New Years Resolutions

This will quite likely be my last post of the year. I would like to thank all of you who read this blog and provide your feedback - while I try to inspire people it is you who inspire me. It has been a busy few weeks in my life, even though I am on holidays. I will have a few things to announce in the new year which I am rather excited about, and I will try to post my Davos video before too long. I just have to figure out how to put it on video and post it to here and to Youtube.

This year brought many exciting changes in my life, and just a few things I wish I could have done differently. I think that is the case for most everyone, and the few who wouldn't change a thing can count themselves extremely lucky. Life has many ups a downs but I try to remember that with out the downs the ups just wouldn't exist. As we approach the new year I think everyone should think about a resolution. It is a goal for the next year of your life and the carrot at the end of the stick.

This year think about telling people your resolution. Write it down and put it on your bathroom mirror. Make it a solid goal - not just something you are thinking about and can easily forget about or let go - force yourself to make it real. Put yourself in a position to succeed and don't just create a resolution for the sake of having one.

We all have dreams, some of us over the years have been let down when we don't achieve our dreams, or feel scared to attempt accomplishing our dreams, and we are all conditioned to believe that dreams can never be reality. It is just not true - none of it. As the old saying goes, "If you believe then you will succeed" (or something like that). Dreams are not made to be broken, they are made to be accomplished. Failure to attempt is where real failure happens. If you try and it doesn't work then that is just a lesson on how you should try again next. Check out this video and get a taste of just what can happen when you dream.


My new years resolution is simple. Change the world little by little. I want to get my Ideal World book project up and running (which I will talk about in the new year), I want to graduate from International Project Management and get out into the field, I want to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, I want to lose some weight (preferably a lot of weight haha) and I want to write blog posts more frequently. Scratch that - I will accomplish all these things. I dream big and I won't settle for anything less than my dreams. Anything in life is possible, we just need to dream it first and then go out and do it. As Nelson Mandela said, "It always seems impossible until it is done."

A Lesson on Values

My mom cut this story out of a newsletter she received and passed it along to me so that I could share it. The story is titled "A Lovely Story with a True Moral" by Sean Mackay, and it goes like this:
A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" the mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap. Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: "There's a mousetrap in the house! There's a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There's a mousetrap in the house! There's a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There's a mousetrap in the house! There's a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse, I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
So the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected to face the farmer's mousetrap... alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house - like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came to her funeral; the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them. The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember - when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

This story gives us all a chance to think about our values. For me it is a reminder of the value of friends and family. We get caught up in our own lives sometimes and neglect to recognize that those around us are sometimes dealing with their own problems. It is a wakeup call for me to be more observant and make sure that no problem is too petty or small to lend a hand or a shoulder for. Take this opportunity to think of what this story makes you think about and if you are there enough for your family and friends to reach out to.

Happy holidays to all.

B Corporation

For those of you who know me, you know that I am a proponent of business being a tool in the process of change. I do not believe it is a dirty word that insinuates capitalist, environmental destroying, corporate thug companies. I believe that is the people that run them and that if we hope to change the world we need to change the character of the people who run business.

This shift has certainly begun to take place with the rise in popularity for Corporate Social Responsibility guidelines for most every corporation, the rise in Social Enterprises entering the market place and making a real go of it, and the rise in MBA programs integrating environmental ethics, CSR, and non-profit management courses into the core program.

The next step may be in the works. I came across this great new website called the B Corporation . It is an association of businesses that stand for social change. They have to go through a grading process in order to join the association which then markets the businesses as being good and doing well. The tag line reads, "Setting the new corporate standard for social and environmental performance."

The founding members are companies like Seventh Generation, a household and personal care product brand, Better World Books, a book business with a triple bottom line, and Moka Joe Coffee, a wholesaler of 100% fair trade, organic coffee, amongst other things.

All the businesses associated with B Corporation are seeking a shift, and to create change within the business world. While none of these businesses may become the next Ikea, or Apple, they represent possibility. I have said it before but I will say it again, we are approaching a tipping point - one that I am not sure yet which way it will tip. We could move towards a world where the existence of B Corporation is unnecessary because every company will approach business with a double or triple bottom line approach, OR companies could continue to degrade the environment, and break every moral and ethical code we can design in the pursuit of the almighty dollar.

