I have never been one of those who could live in a box. My life has always been a mixture of family, faith, work and service. There are so many people I meet who would love to do some beyond theirselves, but they don't 
know how to get started.
This little pink princess gives you all you need to know. The sign hanging on her carraige is a great start. It says, "Faith, courage and strength." If you're going to help others, you've got to have faith. You might be a great tutor. There are a lot of kids who need a good tutor. There is also an adult population who need tutors. Years ago, a friend of mine taught adults to read, and yes, there are plenty of adults who can't read.
You may be good at finances, or helping others lose weight and get fit or some other need people may have. The options are endless. It takes faith to get started, but beyond that, it takes courage. Some people who need your help may reject you at first. They may resent your offer to help. They may welcome you initially, but when an offer to help becomes a personal responsibility to act, it may get touchy. You'll need to have faith that your cause is right, and then you'll need courage to stay the course.
That takes us to the third word on the pink sign; strength. Faith and courage are absolutely essential, but you've got to have the strength to continue when it would be easier to quit. I recently received a call from a former inmate I worked with 20 years ago. He had recently been released from prison. I actually married him and his wife while he was incarcerated. He called to let me know he was out and had started his own business.
There were many days it would have been easier to drop him and skip those trips into the prison, but I didn't. I didn't know him before we linked up in prison. He wasn't someone I owed anything to. When we met, he was a nameless inmate. There were some stressful times, and some days I left the institution feeling like a total failure, and then one day I get a call, and someone I touched twenty years ago is saying, "Thank you for not giving up on me." It takes strength to stay the course.
The most important part of the photograph may be what the pink princess is telling you. With a very determined look on her face, she is pointing for us to "Go!" All the faith, all the courage or all the strength in the world would not mean much at all if we don't ever go and use them. As you look for ways to have a well rounded life, I encourage you to offer yourself in service to others. You will make a difference.
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