Worldwide Movement Encouraging Positive Solutions for Life
JOE MADDON Paying Back The Gift of a Happy Childhood
EMILIO ESTEVEZ Shows “THE WAY”
JANE GOODALL A Living Treasure
HOW AMERICA FEEDS HER HUNGRY THE BENEFITS OF MUSIC HELPING YOUR KIDS SUCCEED COMPANION ANIMALS
A company’s success is typically gauged by annual revenues and growth. Joe Healy understands this, yet he also believes that the health, happiness and productivity of an organization’s employees are also important. With this in mind, he launched Health Team in 2010. Based in Naples, Fla., Health Team is a firm that provides benefit selection, and health and wellness services, to companies of all sizes. An innovator in the employee benefits industry, Health Team is aptly named. Not only does the company help employees choose a benefits plan that best suits their individual needs, but it also offers ongoing guidance through personal health advocates and wellness coaches to help people achieve their Improving well-being ultimate objective—overall well-being. Healy, who spent more than 20 years in the employee benefits industry, founded Health Team to make a lasting difference by motivating people to improve their well-being.
for companies and their employees By Jeff Louderback
Health Team’s website, www.healthteam.com, is an instrumental part of Healy’s mission. Through high technology and personal services, the company strives to engage a client’s employees connecting them to offerings like benefits coaching to help each person select the most appropriate plan; personal health advocates for each member; and both personal and online health, stress and wellness coaching. “Our philosophy isn’t just about doing good, it’s about doing better, and it’s about having fun along the way to accomplishing goals of being healthier and happier,” said Betsy Opyt, RD, LD/N, CDE and Health Team’s Chief Motivational Officer.
“Studies indicate that 70 percent of health care costs are preventable. Employees deserve leading-edge thinking, expert guidance, and effective tools,” Healy said. “Changing behaviors and improving lifestyles lead to
Advocacy is a key element of Health Team’s concept. “Our wellness coaches and personal health advocates, and inspirational leaders like Betsy, help members achieve their goals of leading healthier lifestyles by providing them guidance instead of leaving them to figure it out on their own,” Healy said.
To help keep members further engaged, Health Team provides every person with a highly engaging employees and reduced health personalized well-being dashboard care cost for employers.” online. Individuals can upload their workouts, challenge fellow employees, track their points and incentives, and blog about their experiences to stay motivated.
happy, healthy, high performing
“Overall well-being creates better employees, better people, and better profits,” Healy added. “When we help companies attract and retain more energized, empowered, healthy and productive people, we are fulfilling our purpose.”
For more information about Health Team, visit www.healthteam.com.
OUR MISSION
“To be a multimedia resource for sharing stories, ideas and actions that inspire, educate, motivate and provide solutions that will result in a worldwide movement of positive change.”
OUR VISION
While many focus on the positive, we also focus on the impact of what real action can do in the world. We are motivated by a deep need to see the beauty in all things and to give back in a meaningful manner. We believe that focusing on the solutions instead of the problems will create a long-lasting impact. It is our purpose to have a positive influence with a transformative effect. It is this transformation that will enrich our lives and influence others.
POSITIVE
IMPACT
uplifting or inspiring; + greater than
A forceful consequence; a strong effect
This magazine is a window to the world of uplifting consequence and inspiring effect. It is based on the idea
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that the smallest action, done with positive intent, can be life altering and, much like a raindrop, can create a ripple effect of untold proportions. Our readers share our passion for the positive and know, too, that small changes can have big results. We believe people need a place to find answers to life’s challenges and to align with others who are on a path of intentional living. We give hope where there may be little and provide resources to stimulate intelligence in an uplifting manner. We are building a community of influencers that will reach beyond their own backyard in ways previously unimagined. They value caring for their inner life while demonstrating strong passion for social improvement, and they support causes, frequent businesses, purchase products and use services that are in line with these values. Join us on our quest to create a powerful resource of education, inspiration and hope. Let’s give new definition to the words “positive impact” and create a worldwide movement encouraging solutions for life!
©iStockphoto.com/Yuri Arcurs
WELCOME
THE COURAGE TO BE
PUBLISHER NOTE
Charity Beck
Another issue has come to life and with it comes the very real sense of gratitude that I always feel when the ink hits the paper. I am amazed and astounded for the generosity that comes from the hearts of each and every person involved, and for the courage it takes to give so freely. I understand more then ever how much it takes to produce the positive in a world that is determined to see the not-so-positive. How much strength it takes to face our challenges and to be grateful for the lesson; to let go of the past, not look to the future and to live in the present, understanding that this is where we live most courageously. As someone said, how much courage it takes to ‘be yourself in a world that is trying to make you like everyone else.’ Along with this issue of Positive Impact Magazine, we are celebrating the courage to be positive—to see it, find it, do it, and be it. Our writers and columnists have brought it to
life through a series of beautifully written articles that shine a light on so many awesome and amazing things happening in our world. Emilio Estevez and Martin Sheen show us what it means to truly walk the walk with their new film ‘The Way,” a heartwarming story of self-discovery and the courage it takes to face the truth. Joe Madden gives us a glimpse into the heart of gratitude with Thankmas. Rachel Schaeffer brings the inspiration of Jane Goodall to our ‘Living Treasures’ column. So here we are…bringing home this publication to you with the same grace and gratitude that comes with each issue of Positive Impact Magazine. This time we have added courage to be both inspired and inspiring and, along the way, to create a little more joy. We hope it brings as much happiness to you as it has brought to us. Enjoy. As always and forever, I am grateful infinity.
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CONTENTS
COVER
18. Emilio Estevez shows “The Way” His latest film starring Martin Sheen is a spiritual and personal statement about love and loss, about connecting with others and with ourselves.
A GOOD SPORT 8. Joe Maddon: Paying Back the Gift of a Happy Childhood
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 16. 5 Ways to Keep Music in Your Life Forever 22. Life as Story: Donald Miller Shares His Story
Conscious Business 24. Blessing Bracelets 26. Chocolate Truffle Business With a Purpose
ECOTRAVEL & CULTURE 28. Ecotourism: What to Know Before You Go
EDUCATION 32. Study, Work and Service Combine for a Positive Environmental Force
ENVIRONMENT & ALTERNATIVE ENERGY 36. How America Feeds Her Hungry 40. Community Garden Unites Neighborhood
EVERYDAY PEOPLE 42. SBN Inc International Youth Award Winners
MIND, BODY & SPIRIT
COLUMNS
14. A Moment of Clarity Personal Responsibility 44. Living Treasures Jane Goodall
48. The 20/20 Plan for Meaningful Success 50. How to Develop High-Impact Habits 53. How Parents Can Help Kids Succeed 55. Companion Animals: The Cure-All
IN EVERY ISSUE 3. Publisher Note 5. Contributors 6. PIM Product Picks 34. Youth Writing Challenge 64. Simply Positive
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58. Message of Hope Continues: Kindness 60. Affective Neuroscience to the Rescue
CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher: Charity Beck Publisher/Creative Director: Jen Hellmann VP Sales: Charles Warner Contributing Editors: Jillian Bosserdet, Autumn Kindelspire, Valerie Valentine Design & Production: Jen Hellmann Director of Special Projects: Nancy Jean-Baptiste Columnists: Rachel Schaeffer, Marci Wise Contributing Writers: Teresa Aubele Ph.D., Dylan Babb, Simon T. Bailey, Leslie Berliant, Jenny Carless, Twila Cole, Michael DeVito, Matt Growcott, Autumn Kindelspire, Margaret Martin, Viarnne Mischon, Naomi Prioleau, Susan Reynolds, Jolene Roehlkepartain, Rachel Schaeffer, Erica Smith, Julie Starke, Mindy Ragan Wood Youth Writing Challenge Winner: Katrina Stack Contributing Photographers: David Alexanian, Stuart Clarke, Jen Hellmann, Donald Miller, Skip Milos, Deb Raschella, Fernando Turmo Advisory Board: Terry Aidman, Dean Akers, Charity Beck, Anton Hopen, Charley Johnson, Steve Kramer, Mike Lemire, Charlie McCurdy, Linda Pizzuti, Wendy Rib, Paula Schroeder, Dawn Sprong, Julie Starke, Amber Thompson, Terry Torok, Peter Wild, Greg Wolfe
AT FIRST I WAS EMBARRASSED. ME, A CAT, LIVING WITH A SINGLE GUY. BUT WHEN I WATCH HIM PICK SOMETHING UP WITH HIS HANDS AND EAT IT, I CAN’T HELP BUT LOVE HIM. — MARU adopted 01-10-10
Distribution: Curtis Circulation Company, LLC Positive Impact Magazine 2519 McMullen Booth Rd. Suite 510-257, Clearwater, FL 33761 info@positiveimpactmagazine.com sales@positiveimpactmagazine.com www.positiveimpactmagazine.com
Printed on recycled paper
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PIM PRODUCT PICKS Bambu All Occasion Veneerware.® Made from certified organic bamboo, and is fully disposable and compostable. These products have been selected for formal events at the White House, Lincoln Center and for LA Philharmonic, and used by numerous caterers. Also enjoyed for family meals, picnics, weddings and barbecues. Visit: www.bambuhome.com
Zoku Single Quick Pop Maker Fun and fast, the new patented Zoku® Single Quick Pop® Maker freezes up to three ice pops in minutes on your countertop without electricity. It comes in five bright colors, offering unlimited creative options for spur-ofthe-moment frozen taste treats. Available at Williams-Sonoma and www.zokuhome.com. $24.95.
www.ecostoreusa.com is a company founded on the premise that by eliminating toxic chemicals from everyday products that the planet would be much healthier.
Seedbombs have long been the weapon of choice for guerrilla gardeners seeking to transform underutilized spaces in cities. Greenaid has been making them more readily accessible to the masses since 2010 with over 100 vending machines installed strategically across the US and several other lines of seedbomb products.
We proudly share our tagline. No Nasty Chemicals™ on each label in addition to the disclosure of every ingredient. And best of all, we are a Trusted Partner of the leading national non-profit, www. healthychild.org, whose sole mission is to empower parents to help them protect children from harmful chemicals found in their everyday products.
