Hope is not what we expect. It is a dream much bigger.
Along our journey, we met a number of people who know the greatness of hope. Meet:
How many of us have expectations? We make plans and stress if they don’t turn out right or question them when there’s a bump in the road. Those expectations fog the path. If we let go of what we expect, then we can prepare for something much bigger and greater…in our work, at home and in our lives.
What would have happened if Tita, Janet, Hugo and others held onto their own personal expectations? What wouldn’t have happened? This is what I learned in Guatemala—> Let go of your expectations. Something bigger is waiting…you just need hope by your side.
PS: More pictures coming soon!
]]>The storyline is based on Clooney’s character, Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert who fires people for a living. This quote is taken from the movie during one of the time’s Clooney’s character is firing someone:
This is a wake-up call…Your resume says you minored in French Culinary Arts. Most students work the frier at KFC. You busted tables at IL Picatorre to support yourself. Then you got out of college and started working here. How much did they pay you to give up on your dreams? At what point, were you going to stop and go back to what made you happy?
In response, the man being fired answers: $27,000. During the interaction, you learn that the man has worked for the same company his whole life and now makes $90,000 but that all those years, there was never one happy day on the job. For one blogger, he recounts the day he was offered $9,000/year to work full-time at Kay Bee Toys as the same day he gave up on his dreams. This breaks down to $4.25 an hour. What’s your price?
In January, Taylor Marsh of the Huffington Post wrote that this movie was the best of 2009–saying that it represents a walk through today’s America and captures our current economic moment. I know times are tough–back home, many of our neighbors are looking for jobs. These are smart, talented people who are good at what they do–from lawyers to accountants–the full spectrum. The impact is real.
Dreams Survive
I have to hold on to the idea that dreams are not dead. This isn’t being idealistic–it’s being hopeful. To see what I mean, watch the clip below from the Lemonade Movement. It’s based on one of those other sayings–turning lemons into lemonade. See how 16 people answered their “wake up call:”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJltcT7DH7g&feature=player_embedded
No matter your situation, believe in yourself and your dreams. It’s easier said than done–there’s worries of health insurance, the pressure to provide, there’s reality–so find support, write down your thoughts, reflect and do. Your dreams are waiting for you.
flickr credit: THQInsider
]]>If you click on that little link, you are directed to “hope140.org” with a personal note from @ev and @biz, the founders of Twitter. They share that in this space, they will highlight social movements that deserve our attention. Currently, the site features Haiti efforts and efforts for World Malaria Day. A stream called the “Ecosystem of Hope” also provides tweets provided by nonprofits. On individual cause pages, Twitter provides a variety of action-oriented ways to get involved:
It’ll be interesting to see how this space evolves–how Twitter will choose what to highlight and how nonprofits react. In a way, it reminds me of BlogCatalog’s “BloggersUnite” initiative. For those wanting to be featured, Twitter refers you to its case studies to learn best practices. To be officially considered for what Twitter is calling its “Twitter for Good” program, they provide a contact form.
What are your thoughts–how should Twitter use its leverage for good?
]]>“Your real work is to decide what you want and then focus upon it, for it is through focusing upon what you want–that you will get it. That is the process of creating.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th3GMejUm3I&feature=player_embedded
The video closes with another thought-provoking quote by Ghandi:
“Keep your thoughts as positive because your thoughts become your words.
Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors.
Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits.
Keep your habits responsible because your habits become your values.
Keep your values positive because values become your destiny.”
You can apply these words to yourself, to your family, your work, and you can also apply them to your organization. Think: When was the last time you (or your organization) felt inspired?
]]>During Michael J. Fox’s “Adventures of an Incurable Optimist,” I found myself live-tweeting inspirational quotes, thoughts and ideas from the show. As a gift for a job well done this week, I encourage you to check out the points below and remember 1) that hope is alive and 2) it is attainable.
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“As hard as things are right now, there is something happening with people…people reaching out and helping each other.”
“Maybe that’s where hope comes from. If I could do everything, I would have no reason to be thankful for hope.”
“I’ve discovered it’s not always about winning…it’s about accepting yourself” -MJFOX (Do we do this enough? Remember to celebrate.)
Did you know that the Bhutanese officially measure GNH: Gross National Happiness. It just makes sense when you think about it. They base this on the belief that a commonality of the human experience is to be happy.
