Decisions, Decisions

After another exhausting day working in the Philippines in the weeks after Typhoon Yolanda hit, a few of us were sitting around trying not to talk about work. The conversation turned to upcoming vacation plans and when it was my turn I said, “I have no idea. There are too many choices and I don’t have the capacity to make that decision right now.”

Donald was walking by at that precise moment and overhead the exchange. He stopped before our group and said, “You should go to Cassis, France. It’s beautiful

Roots

Once while standing in the middle of an aspen grove on the top of a mountain in Santa Fe, New Mexico, someone casually pointed out that every aspen tree in sight was connected to one another by the same root system. That each and every tree grew from the same mother line and that all the trees in the colony received nourishment from the same root system. They went on to say that if one tree is not well, the others will divert their own nourishment to that tree so it too can survive. That aspens have the ability to sprout anew in the same area after a fire because the root system is deep in the ground. While the fire rages on top of the ground, the root system is protected and simply waits for the fire to burn out.

5 Lessons Learned While Working with Doctors Without Borders

In the midst of life, as it swirls around, acting upon us and pushing us about, we may forget that our purpose is to learn and to use those learnings going forward. We get caught up with what is happening and forget to take time to contemplate what we have learned. Then someone comes along and unexpectedly forces you to name what it is you have learned when they ask: “Catherine, what are the five things you learned while working in the field with Doctors Without Borders?”

Fear of Success

There I was one summer afternoon, in the chilly waters of Lake Wasilla, a teenager struggling to waterski. "Hit it!” I yelled time after time. The boat would roar forward on command, the rope connecting me to my latest challenge growing taut. I could feel the power of the boat through the rope as it tried in vain to pull me up and on top of the water. It would not happen that afternoon.

Mom was with me in the struggle, yelling words of advice and suggestions from the boat. On what would be the boat’s last circle around for the day, I looked up at her from the water, shivering and

Babies in Buckets: Creativity Without Limits

When working in the field with Doctors Without Borders, I frequently have the honor of watching sparks of imagination transform into creative realities. What I find most remarkable is the obvious truth that the more limited the context, options, and tools … the more creative the ideas that come forth. Having seen this truth manifest repeatedly, it occurs to me that we have it backwards. The general assumption seems to be that there will be great strides in creativity when possibilities abound but in fact, our greatest creative endeavors come when there are significant constraints. Necessity truly is the mother of invention.