The Classic Pamela Positive: “Sail Away from the Safe Harbor” — Mark Twain

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Mark Twain

Writer, Humorist, Entrepreneur, Publisher, and Lecturer

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People who are safe

It’s okay to feel safe. In some ways, we need to feel safe as a launching pad, knowing that someone believes in us.  

A supportive familiy,

an encouraging great uncle. 

Sisters and brothers that make us laugh. 

Perhaps a great education.  

From that harbor, we can and should launch into spectacular venues where we push ourselves out of our comfort zone. Start a business. Take a job that challenges. Visit a foreign country and try to learn a new language.  

You will grow and be inspired in ways you could never imagine. You inspire.

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People Who Have Less Support.

For those of you who dream and discover starting from shaky ground, you have a courage that will carry you through to new heights and insights. 

You might not have had that family support.

You paid your own education. 

Your best friend – is your family. 

You love your dog, another best friend. 

You might at times feel alone.

But still, you push yourself to discover

You go on a volunteer trip to help save elephants, by yourself.  You pay for your education on your own.  You eat foods you’ve never thought you would.  You step on stage!  You start a soccer club, or attend a UN meeting, write a CEO, become a CEO, or join a movement 

You still put yourself out there. You inspire!


Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens, in Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835. He was the sixth child in his family. In 1847, his father died, which caused his family to fall into poverty. This would shape Clemens’ writing and how he viewed the world. To help support his family, he began working as a printer at age 12.

In July 1961, he headed out west where he would eventually find steady work as a reporter for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. In his writing, he presented an honest, yet satirical portrayal of the antebellum south. His criticisms of the south, such as in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, cried out against racist attitudes. He led an exciting life as a ferry boat driver and a prospector during the Gold Rush; his experiences enhanced his understanding of the American culture which he wrote about.

In 1870, he married Olivia Langdon and the couple settled in Buffalo, New York with their four children. 

Bio Source: Wikipedia  Fig¹. Photo by Bobby Burch on Unsplash  Fig². Photo by Erik Dungan on Unsplash, Fig3 Photo by Jarad Rice on Unsplash, Bio Photo at Wikimedia

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About Pamela Hawley

Pamela is the founder and CEO of UniversalGiving™ (www.UniversalGiving.org). UniversalGiving™ (UG) is an award winning marketplace which allows people to give and volunteer with the top-performing projects all over the world. UniversalGiving™ offers a variety of ways for donors to become involved through individual Projects or Gift Packages. Visitors simply choose a region (such as Africa) and an issue (such as education or the environment) and receive a list of quality ways to give and volunteer. When giving, 100% of your donation goes directly to the project. UniversalGiving™ performs due diligence on all its projects through its unique, trademarked Quality Model™. To date, almost $1.5 million and 8,000 volunteers have been matched through www.UniversalGiving.org. UniversalGiving™ has most recently been featured in the Christian Science Monitor, Self Magazine, Chicago Sun Times, New York Times, L.A. Times, and CNNMoney. In addition, UniversalGiving™ was the 2006 Webby Award honoree and won W3's 2007 Silver Award for Creative Excellence on the Web. UniversalGiving™ is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, whose vision is to "create a world where giving and volunteering are a natural part of everyday life."™ Before UniversalGiving™, Pamela co-founded VolunteerMatch, which has matched more than 4 million volunteers with nonprofits. During her time with there, Pamela also launched VolunteerMatch Corporate, a customized version for employee volunteer programs. More than 20 Fortune 500 companies became clients, providing 43% of Volunteer Match’s sustainability. Pamela's global experience includes work and volunteering abroad in microfinance in remote villages of India; crisis relief work in the 2000 El Salvador earthquake; sustainable farming in Guatemala; digital divide training in Cambodia; and indigenous community preservation in Ecuador. Pamela has a political science degree cum laudé at Duke University and a Masters on scholarship at the Annenberg School of Communications, USC, in International Communications.

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