“Optimism is contagious…Happiness is contagious. You can give it out in handing out newspapers.” -Michael J. Fox
Is there a link between optimism and creativity and the arts?
“For everything this disease has taken, something of greater value has been given…After everything with Parkinson’s, I’ve learned that what’s important is always making that one step count.”
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httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKk8Wyap7sE
“Optimists are open to alternatives in the face of adversity.”
So I ask you: Do you consider yourself to be an optimist? I think if we can attain just an ounce of the optimism, joy and connected-ness that I witness in Michael J. Fox, my mom, my friends, the dear elderly man in my building who smiles and loves the moment in a simple hello….then I think we’ll all be okay.
flickr: Shanissinha
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With the economic hardships–both current and foretold–upon us, the coffee we drink every morning offers up a daily reminder of the hope we can find. The following is an email my mother sent to me, that offers the following challenge: In times of adversity, how do you respond? Are you a carrot? An egg? Or coffee? I promise, you will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
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A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first, she placed carrots; in the second, she placed eggs; and in the last, she placed ground coffee beans . She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see.”
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”
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Activity. Think and reflect. In times of adversity? How do you react?
“May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.”
]]>Stacey is an amazing writer, showing both her contagious passion and gracious, sincere personality through every word, so I’ll let her tell you about her journey, mission and how she’s gotten to where she is…
Blog Topics:
The Epic Change Blog is a diary of our experiment in social entrepreneurship and an organization I recently founded called Epic Change. We started it just after we received our 501c3 determination last September, and we blog whatever we’ve experienced on the journey since then, including:
We try to give a complete, transparent picture of what we’re working on so that our supporters can feel engaged in what we’re doing, and so other folks can learn from our mistakes and successes. We also try to provide regular opportunities on our blog for folks to get involved. Last week, for instance, to celebrate National Volunteer Week, we provided daily opportunities for our readers to perform 10-minute volunteer activities.
About the Author:
I’m a nerd, a recovering military brat, a perpetual nomad and a total sap. I believe the world is what we make it. I started my career managing a performing arts series, moved into public sector consulting for Deloitte, then worked in IT strategy & change leadership at Genentech and, finally, launched a small change management consulting firm called Funken Consulting. Last year, I left for Africa, came back, stopped working for money & founded Epic Change, a nonprofit that “helps hopeful people in need tell their epic true stories to acquire the resources they need to create change in their communities.” I have a BA in Philosophy and a grad degree in performing arts management from the public policy school at Carnegie Mellon. I like to think that artsy background helps me be more creative in my approach to social change. You can check out my street cred on LinkedIn.
If you could live on any street, what would that street be named and why?
I’d live where Hope, Audacity, Authenticity, & Gratitude intersect because I know I’d like the other people who live there. [This is my favorite quote of the week!]
Who would be your dream real-life neighbor?
Any man who can sing. For today, let’s say John Mayer. His song Say is stuck on my brain. Or maybe Josh Groban. His voice makes me feel like I’m in the presence of an angel.
If you were in charge of the planning the neighborhood’s block party, what entertainment would you plan?
Ditto, previous question. Or I’d plan a performance by a dance troupe that I love like Alvin Ailey or Momix. Or we’d dance ourselves, which might be the most fun. Despite my chubbiness, I love to dance. I’m certified to teach ZUMBA and Shake Your Soul.
If you customized your own license plate, what would it say and why?
FEARNOT, URHOPE or THANKU
What would you gift to a new neighbor as the perfect welcoming gift?
Blueberry Pie. Despite 1950s connotations, pies = love.
What’s your favorite blog post and why?
I’d like to point to something brilliant by someone else, because I’ve taken so much as inspiration. Right now, today, though, I’m really wrapped up in what’s unfolding as a result of my recent, totally random, guest post on the Go Big Always blog of Jive CMO Sam Lawrence. I met him totally randomly on Twitter, and last Wednesday after midnight, when he was tweeting that he didn’t feel like posting to his uber-popular marketing blog, I offered to take his place. He, probably in jest, wrote back “Go for it ;)” and I did. That single post has led to a flurry of others, including one on ZDNet, a tweet by @Scobleizer, and a connection to social media giant Jeremiah Owyang, as well as a drastic increase in the number of people interested in our cause. So for today, the Go Big Always post is surely my fave, despite the fact that it begins with a reference to feces.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned from blogging?
