I’ve just nominated myself in the Jacob’s Creek True Character series competition – where you have to explain why you’ve stayed true to your character for a chance to win $10,000

I didn’t mean to make this big announcement so soon, yet now I’ve unintentionally revealed what it has been like the past year of my life, an indication about the future and an ANNOUNCEMENT of my next exciting / challenging venture. I wasn’t quite ready to announce it – but seeing that’s it’s OUT THERE – and I can’t take it back…… It was all linked up to Facebook…. and I have a silly little typo right at the front end which is going to be a lesson to me to be EXTRA careful!

If I won this – the prize of $10,000 would go a LONG WAY toward writing and publishing my book and continuing to support communities, particularly in SRI LANKA. Those of you who have been in my life prior to 2006 – would know more about this chapter in my life where I did voluntary aid work after the Tsunami . If you have met me since then ….well I have a story to tell……………

JACOBS CREEK TRUE CHARACTER- SUE LIU – (click here to read and vote)

I hope this is a WORTHY read – please take the time and VOTE and SHARE! The lack of paragraph breaks in the entry makes it a bit of a slog…so here it is below.

I’m staying true to my character, by focusing on my passion for helping people whilst trying to continue to run a business and support underprivileged communities!

I’m single, self employed, with a Sydney-sized mortgage, a cat and at that classic “midlife crisis” stage. I have invested over 20 years in building a career, 12 of those years running my own business and travelling as often as possible.

Since 2004, I have also been a self funded volunteer community fundraiser and aid worker.

Because I’m self employed – I needed to work doubly hard to sustain myself in my life and business and keep up my self imposed high expectations about helping people.

But in March last year – it all got too much and I hit serious BURNOUT. My mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health took a tumble. I had to take a 12 month “time-out” from corporate work to recover from this seriously debilitating state and redefine all aspects of my life.

I still did some serious fundraising in this time as I tried to explore, deliberate and search for where I should “fit, sit, stand and walk” in the world – and how I can make a better contribution in work and life – with balance. Should I shut down the business, get a job, go overseas, volunteer………… stay self employed? Returning to my “true character” helped me gain that clarity!

Being more aligned to my values and the truth about how I want to contribute to the world was the key. My future is to remain in business, to continue to be creative, use my skills and experience to support people and communities and to inspire MORE connection, participation, innovation and giving actions.

 WRITING A BOOK ABOUT VOLUNTEER AID WORK IN SRI LANKA

I am currently writing and self publishing a book about my solo, voluntary aid work in Sri Lanka after the 2004 Tsunami. I worked for 2 years physically and fundraised, galvanising my community – to support refugees and poor people in Sri Lanka. Based on my experience of also supporting communities in Cambodia, PNG, Congo and Africa, I hope to provide insight into how to run a social business and campaigns for people like me who want to use their “powers for good”.

In 2007, I mentored a modest Sri Lankan man and helped him start a business to achieve his dream of providing social work to poor people in his community. TODAY – self funded – he provides computer training and education support to 20 poor Sri Lankans out of his salary as a tour guide. He is just about to formalise his social venture and it will carry both of our names – Bruno Sue Liu Social Venture.

 HOW I WOULD USE THE $10,000

I will return to Sri Lanka in July. The purpose of the trip is to:

1. Reconnect with communities and people I was helping back in 2005-6 after the Tsunami and research for the book.

2. Provide further assistance to Bruno to help structure, formalise and professionalise his social venture – to enable him to work with organistions outside of Sri Lanka and become “fundable” (instead of self fundable).

3. Find a printer in Sri Lanka – so that I can provide a quantity of books that can be sold in Sri Lanka. 100% of the profits from sales in country would go to fund the Bruno Sue Liu Social Venture – providing computer training and education support to poor people.

Staying true to my character and passions will help me get over that “mid-life” hump and follow  a path to being connnected, happy and contributing.