What Are Those Things You Have Yet to Do You Have Not Done Yet?

October 10, 2011

For me, two of my top three goals or dreams have to do with writing. They would be, first, work on a book idea I have called “The Billion Dollar Gift”  which is about twelve people who are chosen to spend $500 million, each, for “the greater good” but they have only six months to spend it. The winner will be the person who is able to create the largest impact on the greater good with their half billion and, as a result, receive the prize of one billion.

The reason I decided to write this book is because I wanted to experience what it would “feel” like to have a lot of money and be able to, as many really wish they could, make a HUGE difference in the world. What I find out, to my surprise in writing this book, is that it takes a lot of thought as to how to spend that much money. In fact, I have told a lot of people–friends and strangers, about the book and they have weighed in with all kinds of suggestions as to how the money should be spent.

Go through this elaborate exercise has helped me see, surprisingly, that it is not as simple as it seems to spend such a large amount of money. I mean, after all, when you are challenged to have the money stretch further and help more than anyone else could do with it, you have to think very strategically. As a result this book has taken much longer than most of my books, but that doesn’t bother me. I am not after the accomplishment of finishing the book but, rather, immersing myself in a long, drawn out, thoughtful journey through strategic philanthropy. Just like the experience of reading a good book, I want to savor the writing part of this endeavor.

My second book, which I won’t spend as much time today with, is actually the beginning of a series of books I will be writing called “Miss Stories” with the first book titled, Miss Understood and the Case of the Missing Angel. I even started a blog a couple of years ago that has sat dormant for too long call www.missstories.com.

But what are your things that you have yet to do? If you want you can share them with me by email (melissa@networlding.com) or you can share them with the world in the comments, below. No matter, what, start NOW. Don’t wait. As Seth Godin has been saying in his recent blog posts, “ship something.” What are you going to ship this next week? How about this next month, next year?

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  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/irisaf Iris Florea

    "The Billion Dollar Gift" book is a great idea and if I were the decision maker, I would provide potable water to the people struggling in arid, desert type locations.
    I know of a company here in Pittsburgh that has developed a modern system – energetically self sustained for filtration, therefore muddy or contaminated sources of water can be brought to potable water, without the dread of diseases.
    The one billion might not be enough to support many of these places where drinking water is a problem.
    It is just my thought, so if there is further interest in this subject, please reach out to me.
    One of the things I am missing is finding that elusive engineering job, and getting out my “cones of shade"…but providing drinking water to the world might be a higher cause to address.
    Great job Melissa!

  • http://www.networldingblog.com Networlding

    Thanks Iris. I would love to know more. The idea then in the book would be for the person starting to leverage this concept through finding and building an alliance network of entrepreneurs in that space who can work together nationally and internationally to begin projects to scale the concept.

    Anything you want to send me in an outline form on more details would be helpful–e.g. sites that have started to form around this idea or groups that have and the sites they are on as well as individuals who are leading this movement.

    I will also have my researcher do some investigating. If the book sells big I'll come back to you to implement in some way! I am just getting a start on learning this space to bear with me as I go through the "learning curve!"