Everything will change.

Is it possible to be philanthropically minded, with nothing but the most wonderful intentions and motives for helping people around you (either in your personal or professional life) ... and still be extremely selfish?

I feel like I'm faced with this dilemma on a constant basis, in my classes, my internship, and my personal life. Selfishness is a recurring theme/thought for several reasons:

1. I'm very aware of how selfish and grossly involved in my own fulfillment I can be.
2. I'm surrounded by people who are trying to make a living out of "helping people"
3. I'm human.

So, I really can't help but wonder... am I pursuing a life of equality and philanthropy because I truly believe it and wish the best for humanity, or am I doing it because I want to look like a faultless superhero?

What I've come to learn is that it's a mixture of both. It's about really, truly, absolutely believing that humans are worth something and that they are capable of change. It's about that tireless desire to let people know they aren't alone, that it's okay when they feel badly, and that you are there for them if they need you. It's that passion, that unexplainable thing inside you that says - "I wish I was created to do anything else, but I have to do this"

But it's also the reward that we receive. The single mother who's given a second chance at an education, the child rescued out of slavery, the family who is given their first real home, the student who is finally able to tell their story without feeling alone. It's the feeling that we'll go home at the end of the day with, even though we're exhausted and desperate and worn out.

It's about community. It's about give and take. A wise old friend once said, "Someone needs it, you give it. You need it? You take it."

And maybe I'm still young and naive, maybe I still have that beautiful mentality that I can change the world... but I really believe it. I really believe that love is the answer, respect is the action and equality is the result.