The Go! Go! Sports Girls are 14”, plush, sports-themed dolls designed as a fun and educational way to promote self-appreciation and the benefits of daily exercise, healthy eating and sleeping habits, self-esteem and overall healthy life skills for girls ages 3-12. The dolls are age appropriate and do not encourage an older or overly mature image. The image is innocent with a subtle yet strong message—appreciate and be true to yourself. www.gogosportsgirls.com
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As a social enterprise, Greenaid employs formerly homeless men and women from the Los Angeles area. Every seedbomb tossed is not only an investment in the planet but a chance to change lives. Throw and Grow! www.greenaid.com
A GOOD SPORT
Joe on the baseline with the players • Photo courtesy of the Rays
Joe Maddon Paying Back the Gift of a Happy Childhood By: Rachel Schaeffer • Photos courtesy of Rays Communications/Skip Milos
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ampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon is a community builder—both on and off the field. In a world where winning, losing, and salary wars can make for an unsettled environment, Maddon creates an atmosphere where faith in his players and a sense of unity is paramount. It’s no wonder he was named the American League Manager of the Year in both 2008—when he led the Rays to the World Series—and again in 2011. Maddon has faith in people despite seemingly insurmountable odds, believes in his players and in bringing folks together. Maddon has successfully rallied his team and is now bringing his skills, integrity, and enthusiasm to rally his hometown into making a comeback as well. Join us for an exclusive interview with this remarkable baseball manager. PIM: What was it like to grow up in
Hazelton, Pennsylvania? JM: It was a happy town. In the summer, I would get up, go out to the playground, and start my day playing— regardless of whether it was basketball, baseball or just hanging out. Every morning I knew I was going to have fun. You also had the stability of the family—parents and a huge number of aunts and uncles, cousins and friends. The whole city raises you. I look back on it and I know that it has formed me in a lot of ways. PIM: You felt like everybody was there for you and looked out for you. What a wonderful feeling! JM: Yeah! I think what’s missing today is the lack of accountability. When you have that many people following your progress or regress, you are called on any kind of negative behavior that you might have attempted to get involved continued on next page Joe and umpire Chad Fairchild
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teacher! The guy would make you laugh and then he’d make you learn. Those are the kind of people, those teachers and coaches who you want to do well for. They’re the kind of people that really draw it out of you. You want to please them.
Thanksmas, Joe’s annual week-long project during which he purchases, cooks, prepares and serves meals at Tampa Bay area homeless shelters.
with! There was no way to get away with anything—someone was going to see you! And if you didn’t own up to it, you’re going to get into even more trouble! After getting caught a few times, you stopped doing the stupid things. (Laughs) PIM: Where did you live? JM: We grew up in an apartment above the plumbing shop we owned, and my mom still lives there. My mom is Polish and my dad was Italian—it was very ethnically-oriented back then. The families were so big—my mom had more than ten brothers and sisters and so did my dad. I’m not exactly sure of the headcount. (Laughs) And then when you add in the number of cousins, it’s huge. Holidays were huge also, and you had to visit everybody’s house and everybody had to visit you. We grew up in this family environment, and then we were connected to the whole city through activities. For me, it was through sports, and there’s really a huge web that’s created with that—all the different
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coaches and families, and this huge infrastructure that you built unknowingly. It’s really very supportive—and makes you very accountable. PIM: It sounds like a special time. Who were the folks who had the most positive impact on you? JM: My mom and dad, of course. My dad was the most patient guy in the world and my mom held me to a very high level of accountability. They were the primary forces. Beyond that, I went to a parochial school. My seventh grade teacher Sister Suzanne stands out to me. She was the one nun that would play with the kids, and she was very athletic. She was also a very good teacher and you better get your work done! We stayed in touch until she passed away a few years ago. My eleventh grade American History teacher, Mr. Libonati, was probably the best teacher I’ve ever had, on any level. He was the kind of teacher where you actually wanted to go to class, which is pretty hard to do for an eleventh grade
PIM: I imagine they’d all be pleased with what you’re doing—both in your hometown and the city you work in. Tell me about “Thanksmas”—it first started in Tampa and then you did a Thanksmas event in Hazelton. What was your premise for the whole thing? JM: I used to work for the Los Angeles Angels. I’d ride my bike up and down the beaches, and every day I saw homeless people pushing their life’s belongings in a shopping cart. Along the way, I’d stop to use the bathroom and there were concrete bunkers. I’d see people passed out in these bunkers. It really bothered me. I started to get more and more interested, and I thought that if I ever had a larger soapbox, that I would try to use it for something directed toward the homeless. When I went to the Rays, I told them I had this idea for something I wanted to call Thanksmas—because these people needed our help any day, not just on Thanksgiving or Christmas or holidays. Thanksmas is any day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. In Tampa Bay, a lot of people that used to be givers are now in need—a lot of two-income families became one-income families. And there are a lot of single moms and kids and families involved. I wanted to bring people together through a meal. We work mainly through the Salvation Army, the Sally house, and the Metropolitan ministries. The point was to raise the level of empathy and awareness to the cause and have people truly understand the problem. We’ve been able to raise about $25,000 this past year in the Tampa area, and we gave to four different places each a check for $4,000—including the Salvation Army and the Sally house. PIM: That’s remarkable! Tell me about the Hazelton Integration Project (HIP). JM: The primary goal was really just to get people to come together—to help
A GOOD SPORT ameliorate the fears within our town. To have people start communicating and building relationships, and hopefully the trust is going to occur because of that. Eventually they can have an open exchange of ideas. Without having that communication and the relationships and the trust in place, it’s almost impossible to sit down with somebody to exchange ideas without people becoming defensive. Our first goal is to create situations or moments that both sides, the Hispanics and the Anglos, attend. Whether it’s going to dinner, attending a movie or getting the kids playing basketball. PIM: How did HIP get started? JM: Last year we went back to Hazelton and I was really disappointed. I didn’t like what I was seeing at all. I thought the town was dirty and dark. When I spoke to the people, there seemed to be a lot of fear.
There’s nothing for anybody to do—whether it’s a nightclub, theater or a cultural event. There’s none of those gathering places. It’s so different than when I was growing up there when it was so vibrant. There were always things to do. And then you’d come home on holidays and everybody would rush to the same places and end up meeting up and having a great time. Now that just doesn’t happen. A lot of it has to do with the infrastructure. The infrastructure is horrible— I even thought the streetlights were darker. I didn’t like it. When I left last Christmas and I was on the plane talking to my wife, Jaye, I said, “I’m upset! I’m actually really upset!” I thought to myself, I can be upset or I can be upset and try to do something about it. So I chose to do something. PIM: What did you do? JM: I called my cousin Elaine
Maddon Curry—her pop and my pop were brothers. She’s a local politician back home and now she’s a Lucerne County board member. I said I’d like to use my platform as a baseball manager where I’ve had a lot of experience with different cultures and different languages, and different kids. Especially with the Hispanic group—I thought it would be natural for me to get involved. I started to come up with ideas. Originally I wanted to have the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” with English and Spanish subtitles at our new events center. It’s in the old high school—now the elementary and junior high school— it’s a beautiful new auditorium. We did do that—we had all these events from December 15th through the 18th, 2011. We started doing conference calls from spring training—about five or six of us. We brainstormed about how we could create events in December to bring everybody together. We wanted to continued on next page
Joe with two members of his coaching staff before the start of a game (left to right): Rays Third Base Coach Tom Foley, Bench Coach Dave Martinez
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A GOOD SPORT continued from page 11
make it fun, to give people something to look forward to during the Christmas holiday, and have it become the first step with the community center being the back part of it. We knew we had to get the word out and we didn’t spend a lot of money on advertising, so we had a press conference. We needed to create an event to raise money, so we started talking about memorabilia, and who was going to be there. Then there was the movie, and the final point was to bring our Thanksmas program there to help feed the homeless. We created a four-day event basically through telephone conversations from spring training until the actual event occurred. We even had a call with everybody about a week or two before the event. We have a board now and we have officers. We’re going with a 5013C and are getting that accomplished. We’ve raised funds and we’ve picked out a site for the community center building. We’re working on procuring the building. There are some grants that will make it better and easier. We have a great building in mind that can provide everything we are looking for—from cooking classes all the way to a gymnasium on the third floor. It’s going to happen—it’s happening. We have to staff it, we have to create an administration, we have to create programs. We’re taking it slowly at the same time, keeping it simple, trying not to go too fast or do too much—and still grow. You have to show that you’ve reached the targets in the short-term to maintain momentum, because our momentum right now is tremendous back home. PIM: I admire how you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone and are so willing to change and grow. JM: It’s about remaining flexible. I think we can become inflexible and as we get older, lose our willingness to change and even look at change as not being a viable option. I think it’s viable. In my job, you want to remain contemporary all the time. You can only remain contemporary by keeping up with what’s going on now. And you have to keep an open mind about it. The other 12
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Raising of the 2010 American League East Championship banner at Tropicana Field. Opening Day 2011
part of it is that I think it’s exciting to be afraid. (Laughs) I love being outside of my comfort zone—even though sometimes it really can be uncomfortable! PIM: It’s obvious that you have a great deal of integrity coupled with the fact that you’re truly following your heart! JM: It’s just like my baseball career.
You think with three different parts of your body: your heart, your gut, and your mind. You have to deal with all of them. Sometimes the brain overrides, sometimes the gut overrides, sometimes the heart overrides, and that’s okay as long as you know where you’re coming from. I believe in that. You’re totally focused on something and you’re doing it in a very sincere
manner, without any kind of monetary benefit. I’m not looking for any kind of stature, or kudos—I’m looking for the satisfaction because I wanted to be a baseball player and a baseball manager, and I want to do this project well because my hometown is that important to me. Jaye and I are still property owners back there, my mom still lives there, we have family back there and I want my kids to want to go back there. I really would like to think that over the next couple years, if we do this right, which we will, more people will be compelled to come back and see what it looks like, and hopefully contribute also. It’s about Hazelton right now. Once we learn how to do this, and do this right, we can set an example for other small communities in that northeastern Pennsylvania area, and beyond that too. PIM: You have a big vision! JM: Whenever I dream, I dream big. I don’t see why any of this is not possible. I see this all as possible. A lot of people have not come out of the woodwork— they’re waiting for something bad to happen so they can say I told you so. I expect some things to go wrong at some point, there will be some things that won’t match up perfectly, because we just didn’t see them, and we will make the adjustments. PIM: It’s great when other people support your dreams. Did Yogi Berra come to your event in December? JM: Yes! He was fabulous! He’s a real sweetheart! Every time we play the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, he comes and sits with me in my office for a half hour. Yogi Berra! Come on! How does that happen? PIM: I’m sure folks say that about you, Joe! JM: I’m just going about my business every day, that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I’m not looking for anything more than that. I’m looking to be a very good baseball manager, and hopefully I do that well and our organization does well. And I want to be a good husband and father. So thank you for what you just said to me, it’s kind of strange to think that people might think that way.
