Being a lover of books and reading all my life, I was touched and moved to tears many times while reading the story of John Wood and how he discovered his life purpose and walked away from a corporate job with Microsoft to follow his heart bringing education and books to kids worldwide.

Listening to him retell the story in the video below is powerful.

Makes you think – am I living my highest dreams and life purpose? What is my life really about – making money – or expanding love in self and others?

It began when he was an executive with Microsoft about 10 years ago. He went trekking for 10 days in Nepal, visited a school which was bare of books in the library. He promised to get books and one year later delivered 1000s of books bundled on the back of a yak.

Seeing the kids leap on the brightly colored books with delight and wonder, ignited Wood’s passion to help more schools in Nepal where the illiteracy rate is 75% – and later expand his vision globally.
SHOCKING
Shocking to know that of the estimated 850 million people who are illiterate in the world – two-thirds are women.
And inspiring to know that Wood has target giving scholarships to girls – especially in third-world countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam. He refers to the saying:”When you educate a boy you educate a boy. But when you educate a girl you educate a family and the generation to come”.

Yet it is often the girl children who end up having to give up school to work or look after their younger siblings. Unfair but also perpetuating the cycle of poverty, low self-worth and/or abuse which can result from a poor education.

Did you know that for as little as $250 a year you can support a child with a scholarship that keeps her in school? And it is wonderful to know that more than 3 million children have been touched by Room to Read’s outreach with books, libraries and/or scholarships such as this.

“Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” is not a new book – but it is highly relevant to all of us who value books – and care for our global children.

Let John Wood tell the story. I love it because it shows how he got on track with his life purpose …

Here are two self-help body tips which can improve your well being, health and focus in 2010.

1. FINGER HOLDS
From Jin Shin Jyutsu we learn how to hold each finger for a few minutes to dissolve and release a specific emotion linked via that finger to our meridians. So hold your thumb to release worry, your ring finger for sadness and grief and your middle finger to shift anger, frustration and indecision. Try it when you’re next stuck in traffic or upset by something. It works!

2. CREATIVE JOINT PLAY
Katie Hendricks demonstrates a way to keep flexible and creative – I love it!