It is up to us, the consumer, to push this one way or the other. We can choose to support the 'B Corporation' or we can choose to support the 'Corporation'. I for one am glad to see the choice and distinction. The world we dream of does not have to be a dream and I hope that everyone wakes up to a new, better, reality.

Your Ideas in Davos

I came across this great new program on Youtube that lets anyone upload a video that has the chance to be seen by world leaders, global economists and some of the most influential people around the world at the Davos meetings in 2008. Just film your answer to the following question and then upload it to Youtube. The question is:

"What one thing do you think that countries, companies, or individuals must do to make the world a better place in 2008?"

Watch the following quick video for more information


You can also check out the website outlining the project with a little more detail here

Videos will be voted on starting January 1st and the winners will be screened January 23-27 at the World Economic Forum.

This is one spectacular way to have your idea and opinion shared and heard. If anyone has any ideas now is the time to voice them. I am going to be thinking about this one for the next few days and maybe I will post my filmed idea before January 1st. I would be really excited to see some of your ideas though so if you decided to participate then send me the link to your videos so I can bask in your great ideas!

Cards that Care

It came to the end of the semester in my International Project Management Program and we decided, as a group, to rejoice and celebrate the occasion by throwing a holiday party. On Thursday I participated in acts 2 and 3 of my 12 acts of holiday kindness.

As a group we decided that it would be nice if instead of doing the usual Secret Santa gift trading that we would take the $10 or so dollars that each of us would have spent and pooled it to give as one big donation to our chosen charity, the Girl Child Network. As a group we are making a $475 donation! While none of us needed another small gimmicky gift, we knew that if we pooled our money together that whatever organization received the donation would use it towards some amazing project that was sure to make a much bigger difference in someone else's life.

Act number 3 was something I had though of long ago, and is something that is so simple and yet, I think, impactful. I decided to write each of my classmates a Holiday card with a personalized message (I used Hallmark's Product(REd) holiday cards). I told each of them what I liked most about them and why I thought each of them was an amazing person. Many people write Holiday cards this time of the season but they are always so generic. They say "Happy Holidays" and the card givers name(s). This year how about writing something more. Something that is sure to make the recipients day. Tell them something positive that you think about them, tell them how much you really care, tell them they mean a lot to you. We rarely take these opportunities to say what we feel and then live to regret not having done so.

Acts of kindness around the holidays don't need to be big and fancy. To many people it is the small things, the details, that they really notice around the holidays. As the old saying goes, "love thy neighbor". Show someone you care, someone who wouldn't normally receive such gifts and love. If you are the member of a holiday gathering this year, take the chance to gather funds for a donation. If you are sending out cards make them personal. Let us, together, make the holidays MORE than just an opportunity to give and receive gifts. Let us put the THOUGHT back into the holidays.

Heroes

Last night I watched the CNN special/awards show on Heroes. While I had not heard of all the heroes profiled there were a couple that I had read about at other times and was happy to see them receive some recognition for their work. We, as a society, rarely give praise or awards to those who really deserve it. Regular people who do extraordinary things. We have numerous awards for actors, and singers but this is the first time, that I have seen anyways, that a show on everyday heroes has been broadcast on a major television network. It makes you think about what it is we really value.

My first holiday act of kindness is to write a letter to my everyday hero. I want to let them know how big a difference they have made in my life because they need to be recognized. They may not have all the paparazzi following them around, or be on the front page of a magazine, but they certainly deserve all the praise in the world. While I will not share with you this letter because I am not sure they would want me to, I will say this:

A long time ago they gave me a book to read for class. They took the time to get to know me, even though I didn't know who I was, and they recommended a book they thought that I would enjoy based on who they saw within me. The book changed my life. Not directly, or immediately, but the seed was planted then. I left for university later that year and that experience stuck with me. I found myself because this person took the time to pay attention. It was insignificant at the time because I am sure, knowing their character, that they did this with everyone they met. Sometimes, like was the case with me though, that insignificant act turned out to be a very significant turning point in my life. I am who I am because of many factors but the journey and path I found in life was based on a kind persons taking time to care. They are my everyday hero, deservedly so.

