give it away... creatively

An inspirational article in the New York Times (thank you, Kitty) reminds me to commit to creative acts of kindness and philanthropy.

"It’s a great technological trick that it now takes no more than a text message to send $10 to Haiti. But with that simplicity comes a certain passivity. There is a benefit, too, to having a creative challenge built into some personal charitable giving — innovation of all kinds requires ownership, reinvention, elaborate consideration."

Let's get our hands "dirty". What creative acts of philanthropy can you share?

Soles4Souls

Doing some soul searching?

In the wake of the earthquake devastation in Haiti, Soles4Souls is collecting shoes to send to those in need: infants, children, teens, adults ... many with nothing left. We can easily help by getting them some shoes. Souls4Souls started after the 2004 tsunami. This Nashville-based non-profit has been collecting shoes for people in need for the past 6 years. During that time they have given away almost 6 million pairs of shoes!

This is an easy class, school, neighborhood, or family project.

For collection locations click on Soles4Souls

Quest for Literacy

Yesterday I went to The Learning Lab's annual Lunch for Literacy.

There, I was introduced to John Corcoran. His story is tremendously inspiring while at the same time profoundly heartbreaking. John Corcoran was illiterate until the age of 48... yet he managed to graduate from high school and college, and work as a teacher without being discovered.

To be able to pull this off proves Mr. Corcoran is more than just smart. He's tenacious, clever, wildly intelligent, and charismatic.

John Corcoran was illiterate because he was dyslexic, but was never diagnosed. His teachers continually seated him in the "dumb row" at school.

At 70 years old he wrote a memoir, The Teacher Who Couldn't Read. And more recently published, The Bridge to Literacy: No child - or adult - Left Behind.

A fantastic legacy of personal determination in the quest for literacy.

Linchpin

I just finished Seth Godin's new book, Linchpin. It was wonderfully motivating. Everyone has a gift to give; everyone can add value; everyone is an artist. Somewhere at the intersection of Dignity, Humanity, and Generosity lies our ability to change the world.

JK Rowling

JK Rowling's 2008 Harvard Commencement Speech.

Inspiring, powerful, heartening advice:

click on the link below to watch

http://www.ted.com/talks/jk_rowling_the_fringe_benefits_of_failure.html

RIP JD Salinger

"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be." ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 22, spoken by the character Holden Caulfield

when life gives you lemons...

I love documentaries, and I am looking forward to this one.

More than 130,000 advertising professionals have lost their jobs in this Great Recession.

When creative people have to be creative on their own ... anything can happen.

Check out Lemonade

took the vow

I love Deepak Chopra.

I listen to him on sirius/xm; I read his books; I listen to his meditations

Have you taken Deepak Chopras Vow of Non-Violence at I Take the Vow? Deepak Chopra wants you to take a vow of non-violence in your thoughts, your speech and your actions.

I took the vow ... I thought it would be easy ... but I find that I am already stumbling.

I started a 10 week exercise program, hoping to increase my daily cardio. It's a combination of Tai-Robics (martial arts to an aerobic tempo) and cross training. We box. We box on a bag 3 to 4 days a week. There's something about the hitting, punching, and jabbing that fills me with trepidation.

What do you think?

Am I breaking the vow of non-violence?

the power of half

Did you read Nicholas Kristof's op-ed in the Sunday New York Times? If not, check it out here.

Are you ready for a paradigm shift? What if... what you thought was best for your family wasn't? What happens when one family decides to stop taking and start giving back?

Check out the book The Power of Half by Kevin Salwen his daughter Hannah Salwen.

thepowerofhalf.com