens, Ga., assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) uses a pelorus to verify the ship’s bearing in preparation for a replenishment-at-sea. John P. Murtha is currently underway conducting routine training operations in U.S. Third Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
Three and a half year old Diana (pronounced DeeAnna) was brought here to Gisimba Memorial Center less than a year ago. Diana is quick to giggle, and her smile is sweet beyond words. Gisimba Memorial Center has proven to be a sanctuary for this little angel.
I'm looking for sponsors for the children of Gisimba Memorial Center. Please email me at camera_rwanda@yahoo.com if you are interested.
Gisimba Memorial Center.
Nyamirambo, Kigali. Rwanda. Afrika.
June 27, 2006.
If you are interested in sponsoring an orphan at Gisimba Memorial Center, direct contact information is listed below.
Ildephonse Niyongana - Director
Damas Gisimba - Founder
gisimbacmg@yahoo.com
Gisimba Orphanage
B.P. 1433 Kigali Rwanda
Ave de la Nyarugenge
Nyamirambo
District of Nyarugenge
tel +250 08524515 or +250 08532596
Bank of Kigali 040-0013914-76
swift BK IG RWRW
Additional information can also be found on www.orphansofrwanda.org
PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 16, 2021) Sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) stand watch as the ship steams underway. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine training operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
SAN DIEGO (June 8, 2021) Midshipmen from various colleges take a guided tour of amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha’s (LPD 26) bridge, June 8. John P. Murtha is homeported at Naval Base San Diego. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
This is her little sister, she's two years old and she loves to eat mamones. You can see that she's got heat rash all over her chest. Her mom is a single mom with four children and was never around the whole time I've visited their home.
PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 2 2021) Sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) and NASA personnel conduct boilerplate test article (BTA) familiarization training during NASA Underway Recovery Test Nine (URT-9). This marks the ninth U.S. Navy underway recovery test in support of the NASA Artemis mission and the third time a URT has taken place aboard John P. Murtha. The U.S. Navy has many unique capabilities that make it an ideal partner for supporting NASA, including its amphibious capabilities with the ability to embark helicopters, launch and recover small boats, three-dimensional air search radar, and advanced medical facilities. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
PACIFIC OCEAN (July 14, 2021) A Sailor assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) directs Sailors to chock and chain an MV-22 Osprey attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 268 during flight quarters, July 14. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
SAN DIEGO (June 8, 2021) Midshipmen from various colleges take a guided tour of amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha’s (LPD 26) main propulsion room one, June 8. John P. Murtha is homeported at Naval Base San Diego. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
This image was taken for a not-for-profit that has changed its named, focus, and mission to KEZA.
Remera, Kigali.
Rwanda. Central Africa.
October 6, 2006.
PACIFIC OCEAN (March 15, 2022) Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Kyro Lee, from Miami, assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), salutes an MH-60S Seahawk, assigned to the “Easy Riders” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37, following a successful vertical replenishment-at-sea. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
PACIFIC OCEAN (June 22, 2022) Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Spenser Sweet, from Butte, Mo., assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) directs the crew of an amphibious combat vehicle, assigned to 3d Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, as they maneuver through the well deck. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)
Support Gismba Memorial Center. Buy the book!: www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/559906
Children Shoot What They're Taught To
In Sierra Leone and Northern Uganda, children are taught to point and shoot guns. Here in Rwanda, they're learning another way of expressing themselves.
Anything is possible.
Gisimba Memorial Center
If you are interested in sponsoring an orphan at Gisimba Memorial Center, direct contact information is listed below.
Ildephonse Niyongana - Director
Damas Gisimba - Founder
gisimbacmg@yahoo.com
Gisimba Orphanage
B.P. 1433 Kigali Rwanda
Ave de la Nyarugenge
Nyamirambo
District of Nyarugenge
tel +250 08524515 or +250 08532596
Bank of Kigali 040-0013914-76
swift BK IG RWRW
Additional information can also be found on www.orphansofrwanda.org
This image was taken for a not-for-profit that has changed its named, focus, and mission to KEZA.
Remera, Kigali.
Rwanda. Central Africa.
September 6, 2006.
There are thousands of street children in Butare. Everyday they scavenge for food. Some make their home in trash heaps boardering the streets. At night, these children burrow beneath blankets of rotted refuse, heads at odd angles to the highway.
Some of these children are orphans, others come from broken or abusive homes, a sobering fact which can turn street life into near sanctuary.
Butare, Rwanda.
Afrika.
July 8, 2006.
PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 3, 2021) - Sailors assigned to the amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) and NASA personnel launch a boilerplate test article (BTA) during NASA Underway Recovery Test Nine (URT-9), Nov. 3. This marks the ninth U.S. Navy underway recovery test in support of the NASA Artemis mission and the third time a URT has taken place aboard John P. Murtha. The U.S. Navy has many unique capabilities that make it an ideal partner for supporting NASA, including its amphibious capabilities with the ability to embark helicopters, launch and recover small boats, three-dimensional air search radar, and advanced medical facilities. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer) 211103-N-MT581-1845
** Interested in following U.S. Indo-Pacific Command? Engage and connect with us at www.facebook.com/indopacom | twitter.com/INDOPACOM |
www.instagram.com/indopacom | www.flickr.com/photos/us-pacific-command; | www.youtube.com/user/USPacificCommand | www.pacom.mil/ **
Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours, and let every new-year find you a better man. - Benjamin Franklin
More Benjamin Franklin Quotes and Sayings
Picture Quotes on Be the Change
What to Do in Bangkok: 5 Insider’s Tips by Local Experts
Original photo credit: Jill Wellington
PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 20, 2021) Sailors assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) use firefighting equipment to combat a simulated casualty as part of damage control training in auxiliary machinery room two during a routine underway. John P. Murtha is underway conducting routine training operations in U.S. 3rd Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Curtis D. Spencer)