Update On My Dietary Changes

So it has now been a few months since I changed my diet with the help of a Naturopath. As I said before I ran into some health problems and instead of going on any medications I thought it would be good to first try changing my diet. I had also gained an undisclosed amount of weight over the past year that I want to lose so I figured this would also be the time for that. So the first step with the Naturopath was to fill out a questionnaire detailing all the changes in my life, dreams (which I thought was odd), what you eat, what you like/dislike eating, and really everything else under the moon. The first appointment took close to 2 hours in total!

I was then told I couldn't eat wheat, dairy, red meat or pork, mushrooms, and vinegar. So essentially everything! It was really hard the first few weeks because I really had to pay attention to everything I was putting into my system. Grocery shopping took me hours because I had to read every label and check it against my list of don'ts. But I figured out what worked for me and found some meals that I liked and could make quite easily. I got in a groove. It is really surprising how many chemicals and preservatives and overall junk I was putting in my system. You just don't realize it until you are forced to take notice!

I also started a regimen of vitamins, minerals, and supplements to help me get to a level where my energy was normalized and I could start to see some of the changes both physically and mentally that my new program was supposed to show. Over the last few months, prior to the changes, I had noticed a sharp drop in my energy and the overall felling of malaise. Without telling you exactly what I am on, I will say I have 3 extra large pill containers to hold them all!

I am pleased to say that after 2 and a half months I have lost 22 pounds and seen many other benefits of the diet. I have made it my goal to lose 9 more in the month of August and 29 more before the end of the year. It is a lofty goal that would see me far below my regular weight (or at least since I hit puberty!). I think I can do it and do it without being unhealthy, but it will take some effort.

If you have any questions about going to a Naturopath please let me know. I am a firm believer in healing the body naturally without the intervention of medication. There are some things and times that medication is necessary, but if you feel comfortable with giving your body the changes it needs without drugs then it is worth the effort.

The Point

I came across this interesting website because someone had shamelessly used Bono's name to garner publicity. The ruse is completely unrelated to the website, but it has brought The Point.com some nice attention. I will profile the website in a second but first I would like to address this person's efforts on making the world a better place and how it in fact just added to what is already wrong in the world.

The so called 'campaign' was started to raise money to get Bono to stop doing his philanthropic activities with the funds raised going to the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The argument the person (and you can see his/her name if you log onto the website)is that the RED campaign that Bono created has spent more on advertising and marketing than it has donated to the Global Fund.

The ignorance is deplorable. If, and I hope you choose to do better things with your time, you decide to put something or someone else down for their efforts to make the world a better place, then please make sure you understand what you are saying negative things about. The fact that this person could not understand the business model that RED supports just makes him look bad but also brings unnecessary negative publicity and criticism from others who also know no better and do not take the time to find out the truth. The world needs more positive actions, not negative.

On that note, I just finished reading The Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama and near the end of the book one passage stuck out to me;

I wonder if Sasha will remember that moment when she is grown. Probably not; it seems as if I can retrieve only the barest fragments of memory from when I was five. But I suspect that the happiness she felt on that parachute registers permanently in her; that such moments accumulate and embed themselves in a child's character, becoming a part of their soul.

I think that this passage and the 'campaign' have something in common that we should all take heed of. Our lives are an accumulation of thoughts, feelings, and events. The more we can add positives to the equation the more that the answer will also be positive. The world is filled with negatives, every where we turn, so start outputting some positives and watch the world change for the better.

As promised I wanted to talk briefly about the website The Point. Here is what The Point has to say about its purpose:

What is The Point? The Point is a website where anyone can start a campaign to organize group action or raise money. We help people congregate around the issues they care about and combine forces to make things happen. Here’s The Point’s big idea: campaign members only act when the conditions exist for them to have the greatest possible impact. For example, donating one dollar toward a one-thousand dollar goal is a waste of a dollar if you’re the only one. But if 999 others are willing, then the goal is reached and that dollar makes sense. The Point allows communities to use the Web to do more than talk it helps them coordinate each person’s small contribution to make big things happen. It’s an entirely new approach to collective action.

How does it work? You can start a campaign on The Point to do anything a group of people might do: gather enough people for a softball game; raise money for a charity; or boycott a company to force change, to name a few. All you need to know is your goal, and what you want people to do to reach it.

