Lesson #1 We Don’t Waste Anything (1:28)
- Whenever I finish anything in the kitchen, jars, containers, they will be reused for storing food or find another use. It is so common in the US to just toss things in the garbage, but not here.
- Kids are playing with old tires. In the US, when we get new tires, the old ones are disposed of. But in Africa, kids play with tires in the street.
Lesson #2 We Reuse and Recycle (2:13)
- I’m a part of several facebook groups in Africa, a lot of them are buy-and-sell facebook groups. Some people sell face washes that have already opened and half used! People are reselling things they can’t use, and it’s just a lesson that here, no one expects brand new things. People are buying other peoples things and it is 100% normalized.
Lesson #3 You Can Do Hard Things (3:32)
- Here, I am almost always outside of my comfort zone. I’m now comfortable being uncomfortable.
- When we first moved here, I was so concerned about driving. Driving in Dakar is insanity. There is anything and everything on the roads. Cars, bikes, horses, kids playing, animals. It’s insanity. The first time I needed to get out of the house I decided that I have it in me to drive. I felt on top of the world. When I realized I could do the hard thing that I kept putting off, saying I couldn’t do, it was liberating.
- What are you telling yourself you can’t do? Stop telling yourself you can’t, and just do it.
Lesson #4 Even if you don’t have much, you can still make a big difference (6:18)
- TJ says that the has seen people on the streets who have like no money, that help each other out.
- One man who looked to be very poor was carefully helping people put their bags into their cars. He was so generous with his time, and expected nothing in return.
Lesson #5 With a lot of money comes great responsibility (1:28)
- TJ’s second lesson is that you do have a lot of money, you can make a big impact.
- If you have a lot of money, it’s so important not to waste it. Invest it, save it, and use it to help others instead of buying things you don’t need.
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