PIM: Your positive attitude is contagious. Do you think it came from growing up in Hazelton? JM: I think it came from my parents, from the families that I grew up with, how I grew up, and what it was like in my hometown—huge families and very tightly knit families. A lot of it was focused on the kitchen table in the kitchen itself, and beyond that just fun and laughter and gatherings and support. It was about this entire community involvement, and maybe it’s because I played sports and was so involved with sports and always had something to do all year round. Whether it was basketball season or football season or baseball season, I was always involved athletically. That meant I was involved with coaches, which meant I was involved with other players, and their families. There were a lot of group events—simple things like going for pizza after a game. There were all these little warm fuzzy things. I was once accused of being too positive or optimistic. I never viewed myself as being positive. I guess you’re a product of your environment most of the time—we all are.
Maybe I was just surrounded by all of this positive energy without even realizing that I was exuding that. I always give my players the advice, “Just be you.” All I want is for you to show up and maybe just being you, without even realizing it, has a real positive impact.
My hometown is a real blue-collar work ethic kind of a city. My dad and my uncles exuded all of that—it’s something that I observed. I’ve never wanted anything handed to me, I feel like I’m cheating when something is given to me. I have to earn it. You have to go through a little bit of pain or mental anguish when something is worthwhile, it seems. I’m always telling my kids, “The struggle is the best part.” I’ll always want them to understand that. So many times, kids today want things handed to them, and they try to avoid the struggle—not understanding that the struggle is the part that really makes you. PIM: You took the gift that you received growing up, and that you embodied, and you’re giving it back to your town, and from there, spreading it across the country. JM: I hope that’s true! Back in the mid 1980s, Gene Mauch was a very famous baseball player and manager and he came to our instructional league in Arizona. I was thirty years old. One day, he pops up during batting practice, and says, “You’ve created a great atmosphere around here.” And then he walked away. You have to understand—Gene Mauch was the equivalent of God! I had no idea what he meant. I tried to figure out what was he talking about. I was just doing what I thought I should be doing. I was following my instincts. PIM: You’re working at creating that same great atmosphere in Tampa, Hazelton, and beyond—and doing so in a very conscientious and pure way. JM: It has to be born of the purest intentions. For it to truly work, your intentions have to be absolutely pure. Things may go awry from your original concept in your mind to the platform that attempts to create it—pure intentions are your best chance. n
PIM: I love what you said about growing up—fun, laughter and support. That seems like your management style. JM: You might be right. We do have a lot of fun, we do laugh and there is a lot of support. positiveimpactmagazine.com
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A MOMENT OF CLARITY Personal Responsibility The Power to Change the World By: Marci Wise
One look at the challenges that face our world––political and economic turmoil, the effects of global warming due to deforestation, and a growing number of animals on the endangered species list––and you can’t help feeling overwhelmed. The problems appear so huge and varied that the thought of making a positive impact can seem daunting. It’s important to remember, however, that as individuals we are only a small part of a large and powerful group: humanity. When we each bring our unique strengths and talents to the table, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish. Begin to use your personal power right now by embracing the five steps toward personal responsibility.
Find your Power This moment, when we’re first assessing a situation, holds the power to either make us or break us. We can either become discouraged or let those feelings move us to action. When given the choice between hope and fear, always choose hope. It truly has the power to move mountains. Anything that has ever been accomplished began as the glimmer of an idea in someone’s mind. Dig deep to find the motivation to move forward with passion.
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank
– Leo Tolstoy
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“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Own your Part Examine your own relationship with the world around you. Ask yourself how you play into the big picture. Could you be doing anything differently to help support your cause? Brainstorm ideas and entertain new possibilities. A journey of a thou-
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sand miles begins with a single step. Also, examine the lessons that your particular life has given you. Our greatest strengths are often born from our most trying moments. Make an effort to recognize the unique strengths that you bring to the table.
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who are alive.” – Howard Thurman
more time thinking about what we’re going to have for lunch than we do creating a plan of action for our lives. Break it down into simple bite-sized steps. Throw all the possibilities in the pot, add a dash of realism, and then stand back and savor what you’ve created.
“If you do what you’ve always done – you’ll get what you’ve always got.” – Mark Twain Shake things up Once you know what you want—go after it! Thomas Edison once said, “Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.” So get busy! This is one thing that our society has supremely trained us for. We know how to work—and work hard. Try to devote at least a small part of each day toward achieving your objectives. Evaluate your effectiveness often and readjust your plan as necessary. Use every opportunity to learn from your mistakes and finetune your plan. Photo: Jen Hellmann • Walkway in Bali, Indonesia
Take the Lead The only thing standing between you and success is planning, hard work and dedication. So, devote yourself to giving some thought to what it’s really going to take to accomplish your goal. Unfortunately, most of us spend
Reach out to Others Acknowledge each accomplishment made toward your goal and share your newfound knowledge with those around you. There is power in numbers and small improvements can grow exponentially when adopted by others. A moment of inspiration can turn into a movement when the collective power of people comes together in unity. Although life will always present us with challenges, how we respond to those challenges is totally up to us. By taking personal responsibility and stepping up with action, we each have the ability to become powerful creators. It all starts with that one, pivotal moment when we’re faced with the decision to either act or sit back in discouragement. The greatest accomplishments in history all started with one person’s passion. Be that person and you hold the power to change the world! n
“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” - Thomas Banyacya Sr.
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5 Ways to Keep Music In Your Life Forever By: Erica Smith
We are all born loving music. As a child, you probably sang to keep yourself company or as you fell asleep. You probably danced around a lot, too. Maybe, as a preteen and teen you were obsessed with music, scraping up the cash to buy the latest release then playing it over and over until you memorized every word.
Even if life has now taken you down a path of meetings, appointments, and other busy and serious things, you never outgrow the comfort and release that music can bring. If there aren’t enough hours in the day to be utterly work-obsessed, there are still ways to feel the joy of music.
1 Revisit the music you first fell in love with. Unlike your first crush, who might remain a wistful, painful memory, an album will always be true love. What did you dance to as a little kid? What was on the stereo when you had your first kiss? Isaac Hayes, Peter Frampton, Carole King, Nina Simone, Patti Smith, C+C Music Factory, Shania Twain, Pearl Jam, Muddy Waters, Neil Diamond, or The Strokes? This may not be the kind of music you necessarily listen to now, yet it
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
still has the power to transport you to another time and place. Hit ‘Play’ and let yourself drift away!
2 Keep up with artists you used to adore. Did you know that the past two years have seen new releases by Tom Waits, Emmylou Harris, Mavis Staples, and Robert Plant? Arguably, all of these artists are doing their best work right now. Two of The Beatles are still releasing albums, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Check them out online and see what’s up.
3 Find out what the kids are listening to. This may seem virtually inescapable every time you hit the mall, gym, or supermarket, still, make a point of sitting down and giving pop music a dedicated listen; click down the top singles list on
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iTunes. You may have overheard Adele a thousand times already, yet only by listening when you’re not in the middle of doing something else do you realize that she is, in fact, amazing. Also, ask the teens you know what they’re into. They may surprise you with new and interesting underground artists, as well as the stuff that’s more popular.
4 Go see live music. You don’t have to spend tons of cash and drive for miles to attend a huge stadium concert. Check your local listings and see what’s going on at the clubs, bars, libraries, museums, and bookstores. You will most likely be treated to a great show and only be asked to pay under $20, or even simply drop a few dollars in a bucket afterward. Take a chance on someone you’ve never heard of!