I don't want to tell anyone what to do, or to take the time to do this. However, I want you to think about what it would be like if someone told you that you were their everyday hero and why. Would that be a big pick-me-up? put a smile on your face? We need to tell the people in our lives how much they mean to us. We need to recognize the good and real instead of fawning over people who star in movies or sell millions of records. The people in the world who need our praise are too often the people we overlook. Take the time this holiday season to make notice.

A Role Model For Us All

Age means nothing. I was reminded of this today when I came across this truly remarkable young girl, Laura, who has started a spirited project by the name '25 Days to Make a Difference Campaign'. She is a role model to us all at a very ripe young age. She is doing small deeds over the course of 25 days that will make a small but meaningful difference in the lives of some. More importantly though, the project is a pass it on project that will involves many other individuals that will affect even more lives.

While I had planned to do a few activities over my holiday break to do my part this holiday season, in light of Laura's project I am going to make it my 12 acts of holiday kindness. Over the course of the next 3 weeks I am going to do 12 things that will hopefully make someones holidays a bit easier and a bit more jolly. I encourage everyone else to follow Laura's lead and attempt to do a few small things this holiday season. While you are at it email Laura with your acts and let her know that what she is doing is truly making a difference.

If you are wondering what you could possibly do and coming up blank, I encourage you to check out Laura's list of activities for inspiration. You can also feel free to post ideas to this blog and give me some ideas on what my 12 acts should be.

Remember, the holidays while extremely enjoyable for some can be extremely difficult for others. It is the season for helping our neighbors, our family, even complete strangers.

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Holiday Party Ideas

A quick thought. As we get into the holiday party season many of us will be thinking of host gifts. Why not make a donation to a charity in their name? Not going to work? How about buying a bottle of wine where a portion of the proceeds go to a charity (ask your local wine retailer if they carry any). Hallmark has a new line of product(red) items that will let you package whatever you do buy and make it 'Good'. Christmas cards? Hallmark has them covered. Challenge yourself to find something that not only will people want to receive as a gift but that will provide a greater good in the process. Most importantly though, remember it is the THOUGHT that counts!

I Have a Dream

I have always loved the words Martin Luther King used in his historical speech "I Have a Dream". His grasp and use of the English language is absolutely remarkable. The passion and conviction with which he expresses his ideas is awe inspiring. While M.L.K was speaking about equality of race, his words ring true for just about anything. You could replace race with any other problem of equality, wealth, geography, etc. and his words would be no less true. I share with him that dream. A world in which we can all live together, holding hands together, and love together. I have my own dream but I share it with everyone who believes we can achieve this world. Let us DREAM together.

More Change

I have been doing a lot of research about change lately. How can I create change. On a small scale, on a large scale, on any scale. I came across some great websites and ideas and I want to share them with you guys.

Michael Norton has a great blog called 365 Ways, which is a take on the book he wrote called 365 Ways to Change the World, an activity for each day of the year. He provides some great information and case studies, books, and ideas to inspire people to make a difference. Kind of like my blog only he has been at it much longer and is a little better at it :).

A book that I came across entitled 'How To Change The World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas' by David Bornstein, which also seems to have a lot of interesting stories. I have added this to my Christmas reading list (as if it isn't so long that I will be reading for the next 50 Christmas). Give it a look and if anyone has actually read it I would love a synopsis.

Another great blogger, Desiree, has created a blog by the name of 'Lets Change the World'. This blog is more of an inspiration and she has packed a lot into her blog that I haven't even begun to comb through.

For those of you who know the band Five for Fighting you may or may not have come across an initiative they created called 'What Kind of World Do You Want'. You can post a video about your idea of a perfect world for others to see and a donation will be made to a charity depending on which videos you view. Check it out to see some interesting ideas on a better, or at least different, world.

Last, but certainly not least, is a truly awesome idea, and one I wish I could say I came up with. A new website called Change.org is a social website, sort of like Facebook, only for people who are interested in charity, development, and creating change. Members have the ability to make donations to organizations of their choice, and meet others who are interested in similar organizations or ideas. It is a great idea and one I am more than positive will grown into something special.

If anyone has other resources that they want to share I would love to hear about them. I have a hankering for some CHANGE and the only cure is more information.