Another great spot to explore and share your social conscious. There are lots of great campaigns currently going on (one's with a positive purpose) that you can check out and join. You can even start your own if you feel so inclined.

Remember, do what you do for the better and worry about yourself and how you can contribute to a better world. Focus your energy on the positives that you can share and let the rest take care of itself. There is a time and a place to speak out against the things that make the world worse off, but make a greater effort to understand the subject of your efforts or else risk doing the opposite of what you hope to achieve.

Social Vibe

I just signed up for an interesting new social network called Social Vibe. If you scroll down a bit you will see a badge with Apples logo as well as who it benefits, Invisible Children. It works where sponsors, like Apple, pay a fee to have there logo put on your blog or social network and the money goes to the charity or cause that you choose (there is a whole list of them). So by signing up and putting the badge on one or all of your social media hangouts you earn points that support your cause. Periodically whatever money has been made is split according to how many points each cause has earned. It is an interesting new service and I thought it was worth a try. If Invisible Children earns a few extra dollars because of a badge I put on my blog, then why not? If you are interested in checking it out further I encourage you to do so.

Job Posting - Executive Director of Million Dollar Youth

I wanted to share an excellent opportunity that has recently become available. After some organizational shuffling the Executive Director position for Million Dollar Youth, an organization I worked with this past year, has become available. For those of you who might be interested please read on. This is the call for resumes by Jeremie, the founder and former ED.

To Whom It May Concern:

Million Dollar Youth, a non-profit education and fundraising organization run by youth, for youth, is looking for a dynamic, passionate and dedicated Executive Director.

Founded in 2006, Million Dollar Youth (MDY) was born after its founder returned from a life-changing service mission to Peru. From facilitating skills workshops to providing hands-on experience in developing and implementing creative fundraising initiatives and awareness campaigns, Million Dollar Youth provides young people with the foundation necessary to create positive social change and make a sustainable contribution to the world.

By joining the Million Dollar Youth team you will have the opportunity to work with some of Canada’s most influential youth and professionals. MDY is fortunate to have a number of prominent names on their Board of Advisors, including the founder of Free the Children and a United Nations Goodwill Youth Ambassador for Canada. The National Steering Committee is comprised of dynamic, well-connected and dedicated young people, and a very talented marketing and promotions team is already in place. The founder of the organization also remains involved in an advisory capacity.

Upon hiring an Executive Director, MDY will pursue opportunities currently available to the organization, including working with Juno-nominated artist (and MDY spokesperson) Justin Nozuka, as well as forming exciting partnerships that will allow MDY to grow in the months and years to come.

Million Dollar Youth prides itself on being open to hearing and considering all ideas from volunteers. As the organization is still young, the new Executive Director will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make the organization their own. The successful applicant will have the chance to work with the National Steering Committee, Board of Directors and Founder to determine the best course to take for the future of the organization.

The Executive Director position is currently a volunteer position, with the potential for it to develop into a full-time paid position in the future.

If you are interested in applying for the position of Executive Director of Million Dollar Youth, please visit the MDY website at www.milliondollaryouth.ca, fill out an application form and send the form, with your resume, to Jeremie@milliondollaryouth.ca

Thank you,

--
Jeremie Poirier
Founder & Board Member,
Million Dollar Youth

It is a great opportunity for someone who is both entrepreneurial and a go-getter. There is a real opportunity to take the organization to its next level as it continues to grow. Pass it along to anyone you know that might be interested as well.

Dreambank

One of the readers of this blog passed along this great website and I thought I would share it. It is called Dreambank and it is exactly what it sounds like. Dreamers post their dreams and Supporters help them realize these dreams. It has a bunch of other interesting tid bits and this is the run down according to the website.

What We Do
Dreams are inspiring! Just imagine how much happier the world would be if more of our dreams could come true. That’s why we created DreamBank. We want to help you fulfil dreams in a way that also cares for the planet and contributes to important social causes.

Here’s How We Do It.
First, we provide a fun, easy way for you to fund your dreams. By posting a dream on www.dreambank.org, friends, family and fans can contribute to your dream fund. Each contribution brings your dream closer to reality. Funding dreams is important, but so is support. DreamBank is also built as a community so you can connect and communicate with fellow Dreamers to: follow their progress, share ideas and resources, or just cheer them on.