5 Dance and sing. Okay, this one may be the hardest. Many of you are thinking, “I can’t sing!” “I can’t dance!” This is tough love here: throw those thoughts away. Just say NO to them—out loud, if you need to. Then crank up the volume and kick out the jams. Sing in the car, with the windows rolled up (if you’re shy) or down (if you’re not). Dance around the room with your kids, partner, cats, nieces, nephews, guinea pigs. Dance in the bedroom by yourself, then flop on the bed with glee. Keeping music in your life is a way to stay in touch with your inner youth, maintain relationships with friends and family, and release stress. Open up and make some noise—you’ll feel great afterward! n
IN EVERY COVER I ARTS ISSUE&I ENTERTAINMENT CONTRIBUTORS
EMILIO ESTEVEZ
Emilio Estevez directing “The Way”
E
milio Estevez may be best remembered for his time in the 1980s “Brat Pack,” starring in movies like “The Breakfast Club” and “St. Elmo’s Fire,” however, his current project may change that. His latest film is a spiritual and personal statement about love and loss, about connecting with others and with ourselves. “The Way,” at its heart, is told through the father’s viewpoint after the son’s death. The inspiration for the film, Estevez says, was his father, Martin 18
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Sheen, and his son, who visited Spain and El Camino de Santiago together. “It really came from my son and my father. They took a trip to Spain in 2003. My dad was working on The West Wing and my son was working as his assistant at the time. And they went off to Spain because my dad had wanted to check out the Camino, and they had a very limited time to do so.“ They rented a car and hit some of the highlights of it, and Martin Sheen walking in the Pyrenees >
IN EVERY ISSUE I CONTRIBUTORS
Shows The Way By: Autumn Kindelspire Photography: David Alexanian
one of them was a town called Burgos. They checked into a bed and breakfast that took in pilgrims, and they sat at the pilgrims’ supper that night. A young lady walked in and she was the innkeeper’s daughter, and my son fell in love with her. They’ve been together for eight and a half years now. He’s been living there. They were married in 2009. “So I would go to Spain and hang out with them and meet with various pilgrims and see pilgrims out on the road and I would think, ‘Well, this is interesting.’ And then my father began to give me a nudge and say, ‘Hey, why don’t we go to Spain and make a film?” At first, Estevez hesitated to create a film in another country. The travel, the time, the language barriers—there was a host of reasons not to do it. Little by little, however, a screenplay developed. His own father, Martin Sheen, plays the role of Tom Avery, while Estevez plays the role of Daniel Avery, Tom’s estranged son who dies while walking El Camino de Santiago. Avery learns of his son’s death over the phone, from a French policeman, while golfing with a group of fellow doctors. The scene reminds viewers that life’s most important events, positive or tragic, often catch us unaware and unguarded. “Those are the moments that we’re jarred back into reality and we realize that all of this is only fleeting. The death of a child is ultimately your own death...and only you have to live through it. “In the film we get it out of the way early. And he’s not a guy who is incredibly emotive, so we’re not subjected to a lot of waterworks. He internalizes a lot of it, and we’re waiting for that moment where he lets it out. And really the only outlet he has is anger, and we see that demonstrated in the drunk scene where he lets everybody have it. That’s his way of grieving. At the core of this, it’s a father and son story. The father learns who the son was only after his death. And figures out how to move on.” Avery impulsively decides to walk the Camino and scatter his son’s ashes along the route. He is emotionally unprepared for the pilgrimage, and for the internal journey he undertakes. continued on next page
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Avery is presented with stories of miracles and stories of great loss. The film is rich with religious icons —El Camino de Santiago is the pilgrimage route to the resting place of apostle St. James—and yet does not present itself as a religious movie. Estevez says that he wanted to make the movie universally accessible. “I didn’t want it to feel like a Catholic film. I wanted it to feel like a human film.” The characters’ relationships with religion are equally equivocal. None are fervent worshipers, yet they honor certain traditions or keep certain beliefs. There are characters who believe in God even if they resent him, those who do not believe yet are deeply spiritual, and every variation between the two extremes. Estevez says the decision to make his characters non-believers was intentional. “They’re all sort of searching. These are the questions that all of us are struggling with. Belief versus knowing. I think to have faith is to believe. And when you feel like you have all the answers, and you KNOW something, I think that limits you. For my part, I wanted to make sure that all the characters were not grounded in a belief system or a sense of knowing. I wanted them all to be kind of floundering. I wanted them to be unsure of where they were in the world and where they were in terms of their spirituality.” Avery teams up with three other hikers: The Dutchman Joost (Yorick van Wageningen), Canadian Sarah (Deborah Unger), and Irish writer Jack (James Nesbitt), all of whom are searching for …something. That something could be interpreted as connection. Sarah has closed herself to the world, yet throughout the movie reaches out for companionship. Joost is a jovial party animal, while inside he’s struggling with an unhappiness that compels him to eat. Jack suffers from writer’s block and a crippling cynicism. They are walking an external path while navigating an internal one. Top: Martin Sheen, Deborah Unger, Emilio Estevez & Yorick van Wageningen Bottom left: James Nesbitt, Deborah Unger, Martin Sheen, & Yorick van Wageningen walking the road to El Camino de Santiago Bottom right: Emilio Estevez & Martin Sheen in Muxia
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“The road really is a wonderful metaphor for all of this. All of what we do. We’re on a path every day, whether we acknowledge it or not.” One problem the characters face is their dependence on technologies of the modern world—laptops, smartphones, iPods. These devices make it easy to isolate ourselves from others and insulate ourselves from the world going on around us. They unplug from these
“comforts” and begin to experience the world as a participant rather than an onlooker. Estevez believes these modern technologies, designed to keep us in better contact with others, actually reduce our real communications with each other and our ability to experience the present. “We’re told that we’re going to miss something if we don’t return an email right away, or if we don’t stay plugged in and connected. And that’s really the irony, because in connecting through technology we’re more disconnected than ever. “I’m guilty of it. I’ll text somebody or send an email to somebody who is in my
own house! I mean, how silly is that? “I think we’ve lost touch. We’ve lost the connection. The toothpaste is sort of out of the tube. Yet, you do see a return to things like slow food. Now restaurants are banning cell phones and encouraging people to sit and, you know, TALK.” There was a local circus, Estevez recounts, and a woman in his area continuously checked her smartphone. Every two minutes or so her phone’s backlit screen would light up the surrounding area, breaking the spell of the performance and distracting everyone. Estevez says he finally asked the woman to please put her phone away. “It’s taking us all out of the moment,” he said to her. The woman was offended, yet Estevez says, “What can you do? It’s become the new addiction.” All of these existential questions: life, loss, love, religion, tradition, and belief, could drown a movie in overblown dialogue and a lethargic tempo, however, “The Way” suffers from none of these pitfalls. The dialogue is sharp, honest, and often funny. At 123 minutes, the story seems to slide gracefully before your eyes in its own perfect rhythm. It’s evident from the beginning that Estevez is not only a great actor; he is a truly gifted writer and storyteller. Which probably makes his former creative writing teacher, Peggy Shackleton, very proud. When asked to name one person that made a positive impact in Estevez’ life, he brought up a teacher who changed the way her students thought. “She would start every class every day with one question. She would ask, ‘How is your consciousness today?’ “In the beginning of the school year, most of the class burst out laughing. By the second week, about 50 percent had stopped laughing and started thinking about that. And by the end of the school year, there was absolute contemplation about that question from every student in the room. And I couldn’t wait to get to that class. She was such an inspiration.” Estevez and Sheen have also written a book, “Along The Way: The Journey of a Father and Son,” sharing the stories of their lives and how they arrived at the Camino de Santiago [Free Press, May 2012]. n positiveimpactmagazine.com
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Life As Story: An Author Shares His Journey
Donald Miller, author, speaker, blogger, and movie-maker shares doubts about faith in “Blue Like Jazz” and then showed us how he created a better life in “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.”.
Part of a series of articles entitled ‘Different by Nature’ By: Julie Starke • Photos courtesy of Donald Miller/Chaffee Management Group
Steven Taylor wanted to make a movie. Not just any movie—a movie based on a book he had read, entitled “Blue Like Jazz.” It’s this story that traces aspects of Donald Miller, its author, from a life of faith on the Texas coast to a life of liberation at Reed College. Steve fell in love with a scene in the book and just couldn’t let it go. So he called Don. ‘Hey, ‘ I imagine he says. ‘You know that scene where you make a confession booth, dress like The Pope and make everyone come through on the lawn at Reed? I think that would make a great scene in a movie. Want to make one?’ And, so the story goes, he and Don (and a cast of other characters) set out to write the screenplay, adapting the story of Don’s life into one that would have audience members captivated. They quickly stumble upon a conflict–– although “Blue Like Jazz” was a hit, Don’s actual life was not. In large part, his story was really boring. 22
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The book Donald Miller authored while learning to create a better story for his own life.
So Don did what Don does. While rewriting and adapting the “Blue Like Jazz” screenplay into something that audiences would love, he wrote another book, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.” This is the story in which Miller shares his journey of personal transformation and changes his own life story. He goes from living a stagnant life in Portland, eating ice cream and watching Oprah, to riding his bike across the country and making a movie based on his life. Growing up fatherless on the coast of Texas, in the home of a single mother and in the pew of a southern Baptist Church, is the basis of the beginning for this well-loved author. It was here that he learned about faith. When he finally ventured out of the walls that had housed him for twenty-one years, he learned about doubt. It was during this time of exploration that Don authored his first book, setting off a chain of events that would lead him
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
to write “Blue Like Jazz,” the book that earned him a place on the NY Times bestseller list and propelled him into becoming a well-known blogger, speaker, mentor, workshop leader and movie-maker. From Book to Big Screen in 4,495 People But movie-making proved to be filled with conflict. First the screenplay, then the financing and, before the players could say ‘who moved my cheese?,’ funding dried up and the movie-making was halted. It was then that supporters Zach Pritchard and Jonathan Frazier entered the vision. They believed the movie could be saved through Kickstarter, an online resource for creative endeavors to attract private funds. They set about making ‘Save Blue Like Jazz,’ and asked for $125,000 in donor-supported contributions. Ten days later, their wish came true. Backers stepped up to the plate to keep their beloved book in the movie mix. Ultimately raising $345,992 in 29 days, they made history as the largest Kickstarter-funded program as of that date. ‘This isn’t our movie anymore,’ they claimed. ‘It’s everybody’s movie.’
This poster was eventually selected by backers in the ‘Save Blue Like Jazz’ campaign.
So 4, 495 people made the movie “Blue Like Jazz.” The backers became the focus group, the advisory board, and the creative consultants—voting for movie posters and taglines, electing the charities that would receive a portion of the profits, and receiving personal phone calls from the producer. The funding was unconventional and then, so were the players. This was no ordinary process. Production for the movie wrapped in late 2011 and by March 2012 they were selected to premiere at the coveted SXSW Film Festival in Austin. A month later, Blue Like Jazz opened in theaters across the country.
purpose, Donald Miller is most assuredly living a better story. Through the eyes of someone who saw his own need for improvement, we find a friend, a companion on the journey who, like many, wants more from life. It is this commitment to story that makes Donald Miller a thinker of 21st century proportions and the ‘go-to’ guy for a really great read. And it is this guy who will be one to watch as he continues to face conflict head-on while attempting to bring purpose and meaning to his own slice of life. n
Creating A Better Story So with the movie released and Don living his transformational existence, one would think that this story had reached its climax, closing with a tight resolution, and leaving its audience completely satisfied. Not so fast.
“We are often happier striving toward something than when we have accomplished it. Enjoy the process,” tweets Don Miller Don is onto a new story and it’s not a book—yet. This story is being shared with another type of audience: those that feel compelled to improve their own life story. It’s called “Storyline,” and it takes conference attendees on a personalized journey to map their lives using the principles behind story. Its soul mission is to help people live a more meaningful existence and, in short, a better story. “At Storyline, we talk about what it takes to live a meaningful life. And what it takes is different than what it takes to win in our culture. What it takes to live a meaningful life is love, sacrifice, honesty, ambition, a willingness to endure conflict and a devotion to a Deity other than ourselves,” the website states. So for a guy that seemingly went from introvert to extrovert, couch potato to motivator, silent witness to voice of
There’s something magical about watching a movie unfold, about watching a cast of characters, writers, producers, and directors come together to create the magic that will light up the screen. If that story is a good one, the audience will invest themselves for about 120 minutes watching the story unfold and falling in or out of love with each of a cast of characters designed to connect with them emotionally. There is a setting, a conflict, a climax and a resolution. Story has a cadence and so, for that matter, does life.
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The Universe Bracelet
MAI Apparel is a company that was born out of change, out of the need to shake off the mundane and enjoy a new life without the hassles of doing things that “everybody knows” you are supposed to do. Their biggest seller, the Blessing Bracelet, is a simple inspirational idea. Each bracelet is made with sterling silver components and four Swarovski pearls; it is designed so that whenever you’re feeling stressed or down, you can look at your bracelet and be reminded of four things that make your life worthwhile and to be grateful for. From one person’s ability to try something new has sprung a new craze that’s growing more and more popular each and every day. The creator of the bracelets, Dawn Sprong, decided she was tired of living the life she’d been led into and just wasn’t happy: “It just hit me one day five years ago, that I was afraid to live my life. I had so many rules and things I felt I HAD to do; none of them were filling the void I felt within me. I spent hundreds of hours working on my view of myself and what I could do if I gave myself the
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freedom to change. A huge portion of what I did was writing a gratitude list every morning.” Becoming more aware of how her positive actions could influence those around her, Dawn realized that working just to pay bills was far from living life to its fullest, she wasn’t happy letting life slip by without her: “What I had in mind was if everyone woke up, and stopped thinking life was about money, and started realizing all they had, it would enable everyone to be more loving and generous. They would stop fearing being left behind, and in truth they would not be because everyone would start being nicer to each other.
