"The Journey is the Destination"
What is our purpose in life? Why are we here? What would make us happy? These are questions we often ask ourselves on a daily basis! We often take years or even decades to discover what that purpose is. There are others that know from a very early age what they want to do with their lives- This is where I re-introduce you to
. I briefly spoke about him on this
featuring the Toms shoes inspired by him. I am beyond mesmerized by his work and his life. Dan only lived till the tender age of 22 years old and to accomplish all the things he did in such an early age is beyond inspirational. In the aftermath of Dan's death, his mother, Kathy Eldon, published an incredible book,
The Journey is the Destination
, which compiled the photography, artwork and poetry of Dan's journals.
Looking at Dan's collages, reminds me of one of my favorite songs of Michael Jackson (R.I.P) "The Man in the Mirror." It makes me think that I need to make a change and look within to leave something in this world that would inspire others just like Dan Eldon did.
Dan was an artist, adventurer and activist who lived every day as though he was creating a work of art. In 1992, amid reports of widespread violence and famine, Dan drove from his home in Kenya to Somalia to witness the devastation with his own eyes. What he discovered was a country in chaos - villages turned into war zones and kids left in the street to beg for food. The photos that Dan took were picked up by news agencies around the world, and at age 22, Dan became one of the youngest photojournalists in the history of Reuters.
Dan's photos helped to trigger a global response to the unfolding tragedy in Somalia, and he stayed on to cover the story when the U.N. began sending food and peacekeepers to the ravaged country. But in 1993, disaster struck. After a botched military raid that left hundreds wounded and dead, angry Somalis attacked journalists who had arrived on the scene to cover the story. Tragically, Dan Eldon and three of his colleagues were beaten and stoned to death on July 12th, 1993.
I really hope it inspires you to follow your creative dreams and use your talents to become a creative activist like Dan - transforming your bold ideas into positive action. May we all live with such boundless curiosity, optimism, and wild spirit...
Above
written by Toms Founder Blake Mycoskie
Images via
website
Wasn't Dan Eldon so inspirational? What do you think is your purpose in life? Have you started your journey? I urge you to this week start looking a little deeper inside and ask yourself some of those questions and see what you find. Don't be too shy to share them with us.
Have a great and inspirational weekend.
xoxo
Maurenice