Second, DreamBank is about helping the planet. By contributing to a dream, you spare the planet some of the nasty side effects of manufacturing, packaging and shipping gifts that, although we appreciate, we often don’t really need or want. Did you know that 83% of Americans[1] received unwanted gifts during the 2006 holiday season? All that ‘stuff’ puts a strain on the environment.

Last but not least, every time a contributor supports a dream, life gets a little better for someone else on the planet. That’s because DreamBank contributions are pooled into one big fund and the interest it generates is distributed to international charities and non profit organizations. Dreamers are given a choice of organizations to associate with their dream. This acts as a vote and tells us how to divvy up the charity pot according to our Dreamers' wishes.

At DreamBank everyone wins. Dreamers get a chance to fulfil their dreams; friends and family get to play a role in making dreams come true for the people they care about; the planet is spared needless environmental damage; and people in need get more help.

Give Dreams. Not Stuff.

A great idea that might be handy come holidays or birthdays instead of receiving gifts from a bevy of people you could post your dream (in some cases a gift you could never afford) and your friends and family can put a little towards the dream to help you realize it. Not only that but a not-for-profit will see something from it as well!

Life In All Its Complexities

Would it not be nice if life were simple? I often find my head and environment so cluttered that thinking becomes a full time job. I don't mean thinking about my next big idea or how I might change the world today, I mean thinking about getting out of bed in the morning, to what pair of shorts to wear. The problem isn't that these are difficult decisions, the difficulty is that my life is full of so many other more complex decisions that even the simple ones become chores. Making life more simple, unfortunately, requires a great deal of effort. Blocking out the myriad of thoughts and noise that exists both within and around ourselves is hard. For me I know it is so difficult because I want to do so many things. I want to stick my nose in everything and not tomorrow, I want to do it now!

We'll I can't. And unless you possess super powers, neither can you. We need to declutter our worlds. Take out the garbage so to speak. Simplification is the key to achieving all the our dreams. To make a difference we need to focus and put our efforts into one task at a time instead of spreading our mind into the many distractions that exist. I read many great bloggers on this topic and collect many tools and ideas that I think might just help me make the change. However, they become just another wasted expense or waste of time. The problem can't be fixed with these external aids because it is an internal problem. Sure, reading about the problem might help you understand the problem, but it wont help you change it. You have to want to change it. For me, the complexity of life is like an addiction. I am addicted to the clutter, to the noise. It makes me feel normal and I don't know how to kick the habit.

Every day I try a little more to simplify my life. I try to trim my list of things to do, or put off something in favor of something else. One of these days I will break the cycle. and maybe you will too. We have to want it, and then we have to make it so. The 'making it so' part is the key. Everyone says it is a good idea but very few actually do it. You might recognize that this is the exact same thing that separates the brilliant world changers from those who talk about it. Unless you do it, it means little. We are measured by our actions not our intentions. Simplifying your life is one step towards becoming the person who will change the world. If for nothing else than the process it will take to get you there. Take the first step.

Avaaz.org

Here is another website some of you may be interested in. It is called Avaaz.org: The World In Action. Their mission is:

Avaaz.org is a new global web movement with a simple democratic mission: to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want. Across the world, most people want stronger protections for the environment, greater respect for human rights, and concerted efforts to end poverty, corruption and war. Yet globalization faces a huge democratic deficit as international decisions are shaped by political elites and unaccountable corporations -- not the views and values of the world’s people.

Technology and the internet have allowed citizens to connect and mobilize like never before. The rise of a new model of internet-driven, people-powered politics is changing countries from Australia to the Philippines to the United States. Avaaz takes this model global, connecting people across borders to bring people powered politics to international decision-making.

“Avaaz” means “Voice” in many Asian, Middle Eastern and Eastern European languages, according to the website.

Furthermore it is described as, "a community of global citizens who take action on the major issues facing the world today. The aim of Avaaz.org is to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decisions. Avaaz.org members act for a more just and peaceful world and a globalisation with a human face."

Take a look and let me know what you think. There are so many different places now for global citizens to congregate, many of which I have written about, that it would be nice to know what people think about each of them and for what purpose each one could be used. They are certainly all valuable resources, but each has a different reason for using.