GROW YOUR BEARD AND PAINT YOUR NAILS BY STEPHEN SHUPE

There should be some point in your life when you are so invested in what you are doing that you do not worry about your physical appearance. 

I was in the middle of nowhere in Breathitt County, Kentucky. I was sleeping on an air mattress in an elementary school and showering in a trailer that was connected to a hose. I was also a staff member working for the Appalachia Service Project. I was managing a $50,000 budget which went towards feeding over 330 volunteers throughout the summer and making homes warmer, safer, and dryer. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I had the ability to make a lasting difference in someone's life and I was not going to waste a single second shaving and worrying about what someone would say about my painted nails. 

This led to a summer of innovation and creativity. There was nothing that was going to stop us because we cared about the impact we were making. Do something that you love so much that nothing will stand in your way and the only way to get it done is with creative solutions and innovation. Then you will really start to think outside of the box. 

That's what I did… I let my beard grow and painted my nails. 

What about you?