Be authentic.
Past Blogger Neighbors Include:
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This continuous weekly series highlights different blogs and their respective bloggers in the blogosphere neighborhood. Following the great Mr. Rogers, who tells us to ‘Get to know your neighbor,’ this series introduces us to our blogger neighbors, making for a more unified, collaborative voice for the social sector. Like to nominate someone or be featured yourself? Contact me @ socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.
]]>Note: Soon, a badge will be available for past and future Blogger Neighbors to place on their site if they choose, so stayed tuned for updates. =)
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Blog/Site Name: 52 Ways to Change the World!
Blog Topics: I feature one quick, fun, and easy way to bring charity into your daily life on each episode of my weekly podcast, 52 Ways to Change the World!
About the Author: Julie Zauzmer is a seventeen-year-old high schooler who lives in Pennsylvania. Along with community service, she loves reading, writing, and languages, and she hopes to be a writer someday. Her podcast, 52 Ways to Change the World!, has currently been downloaded over 1,600 times, both from her website, www.52ways.org, and from iTunes.
If you could live on any street, what would that street be named and why?
Family Drive. My brother and sister are really my best friends, and I hope that we will all live near each other when we grow up.
Who would be your dream real-life neighbor?
I would love to meet one of my favorite authors in person someday. Some of my favorite living authors are Andrew Clements, Dan Brown, Jodi Picoult, and Susan Vreeland. Other favorites include L. M. Montgomery, Jane Austen, and Leon Uris.
If you were in charge of the planning the neighborhood’s block party, what entertainment would you plan?
I am a volunteer clown, so perhaps I would entertain guests by making balloon animals! I would also include a charitable element to the party. For example, I might set up a table with postcards and markers where kids could create cards for children in hospitals. My podcast features ideas like these — you can make charity a fun and easy part of just about any daily activity!
Photo Credit: Flickr, SmileyTD
What first prompted you to blog?
I first came up with the idea for 52 Ways! when I learned about the website Goodsearch.com. It’s a search engine like Yahoo! or Google, but it donates to the charity of your choice every time you search. I thought this was amazing, so I sent a Facebook message to about 100 friends telling them about this website. I was thrilled when several of my friends started using Goodsearch! This made me start thinking about other ways to use modern media to promote charity, and I realized that I had a lot of other ideas for “ways to change the world” that I wanted to share. Therefore, I decided to create 52 Ways! beginning in January 2008.
If you customized your own license plate, what would it say and why?
ZIPPY. That’s my clown name! Being a clown is one of my favorite unique ways that I help others. With Clowns ‘R’ Us, the clown organization that I am a member of, I visit nursing homes to cheer up the residents and volunteer as a clown at charitable events for many organizations.
What would you gift to a new neighbor as the perfect welcoming gift?
I would bake cookies for them.
What’s your favorite blog post and why?
So far, I have especially liked the episodes “Helping the Homeless,” “A Good Yarn,” and “A Gift From the Heart” because these episodes feature some of my favorite ideas that I really hope people will use in their daily lives; “Bowled Over” and “Shop ‘Til You Drop!” because these episodes feature some of my most creative ideas; and “A Talent for Helping Others” and “Let the Games Begin” because these episodes include a more personal touch and some humor.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned from blogging?
There are always more ways to make a difference! When I first thought of the idea for 52 Ways!, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to come up with 52 ideas for changing the world, one for each week of the year. However, when I sat down to make a list of possible episode topics, I came up with 20 or 30 off the top of my head! I am constantly looking for more ideas for the show. As I create each episode, I always come across topics in my research that give me more ideas. Also, at the end of each episode, I ask my listeners to send me their ideas. Right now, I have 75 ideas on my list of possible episode topics! I have learned that there is an inexhaustible supply of “ways to change the world.”
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Past Blogger Neighbors Include:
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This continuous weekly series highlights different blogs and their respective bloggers in the blogosphere neighborhood. Following the great Mr. Rogers, who tells us to ‘Get to know your neighbor,’ this series introduces us to our blogger neighbors, making for a more unified, collaborative voice for the social sector. Like to nominate someone or be featured yourself? Contact me @ socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.
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