“Being happy just makes you nicer. The bracelet was inspired by that thought.”
By: Matt Growcott
Blessing Bracelets
CONSCIOUS BUSINESS
Over five years, Dawn gave out these bracelets as gifts, just because she thought it would make people happier. A text message out of the blue from a friend who had started writing a gratitude list at Dawn’s suggestion confirmed that people were happier when they objectively looked at the things they could be thankful for. Along with the bracelets, they started to give a printed tag asking the receiver to acknowledge a blessing in their life for each pearl on the bracelet. From giving them to friends, friends started to ask for bracelets for friends of friends. She realized that people were interested in the bracelets, not only because they were pretty pieces of jewelry, they were changing people’s lives. They actually were reminding the wearer to be grateful, and to wake up to
Blessing Bracelets
appreciate all they had. She made contact with a local store, not really expecting that anything would come of it. She was absolutely amazed when the store contacted her and wanted to start selling them. From 10 bracelets given as gifts in 2010 to December of 2011, 10,000 bracelets were sold, an amazing amount considering that it all started out as gifts for friends. From that initial change in her life, Dawn’s small attempt at making others’ lives better has grown into something that’s only going to keep growing. It’s a shame then that not everybody understands the great message behind the bracelet; an executive at a trade show dismissed Dawn’s lack of professional representation as naïve, something that is “fine for a local company,” not for anybody that wants nationwide and even perhaps international success. She laughs it off: “I didn’t tell her that we sold 20,000 in eight months, two countries and about forty states.” It’s that sort of success that confirms her confidence in the product: “I have said from about April of last year on, we are going to sell two million of these.
“It is something I know, I am not really sure how I know, not even sure how we will do it.” She’s not concerned about converting anybody into what she calls a “gratitude groupie,” yet is very proud that she can say she’s raising awareness of our own control over our destinies, and that through that we can see what we are capable of. It is what Blessing Bracelets has allowed her to do that Dawn loves most: “Our plans for the future are not about retirement or saving; they are about doing what we love, being happy in the day and sharing it. Believe it, even being happy takes focus, so I focus on the fact that I am just the messenger of the idea, not the owner: not what you learn in Business 101 or if you listen to the world of financial advisors or politicians.” Certainly not, it’s fair to say that her own brand of business is working just fine, and she’s proud to be spreading a message at the same time. n Visit www.maiapparel.com for more information. You can also purchase the Universe Bracelet at positiveimpactmagazine.com positiveimpactmagazine.com
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CONSCIOUS BUSINESS
Chocolate Truffle Business with a Purpose By: Leslie Berliant • Photos courtesy of Le Marais Chocolat
A
few years ago, I read a headline about a man suing himself in Dutch court for eating chocolate. The man, journalist Teun van de Keuken, a.k.a. Tony Chocolonely, and his situation seemed absurd at first, however, the crime of which he accused himself was no laughing matter. van de Keuken brought his self-directed charges through a provision of the Dutch antislavery law under which a person
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cannot knowingly participate in the slave trade. By knowing that the chocolate trade used slave labor and continuing to eat it, he argued, he was guilty. And so was everyone else indulging in chocolate without caring about its source, including me. The court refused to prosecute van de Keuken’s case, yet out of it spawned a slavery-free chocolate company, Tony’s Chocolonely. Hearing his story, I was
moved to change my buying habits and became a devoted buyer of Fair Trade chocolate. Fair Trade means workers are paid a fair wage and treated fairly through equitable, transparent and democratic labor practices, with an emphasis on economic and social development, as well as environmental stewardship. It’s about being fair to the producers, the community, and the environment.
Fast forward a few years. I am trying to raise money for an organization I co-founded that helps orphanages in Haiti. My friend Gina offers to hold a shopping boutique fundraiser at her house. I’m trying to think of what I can
Around the same time, van de Keuken was trying to raise awareness in Europe about child slave labor in the cocoa bean trade, a French company, Alter Eco, was trying to bring Fair Trade products to the mass market in the U.S. “It started in 1998 as a Fair Trade handicrafts store in Paris,” Rollet explained, adding that it was well before there was much Fair Trade consciousness in Europe. “We had lots of press and not a lot of sales to impact producers and communities, so the question we asked ourselves was how can we
Initiative to raise awareness. Fair Trade is an important selling point with the right buyers. I went on my first sales call to a local gourmet food store. The buyer not only loved the flavors, she was excited to be able to sell a product made with organic, Fair Trade chocolate. She placed an order for 50 boxes and asked if we could develop a truffle set exclusive to her store. “Fair trade is social justice, environmental issues,” Rollet says.
“When Fair Trade brands are next to other so-called ‘do good’ brands, it’s important to scream louder and tell the story of the farmers and the products. We have to be quite creative, with a little marketing and lots of stories to tell...” contribute and then it hits me…I make pretty good chocolate truffles. Two years and many truffles for charity later, I introduced my Fair Trade truffles to the wider marketplace. Le Marais Chocolat was born in January 2012. The most important first step was looking at the competition and finding a source for bulk organic Fair Tradecertified chocolate that I could buy in small quantities. There wasn’t much competition; there are Fair Trade chocolate bars, yet not many specialty items like hand-dipped truffles. I found a Fair Trade-certified chocolate distributor on Google and put in an order. I wanted to find out how other companies are marketing their Fair Trade products, so I called Alter Eco Co-Founder Edouard Rollet to pick his brain about Fair Trade, how they got started and whether I could make my little truffle company into a real business.
increase volume and really have an impact on those communities? The answer was to sell products people buy every day where they shop every day.” Today, you can find Alter Eco Fair Trade-Certified rice, quinoa, sugar and, of course, chocolate. The company has seen consistent growth, going from $50,000 in U.S. sales in 2005 to $4.5 million in 2011. Their French sales have grown even faster, reaching $15 million in just five years, Rollet says in part due to mainstream retailer support and mainstream media coverage of Fair Trade in Europe. It explains why European awareness of Fair Trade is over 80 percent in some markets, while American awareness is around 34 percent. U.S. awareness is improving though, Fair Trade sales in the U.S. saw 63 percent growth in the second quarter of 2011. Fair Trade USA hopes to continue that expansion through their Fair Trade for All
So here’s my story, the story of Le Marais Chocolat. I love chocolate and I want to share that love with the people that cultivate it, the communities where it’s grown and the people that savor it. I want to raise money for micro-organizations making a difference and positively affecting people’s lives, even though they don’t have access to big donors. I created Le Marais Chocolat for chocolate connoisseurs like me that care about incredible taste, organic ingredients, Fair Trade practices, the environment and giving back––all in one little truffle! n Ways to Help/Resources: BLU MOON Foundation Haiti Orphanage Adoption Program, www.blumoonfoundation.org/HOAP.html
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ECOTRAVEL & CULTURE
ecotourism
What to Know Before You Go & How You Can Travel Efficiently By: Naomi Prioleau
W
hen preparing to travel abroad or domestic, there are usually numerous decisions that are involved, including choosing a destination, what car to rent, where to stay, etc. While these decisions are important, it is imperative one learns how certain types of travel affect the country itself. We all have an effect on each other and the environment, from the type of transportation we use to the places we choose to stay. To keep our world happy and healthy, we have to start critically thinking about our excursions and how our actions affect others.
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Step outside the box Julie Garrett, media relations coordinator at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida, frequently travels to Wisconsin to visit her husband Doug. Rather than stay in a hotel, the couple takes an alternative route and goes camping. “We go camping a lot and buy what we need at thrift stores,” Garrett said. “We usually buy quilts and jackets and when we’re done we give it away to others at the campsite.” The couple chooses to live off the land instead of going with the hotel grain. Kristina Roe, head of communications for responsibletravel.com, said the
precautions Garrett and her husband take are helping the environment more than they know. Websites like responsibletravel.com inform visitors of how they can be more eco-friendly to the places they visit by being a responsible tourist. They define a responsible tourist as someone who is tired of mass tourism and travels for relaxation, adventure and the desire to learn. Ecotourism companies aim to educate readers on the benefits of responsible tourism and ecotravel. Roe said the more cautious travelers are to the types of transportation they use and Earth © Antartis | Dreamstime.com Greg Mortenson with Sitara “Star” school children in Afghanistan.
the activities they partake in, the more it will help them adapt to their destination and its culture. “Responsible holidays are designed to maximize local benefits and minimize the negative impact, and cultural impact is a part of that,” Roe said. “Responsible operators try to employ local staff and guides wherever they can. You’ll get a greater insight into local cultures this way.” Vacation like a local The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) at Stanford University and Washington D.C. defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people.” Kevin Mims, a freelance writer and videographer in Inverness, Florida, and his wife travelled to Dublin, Ireland last year where they practiced eco-friendly travel. Mims makes it a point to live like a local when he travels by staying in hostels with kitchens and going to supermarkets to buy fresh foods. He said by adapting to the culture it makes for a more appreciative trip. “We use alternative methods of transportation and never use cars,” Mims said. “We walk a lot and try to see a lot of non-touristy areas and experience places not well-travelled to become in touch with the environment.” Terri-Davis Merchant, a consultant and blogger in Brooklyn, N.Y., takes two international trips a year and multiple domestic trips, including weekend trips. When choosing where to stay, Merchant follows Roe’s suggestions of staying in a hotel that gives money to
what is ecoculture? The harmonious union of the environmental dynamic (ecosystem) and the social dynamic (culture), Part of the fun of a vacation is trying new things and living in a different way to how you do at home. You can make a big difference by only supporting the type of tourism that is not harmful to the environment and is supportive of local communities.
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Dominican Republic, Daydreaming ronsaunders47, via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
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the country rather than take it away. By making these types of decisions, she’s helping support responsible tourism and ecotravel. “I try to stay at hotels that are locallyowned or contribute to the communities where they are situated,” Merchant says.
