In recent years there have been a few companies spring up that focus on microloans or microcredit. The companies focus on letting anyone provide small loans to people around the world. I have loved this idea for a long time and figured it was time to put my money where my mouth is. So I looked into Kiva. The loans start at small amounts, say $25 dollars. Kiva is one of the biggest players in the business and looks to have had a lot of success. You can even create groups with them and loan money on behalf of a group.

I created an account and loaned my first $25 to a Morena Lampictoc in the Philippines. My loan actually helped complete her loan request which felt great!

I was in the Philippines a little over a year ago. I was really impressed with the people but also impacted by the poverty in that country. It was really because of that experience I decided to pick someone in the Philippines.

I will be documenting my experience with this process. Through documenting the process I hope to not only encourage myself to do more of it, but also encourage others to donate.

Kiva has 126 field partners who help validate and vet those asking for money and actually have a really high return rate. Keep in mind this is not something you do for a financial investment. The money is loaned at 0% interest. It really is a great way to fight poverty around the world with the free market and most people’s desire to help others.

For now Morena can order some more feed for her pigs and hopefully grow her business to feed more people. Repayments are suppose to start in May. I am excited to see the money come back so I can feel confident in this process and send the money out again in another investment!

The human being has an infinite capacity for desiring more. This is both good and dangerous. This desire motivates our ambition and compels us to innovate and find better ways to live our lives. However, this powerful force can trick us into always being fixated on what we do not have and take for granted that which we do have. Being fixated in such a way acts as a cancer to our ability to be grateful and gratitude is the supreme attribute that determines our happiness.

How do we then remain in control of these forces and allow them to enrichen our lives without sabotaging our joy? I would like to offer one answer I have used in my life to my great benefit.

In my youth (during college to be specific) a friend told me to define success for myself and write it down. He told me to be specific; answer the questions that I think mattered for me to perceive myself as being successful. How much money would I make? What kind of car would I drive? What kind of family would I have? How big would my yard be; would I have a dog; where would I travel; what would my habits be – and on and on. So I did. I tried to be as specific as possible. I defined all sorts of things, many you would expect, some you wouldn’t and some that even seem silly in hindsight. I wrote it all down in my journal when I was about 24 years old.

Now, almost a decade and a half later, I look back and review the list (and have done so many times) I have been able to check-off items on the list as they were accomplished. My list, which filled multiple pages, now has the majority of items checked. Some items that required a bit of faith to accomplish – have a son – have a daughter – marry a wonderful woman that would be a good mother and amazing spouse – are now all checked. Others that simply required planning are also checked – own a brand new car – go on a cruise. And some that to many might seem silly – own a house that allows me to put up a Christmas tree in the front room so it can be seen from the street outside – but give me much joy are also checked.

I still want more, lots more, and I won’t stop striving for it all. But having this list has protected me from the unconscious impulse to continually move my target for success and thereby never obtain it. This definition of success which I made back in college has enabled me to experience much happiness: first in knowing what I am striving for, second in watching myself accomplish certain things, and also (and perhaps most important) keep clear in my mind the distinction between those things that I need (subjectively) and those things that I want above and beyond; and all the while not allow the things I still want to rob me of the joy in the things that I declared I needed and have subsequently obtained.