“I also try to take tours sanctioned by local communities or buy souvenirs and other items that I know are locally made and will benefit in the country or community I’m visiting.” “A higher percentage of the income remains in the country of destination,” Roe said. “In conventional or ‘package’ tourism, up to 90 percent of the cost of your holiday may leave the destination. With responsible tourism, up to 70 percent of the cost of your holiday excluding flights remains in the destination. This means that local communities can achieve the same economic and social benefits with far less visitors and therefore environmental impact on their resources.” Plan! Plan! Plan! Both Roe and Garrett offer different tips for responsible tourism and ecotravel domestic and abroad. Roe suggests it’s best to take fewer, longer trips and to book direct flights to reduce carbon emissions when traveling internationally. Garrett recommends buying local produce domestically and looking into volunteer organizations that specialize in ecotravel abroad. Mims believes responsible tourism and ecotravel must start in America’s backyard before we can venture out into the world. We need to get a better handle on how to operate smart travel effectively and efficiently on our home turf. “We still have a ways to go here in America,” Mims said. “We’re better with tying responsible travel to outdoor travel to learn more about each other and our community to make us more responsible.” n
Santa Cruz Dragon Hill - Galapagos Islands - Ecuador David Berkowitz, via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
Responsibletravel.com encourages its visitors to travel and live like a local by connecting with the environment, culture, people and landscape to get a well-rounded view of the country their visiting. Their site offers trips that benefits locals, conservation of the land and gives travelers an unforgettable experience. Top Places for Ecotravel 1. Costa Rica 2. Dominican Republic 3. Botswana 4. Galapagos Islands 5. Belize 6. New Zealand
Caana (Sky Place) is Caracol’s tallest structure (tallest man-made structure in Belize), and stands 140 feet above the plaza archer10, via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
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EDUCATION Study, Work, and Service Combine for a Positive Environmental Force By: Dylan Babb • Photos courtesy of Warren Wilson College
Warren Wilson College sits on 1100 acres in the mountain valley of Swannanoa, a twenty-minute drive from Asheville, North Carolina. Tucked in between the mountains, Warren Wilson College provides a liberal arts education through the balance of study, work, and service. They are a work college, which means that in addition to academics, the students work fifteen hours a week on campus crews that are responsible for daily operations including computer repair, dining services, and plowing fields. The college garden and farm provide nearly 10 percent of the cafeteria’s produce and 90 percent of its meat. In addition, students are required to do 100 hours of service in the greater community prior to graduation. This triad of study, work, and service means that students learn to connect the values of sustain-
ability with actions that impact their lives and the lives of the community. Through the work component of the curriculum, students manage and run a work farm that includes mixed-crops and livestock. The WWC garden crew oversees five acres of organically raised crops, two heated greenhouses and two unheated hoophouses. These work crews also give students experiences in their chosen field of study. Education majors assist in the Head Start Program at the Early Learning Center and pre-veterinary students care for hogs and cattle on the farm. The 100 hours of community service include at least 25 hours dedicated to an “extended project” related to an issue. The issues range from building a LEED certified dorm, weatherizing local homes, and working with North
Top & bottom photo: The Warren Wilson College farm is a 275-acre, grass-based livestock farm that employs sustainable agriculture practices.
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Carolina Outward Bound. Over 15 years ago, Warren Wilson launched the Environmental Leadership Center to raise awareness of local, national, and global environmental realities. Students working with the ELC and community members helped design and build WWC eco-dorms. Completed in 2003, the dorms were built with local and recyclable materials to be energyefficient and conserve water. In addition, the ELC worked with
students to launch INSULATE, a collaboration between students, faculty, community organizations, and volunteers to weatherize local homes. According to a 2008 report from the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, the homes of those living 50 percent below the national poverty level consume a large amount of energy. Those households pay 59.3 percent of their annual income to energy bills. INSULATE works with the larger community to address the needs of this population. Recently and with support from the local utility company, Progress Energy, students designed and held a workshop for other colleges and universities looking to replicate the program. Because of the campus location in the Blue Ridge Mountains, WWC has worked with the NC Outward Bound program. The outdoor leadership major has become one of the college’s most popular fields of study. The campus has over 700 acres of forest and trails. WWC also has opportunities for students to enjoy kayaking, caving, and rock climbing. Warren Wilson College has been widely recognized as a leader in environmental sustainability. In 2008, “Sierra” magazine named them 4th in the nation of leading colleges and
Clay Matthews, linebacker for the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers
“Winning a Super Bowl takes backbone. Finding a cure for Duchenne takes HEART.” Give generously so that Duchenne boys will have a future. Duchenne is the leading muscle disease in children – affecting one in every 3,500 boys. Most boys will not survive beyond their mid-20’s and those that do are faced with fatigue and pain and will likely need a wheelchair by age 12. In the later stages, heart and breathing muscles begin to fail. The disorder knows no ethnic, social or economic boundaries.
universities that are committed to sustainability. In 2006 they were given the Campus Sustainability Award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Two years prior, in 2004, they were recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as one of the twenty-four leading institutions with a staff and student body working towards a sustainable future. n
National nonprofit CureDuchenne is working tirelessly to fund innovative research and therapies to save this generation of Duchenne boys from the devastating and lethal consequences of the disease. Your gift provides hope to the over 300,000 boys worldwide living with Duchenne. To make a donation, scan the bar code in the heart, or visit www.cureduchenne.org
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AWARDS
Coming Soon! The Sound of Meaning By: Katrina Stack Age 17, Churchill Highschool, Livonia, MI • Teacher: Dave Hebestreit
For more details, visit: www.positiveimpactmagazine.com
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Close the door. Put the headphones on. Pick out a song. Turn the volume up. And then press play. The music flows, blocking out the world. So what exactly is music? On the very surface, it’s the pounding of drums, the thumping of a bass, the rhythm of a guitar, and the harmony of the vocals. It all comes together to form something pleasing to the ear. What is underneath that is something even more spectacular. Behind the words and rhythm, there is a meaning, and a piece of the person who wrote it or is singing it. They have put their heart on their sleeve, maybe just for those three or four minutes. To me, music has always been about a connection. You get into a mood or you have this feeling, and then you find that song that pierces your soul and speaks to you like nothing ever has. When you find it, it’s magical; serendipitous, if you will. Even if it is only for a brief moment, it is as if someone has described exactly how you feel or what you think when it seems like you can’t even figure it out for yourself. The song has become a connection, perhaps to the person whose voice your hear or to the person who penned the words. It is a moment of realization that you are not alone; someone has felt the same way you do. Whether or not the exact meaning you derive from a song was the “actual meaning” the writer had intended is irrelevant. The music has become empathy. So many times I have heard a song and thought, “Hey, if they got through
this, so can I.” Music, and of course the meaning behind it, has saved my life on multiple occasions. The music that immediately comes to mind is that of The Gaslight Anthem, Bruce Springsteen, My Chemical Romance, Valencia, and Go Radio. Go Radio is the band that I experienced the biggest connection to. When my father passed away in July of 2010, I was a lost sixteen-year-old, desperately searching for something to cling to; something of my own. A good friend of mine, knowing my love of music, showed me a song called “Forever My Father,” composed by Jason Lancaster of Go Radio with his brother and sister, Daniel and Erin, just a couple days after their father passed away in August of 2007. Accompanied by piano and a little bit of drums, the words flowed, “I just needed you to pick me up like you did when we were younger, when the lightning and the thunder had me clinging to your heart; for someone to lift me up when I’m down and I’m forgotten. You’ll forever be my father, and I’ll be saving tears in jars for this one.” I sat there in shock that a song could describe so perfectly the emotions I had been feeling. Ever since then, whenever I have felt lost or like I could not go on, I went back to one of those bands and immediately felt better. It was the idea that these people had been to the place I was in and they came out alive that helped me carry on. Meeting Jason and telling him my story only made things better. I told him how his music saved
my life, and how I was beyond thankful for that. I have heard other musicians say that artists never forget these things; they do not forget when someone tells them they had as direct of a connection as I had. They do not forget that just as I will never forget the impact their music had on me: saving my life, providing empathy in a time when I felt so alone. In an article I read last Father’s Day, Jason spoke of the legacy his father left behind with music:
“the idea that no matter how far down in life you went, there would always be a song that could bring you back to the surface.” That idea affected Jason’s music with Go Radio, and it has since affected my life. His songs brought me back to the surface, their meaning gave me meaning. Some of the meanings in songs are straight forward. Rise Against tackles controversial issues on their album Endgame, particularly the song “Make It Stop (September’s Children),” which their vocalist, Tim McIlrath, wrote following the suicides of numerous homosexual teens. He also takes on the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina in “Help is On the Way.” McIlrath brings to light issues that usually are not touched in music, and he does it directly. My Chemical Romance has given a voice to the topics of depression and surviving it. Valencia’s Shane Henderson wrote the song “Still Need You Around (Lost Without You)” about his mother when she was diagnosed with cancer, which she later beat. Countless people could identify with those few songs alone. Think about the amount of people that could connect with a hundred songs like that; with a thousand. Then there are the songs with poetic lyrics, the ones you have to figure out on your own. My favorite band, The Gaslight Anthem, is a master of this art, having learned much of it from their biggest influence, Bruce Springsteen. In their song, “Boxer,” vocalist Brian Fallon sings, “You took it all gracefully on the chin, knowing that the beatings had to someday end. You found the bandages
inside the pen and the stitches on the radio.” The beatings he sings of are probably not physical, rather, mental; finding the bandages in writing and stitches in music. This song and so many of their others speak of the healing in music. The power of their music has been unparalleled in my own healing. Fallon said once at a show, “…we still, we keep the records going at night... And you know, 33 RPM: life’s not so bad at that speed.” When that music is playing, life seems just a little bit better, a little more bearable. Music can change lives, save them even. It offers an escape from reality, even if it only lasts three and a half minutes. It provides a moment of empathy, allowing a person to remember that they are not alone in a struggle, that others have been there, too. It is something that can have such a profound impact if one only takes the time to listen. And that is why I am fighting to become a part of it. n
Positive Impact Magazine is dedicated to telling stories about people both young and old that inspire action, courage and compassion. The stories that appear in the magazine focus on artists, athletes, companies, celebrities, children and teens, musicians and unsung heroes, both rich and poor, with a global audience or an audience of one. These stories bring about change by generating positive thoughts, hope and inspiration. We hope to provide insight and imagination to the youth that are going to be our next creators and leaders to write about anything or anyone making a positive impact. Through the stories of the Youth Writing Challenge, we can all learn how to follow Ghandi’s invitation to “be the change you wish to see in the world.” For more information and registration details, visit positiveimpactmagazine.com. The winners will be published online and/or in print.
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ENVIRONMENT & ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
How America Feeds
New York City’s City Harvest, photo courtesy of City Harvest
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Her Hungry By: Dylan Babb
According to the 2011 census, 17.2 million American households were considered food insecure last year. (In 2006, the United States changed the terms of its poverty and hunger studies to eliminate references to hunger, which they found to be too general, choosing instead to measure food insecurity.) This number, which is one in seven households, is the highest number ever recorded in the United States. Who are the food insecure? According to the data, generally households with incomes below the poverty line, single mothers, minority households, and senior citizens. There is a wide range of opinions as to why hunger is persistent in the States. Food First, a California-based nonprofit also known as the Institute for Food and Development Policy, raised the issue of food sovereignty; the idea that people have a right to define their own food and agriculture systems, as well as the right to appropriate food that is produced through sustainable methods. They argue that populations have the resources, although not the access to what they need. Hunger and food insecurity come from problems in food distribution networks or government policy. New York City’s City Harvest, San Francisco’s Food Bank, the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and Miami’s Feeding South Florida are all working under the model of food redistribution. They take donations from individuals, restaurants, and other organizations and redistribute it to people in the community who need it most. In New York City, nearly 1.5 million people live in poverty, struggling to get food, to pay rent, medical bills, etc. In the early 1980s, a group of New Yorkers were troubled, first by the large number of fellow New Yorkers who didn’t have enough, then also by the amount of good food that restaurants were throwing out each evening. Volunteers responded by enlisting friends and borrowing cars to transport food where it was needed most. Now the organization delivers over 83,000 pounds of food a day. In its history, it has distributed more than 300 million pounds of food to nearly 600 community food programs throughout New York City. Each week, they feed more than 300,000 hungry people. The cost to deliver a pound of food is under 30 cents. San Francisco’s Food Bank works in much the same way, taking items that are close to sale date, produce that is the wrong shape or size for conventional markets, test-market products, and excess stock and continued on next page positiveimpactmagazine.com
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delivering them to over 450 different organizations in the area. They rely on volunteers to sort, repackage, and shelve almost 400 tons of food. At any given time, there may be 2 million pounds of food in the warehouse, waiting to be distributed to an area of need. The Food Bank serves over 225,000 people each year throughout San Francisco and Marin counties, and will distribute 44 million pounds of food to the community this year––enough for 104,000 meals every day. More than 50 percent of what is distributed is fresh fruits and vegetables. Last year, the Greater Chicago Food Depository distributed 66 million pounds of nonperishable food and
the Web to raise awareness about hunger and to raise funds. Web campaigns like the 1billionhungry and websites like Freerice, where users accumulate rice for the hungry as they answer questions, or WeFeedback, where they share information about their favorite food as they donate, are new online tools. The San Francisco food bank hosted the fourth Hunger Challenge, encouraging people to try to live on the same food budget as the average California food stamp recipient, about $4.72 a day per person. For a single family household that is about $33 per week. Bloggers and writers wrote about their experiences on the Web to document their tactics.
In New York City nearly 1.5 million people live in poverty
In San Francisco 1 in 5 children and about 1 in 5 adults are at risk of hunger
fresh produce, dairy products and meat, the equivalent of more than 135,000 meals every day. More than 25 percent of the food distributed is fresh fruits and vegetables. In Miami, the Feeding South Florida food bank collects donations from farmers, processors, grocers and restaurants, among others––and disperses it through a network of nonprofit agencies including daycare centers, homeless shelters, residential homes for the physically and mentally challenged, assisted living facilities for the elderly, youth programs, soup kitchens and emergency food pantries. Founded in 1981 as the Daily Bread Food Bank, Feeding South Florida has been working to reduce hunger by reducing waste. Americans throw out over 20 percent of their food each year. Today, several humanitarian organizations are taking to
Though the need is great and the supply equal to it, the matter of redistribution and the causes of poverty that create food insecurity are still there. Typically, a lack of access to financial capital, education, and/or connections are sighted as the cause. However, a 2004 research study in New Zealand took a look at the effect of “life shocks” on the wealth of an individual. “Life shocks” refer to catastrophic events that affect the livelihood and lifestyle of an individual. The study found that people can endure only a limited number of shocks before tipping over into hardship. Those that experienced eight or more were much more likely to fall into poverty. As the United States continues to struggle with staggering income inequalities, as well as the effects of the recent recession, it’s easy to see how a higher percentage of the population couldn’t withstand any more “life shocks.” n
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Americans throw out over 20 percent of their food each year
“Never doubt a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead, American anthropologist
Photography: Deb Raschella
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IN EVERY ISSUE I CONTRIBUTORS
Community Garden Unites Neighborhood By: Mindy Ragan Wood Photos courtesy: Community Garden
In the heart of America's dusty Midwest plains, Oklahoma is well-known for it's impressive agricultural production. It might almost seem surprising to learn that hunger is a problem in a such a food-rich state, however, as America struggles to find its way out of an economic limbo, Oklahoma continues to wage its own war against poverty and hunger. Since 2008, state unemployment and poverty rates have more than doubled, and in Shawnee, Oklahoma 41 percent of their students qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. To help combat the struggle, members from the business community, students from a local university and a few garden-savvy residents established a community garden last April.
Their goal was to impact food budgets and provide free access to safe, nutritious food while also cultivating human relationships that would build a sense of community. Timothy McCollum, assistant professor of anthropology at Oklahoma Baptist University and the garden's director, was amazed at its success. “Despite the drought and record heat, we ended up with a bumper crop of fresh produce last fall.�
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ENVIRONMENT & ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Let’s Grow Together
The idea started with several OBU students who approached McCollum after hearing a speech about hunger by Bob Waldrop, president and founder of The Oklahoma Food Cooperative. “There were a number of students concerned about poverty, recycling, stewardships, and sustainability. They came forward with this idea and the administration supported it, and we wanted to seek partnerships outside the campus.” They didn't have to look far, as community members quickly caught their vision. Sustainable Shawnee, the OBU's Student Government Association and the Justice Mission formed a partnership to establish the garden on a lot donated by a local businessman. They received a cash donation from a playwright and materials were donated by local businesses. Residents were notified, signs were posted for working hours and after four months of hard weekend work, their 60 x 60 organic garden was sprouting up. In accordance with their commitment to provide safe food, they held tightly to environmentally responsible practices like composting on site and recycling. In the spirit of education, the university will use the garden as a hands-on site for instruction in botany, ecology, horticulture, nutrition, anthropology, and history. The residents are learning a lot, too.
“We're learning together,” said McCollum. “We have a very supportive family who works in the garden and the mother grew up on a farm so we were able to exchange horticultural practices. We're also working with master gardeners from Oklahoma State University's extension office who serve in an advisory capacity.” McCollum said there are several methods to choose from when establishing a community garden, however, not all of them work to ease the economic burden where it's most needed. “The one we felt would work for Shawnee is
Ribbon cutting for the opening of the Community Garden, April 2011 Timothy McCollum, Traci Westbrook, Larry Smith
an urban context where the socio-economic context is more challenged.” Connecting with poverty-ridden communities proved to be difficult. “Finding ways to communicate can be more trying than you might expect. A lot of them don't have Internet access or email and some of them don't even have cell phones. Just posting a website and an email address isn't going to cut it. Forget texting. They walk in the area, drop in the garden and then show up and want to help. Usually those who
Top photo: 2011 KOB Award Winners: left to right: Chad Ward, senior anthropology major • JoBeth Hamon, senior community services major • Professor Timothy McCollum, OBU Professor • Janeth Carreon, senior anthropology major • Cody Yount, senior anthropology major
show up for workdays are those with Facebook or email accounts, though that's not the demographic we wanted to reach. We had to rethink communication. I exchanged home telephone numbers. This year we're posting notices in the community in places like various churches and the public library to notify them about workdays.” Their motto, “Let's Grow Together” encompassed beautification. McCollum said the “human” beautification blooms when people come together.
“The garden provided the opportunity to erase boundaries because we're working toward a common goal.” “When we talk about self-sufficiency, sustainability, and responsibility there's an aspect of hospitality in community building that's very important. Those things are all connected. If you're not relying on an institution, you're relying on each other to solve problems. That requires communication and setting aside your own predispositions to be wary of people or the need for control. There's a vulnerability that comes into play, and that's how these relationships are established and maintained.” Recently, their efforts were recognized by a panel of representatives from Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, a state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. The organization holds a statewide Environmental Excellence Awards Competition to recognize the good works of Oklahomans for exceptional environmental improvement efforts. They won “Best of the Best” in November. “It was a testament to the work of so many wonderful people,” said McCollum. “All of them devoted to cultivating a modest idea into beautiful fruition. Indeed, the garden motto captures the essence of our community effort: Let's grow together.” n
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EVERYDAY PEOPLE SBN Inc International Youth Award Winners By: Viarnne Mischon • Photos courtesy of Viarnne Mischon
The School Broadcasting Network Inc (SBN) is a global portal for young people, schools, youth organizations and youth media dedicated to communicating ideas, innovations and commitments for sharing culture and creating a sustainable and equitable future. The SBN Inc International and Indigenous Youth Awards honor the many young people of all ages who are leading the way with their passion and commitment to creating a thriving future for all. Students are judged on the following criteria: leadership, innovation, initiative, community outreach, and resolving challenges into positive outcomes. Dozens of nominations were received from around Australia and internationally for the inaugural SBN Inc International Youth Awards held in December 2011. With so many inspirational profiles to review, judging was a very challenging task for the panel of four adults and four young people, and there were several top finalists. In the category of 13-18 year-old girl there was a tie with twowinners—7-year-old Tiana Spence from Queensland, Australia and 16-year-old Salma Udayan from India.
Tiana is an extraordinary young woman who as a young teenager experienced monumental heartbreak when her close friend committed suicide. Tiana responded to this devastating tragedy by becoming the driving force behind an event called Central Queensland Alive, which focuses on increasing general awareness of the seven warning signs of suicide in teens. “I have learned that there are so many young people who have a passion to change things in our community…if we all work together then we have the power to achieve anything.”
raised over INR 2 lakhs (US$3921)—an extraordinary effort, which will go a long way towards assisting many orphans in India.
Ali Amood Adam Alahmad
Salma Udayan Joint Winners, Boys 13-18: Ali Amood, 16, and Adam Alahmad, 17 Sydney, Australia Attending a boys’ high school in a district that is known for high levels of youth violence, Ali and Adam’s idea was to open a café in the mornings before school and provide healthy food for students in a safe environment. Granville Boys High School Principal says there have been “extraordinary changes in students; students who have been suspended two or three times are now working in the café and making a positive contribution to the school community.”
Tiana Spence
Mia Vissenjoux
As an orphan in India, Salma Udayan had a traumatic past, yet her sheer determination enabled her to tap her innate potential. Salma ran the grueling Delhi Half Marathon in November of 2011 to raise funds and awareness for the cause of orphaned children. Inspiring even hardcore corporate ‘suits,’ the media and her schoolmates, Salma 42
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Winner, Girls Under 13: Mia Vissenjoux, Melbourne Australia, 12 Since the age of ten, Mia has demonstrated extraordinary leadership skills in a variety of roles that actively contribute to a more sustainable and positive future. Her recent list of achievements includes being appointed chairperson of Natasha Stott Despoja’s ‘Little Campaign,’ cofounding the company ‘Craft Caterpillars’ to produce environmentally friendly products to raise awareness of the
His organization is truly “for kids, by kids;” all programs, services and ideas originate from, and are led by, children.
Allara Pattison
issues surrounding palm oil production and co-producing a moving video on the effects of oil spills on the environment.
Pavan Raj
Winner, Boys Under 13: Pavan Raj Gowda, California, United States, 11 At the young age of eleven, Pavan Raj Gowda was already a published author, passionate environmentalist, and founder of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity organization, Green Kids Now, Inc. His ardent commitment is to reach youth of all ages around the world to raise awareness of environmental issues and encourage children to learn, innovate, take action, and share their ideas and experiences.
Inaugural SBN Indigenous Youth Award: Allara Pattison, Bendigo, Australia, 18 As a young indigenous woman of Yorta Yorta heritage, Allara is an amazing role model in the rural Bendigo Community. Allara is extremely proud of her Aboriginal heritage and very committed to promoting a heightened awareness of indigenous culture within the community at large. She played a key role in the ‘Gecko Project’ where she led the Bendigo Senior Secondary College students as they worked to create workshops to increase understanding and appreciation for indigenous culture. This year SBN Inc is opening the Indigenous Youth Award to all nations around the world. Nominations for the 2012 SBN Inc International and Indigenous Youth Awards open June 1st and close on August 22nd 2012. SBN welcomes nominations from anywhere in the world and there are three age group categories: Under 13 years, 13-18 years and 19-25 years. So if you know an amazing young person who is: • caring for community • committed to social justice • creating initiatives and benchmarks
for an equitable and sustainable future • furthering the understanding and integration of indigenous or international culture …then we’d love to hear from you! SBN Inc also offers Global Classroom 2U (GC2U) Enrichment Programs for both primary and secondary schools. The aim of GC2U is to deliver online and live event enrichment programs to schools, both across Australia/New Zealand and internationally, that complement the national curriculum annual focus. Programs are specifically designed to increase young people’s awareness of pathways for creating sustainable and equitable outcomes and an appreciation for the cultural and ecological richness and diversity of our wonderful world. GC2U programs for 2012 include: ‘2020 Vision for Creating Sustainable Societies’ presented by SBN Patron, futurist & best-selling author Dr. Peter Ellyard and ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ with zoologist and endangered species specialist Prue Simmons, as well as programs focusing on Permaculture, Organic Gardening, Philanthropy and Australian Indigenous Culture. GC2U is also pleased to offer ‘Transforming Trajectories for Young Lives,’ a leadingedge professional development program for faculty and youth workers on understanding the impact of trauma on brain development. Young people and global media are the two most powerful options we have yet to unite and guide towards an equitable and sustainable outcome. The aim of the School Broadcasting Network is to give young people a voice in creating their future––to engage their passion and potential and to ignite the ascension principle of children leading the way for adults, by supporting and encouraging the next generation of parents, teachers, consumers, politicians, media professionals and world leaders to create sustainable societies, via the channel of positive and intelligent solution-based media. n For more details and links to SBN Youth Awards nomination forms visit: www.sbnonline.org or email your inquiry to events@sbnonline.org
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LIVING TREASURES Dr. Jane Goodall
Making Childhood Dreams a Lifelong Reality By: Rachel Schaeffer
Chimpanzee foot and hand, nilsrinaldi, via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
T
hink back on what you most loved as a child. What dreams inspired you? Did you love to swim, play school, read certain books that you couldn’t get enough of? As an adult, are you still engaged in those activities, interests, or dreams? Dr. Jane Goodall, a world-renowned primatologist, activist, ethologist, anthropologist, conservationist, and humanitarian, followed her childhood passion for wild animals and Africa. She became a recognized leader in the effort to save Left: Jane Goodall, Photography: Stuart Clarke
and protect chimpanzees and their habitats. As a young girl growing up in Britain in the 1930s and ‘40s, Goodall was inspired by Dr. Dolittle, the classic fictional physician who could “talk to the animals,” and loved reading “Tarzan of the Apes.” Her favorite toy was Jubilee, a stuffed animal chimp that her father gave her that she still owns today. Her passion for animals and Africa has lasted her lifetime and at 78, Goodall has the endurance of a 20-year-old, traveling approximately 300 days a year speaking
around the world. In the 1950s and ‘60s, when people didn’t know much about wild chimps, anthropologist and paleontologist Louis Leakey gave Goodall the opportunity to begin her childhood dream—studying chimps in the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in what is now Tanzania. She arrived in the forest that became her home when she was 26, with no formal training and later went on to earn a Ph.D. Rather than numbering the subjects continued on next page positiveimpactmagazine.com
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COLUMN I LIVING TREASURES
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The Jane Goodall Institute, Photography: Fernando Turmo
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of her study, Goodall named the chimps she studied. She developed close bonds with the chimps whose personalities she translated to the world, such as David Greybeard, Goliath and Flo, and is said to be the only human being ever to be welcomed into chimpanzee society. Early films and photos show captivating images of Goodall on her observation hill with binoculars and a notepad, and then on to playing with the chimps, and the world’s favorite—a baby chimp reaching out to touch Goodall’s face. In 2010, 60 Minutes went back to the African forest with Goodall where she recalls, “It was amazing to be able to have that relationship with wild animals!” Scientists and some of her teachers at Cambridge were skeptical and critical, not believing that chimps had different personalities, or were capable of thoughts or feelings. Many questioned her methods of research. Goodall introduced the world to the surprising similarity of chimps to humans in revealing the true nature of chimps—both their kind side as well as their aggressive side. She made astounding discoveries such as learning that chimps, like humans, used and made tools. In 1965, “National Geographic” put young Goodall and her chimps on its cover and filled its pages with images of the playful, curious and affectionate animals and the young woman they had come to trust. In 1971, Goodall’s “In the Shadow of Man” became a bestseller and was translated into forty-eight languages. “The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior,” published in 1986, earned Goodall several awards as well as the respect of scientists. That same year, Goodall turned her attention to helping her animal friends who were in danger of becoming extinct and losing their homes. She has written over twenty additional books for both adults and children and created over 20 films, including works produced by National Geographic and Animal Planet. Goodall has won prestigious awards in many countries. They are too numerous to list, and include being appointed the United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002 and the French Legion d’honneur (Legion of Honor).
Regardless of whether she is in the halls of Congress, in a remote village, or delivering the keynote in The Geneva Lecture Series, Goodall begins each talk with the traditional greeting you would hear in the morning at Gombe—the place she called home for so long. Her rendition of chimps saying “hello” is spellbinding and accurate. At a lecture in Hong Kong, Goodall said,
“I introduce that voice for a reason—because we tend to forget that on this planet we’re not the only inhabitants …who matter.” Goodall’s pioneering research has given way to her new mission to help others create positive change and to give people hope. She wants schools to do more and her Roots & Shoots initiative is encouraging kids to be leaders who help people, the environment, and animals. At The Geneva Lecture Series at the Palais des Nations in Switzerland in December 2010, Goodall delivered “Nature’s wake-up call: why we must heed the warning.” She said, “When I think about how we have harmed the planet…I feel this desperation and shame…it’s not true that there’s nothing that can be done about it.” Goodall made her childhood dreams a reality in a time when women worked in only very limited jobs—they did not become animal behavior scientists or travel on dangerous adventures and live with great apes. She ignored early criticism by researchers and went on to become one of the most honored and respected scientists in the world. Goodall’s sense of adventure and early fascination with wild animals has changed the way we think about both humans and animals. She is a remarkable example of her conviction that everyone at any age can make a difference. n For more information and inspiration, go to www.janegoddall.org
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MIND, BODY & SPIRIT The 20/20 Plan for Meaningful Success By: Michael DeVito
“In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia” - unknown Where are you now? Where do you want to be in 5, 10 or 20 years? How will you get there? Where you find yourself in 20 years, for most of us, on most issues is a CHOICE...not chance. There is a simple path...simple, not easy. It requires a decision, a belief, a leap of faith and a lot of work. Our “NOW” culture is robbing us of our future. The unacknowledged gorilla in the room, the common thread to so many of the problems we face as individuals and a society is impatience. We want to be rich NOW...the source of investment bubbles and Madoff-like schemes. We want to be homeowners NOW...the housing bubble and mortgage crisis was the result. We want cheap, clean and abundant energy NOW ...this skews our sense of risk and leads to environmental disasters like the BP oil spill, nuclear accidents like Fukushima and financial blunders like Solyndra. The real inconvenient truth we need to recognize and implement is patience. We must expand our vision and attention span to years and decades, not hours, days or news cycles. As individuals and a society, we have a fear of TIME. This fear, like most fears, grows from a lack of understanding. We have been trained to think in ever reducing periods of time; an election cycle, a school year, monthly payments, two-week-pay period and of course our favorite, NOW! So few of us can face the investment of time it really takes to cultivate anything of sustainable 48
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value. TWENTY YEARS! No way, I want it now, with little effort...and a money-back guarantee. We certainly have many repetitive, short-term chores and tasks...few DREAMS are short term. Dreams have value, dreams have worth, dreams are the stuff that make the world a better place...and dreams take time. Overnight delivery is for infomercial products and subpoenas.
What do YOU want? “ To know that even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded” - Ralph Waldo Emerson Everyone has his or her own definition of success. It can involve material possessions, growth of character, education, skills, service to others, religious piety, etc. It can be almost anything...first you have to decide what it is, what will be your contribution to a better world. To be meaningful, there must be a conscious, enduring value and purpose at the core of your dream. Late at night, in the quiet of your own mind, your dream is waiting. Listen, it is there. The development and progress of the plan must reflect a deep abidance to the soul of your dream...and that soul, ultimately, is your gift to the world. So please dream big!
The 20/20 plan “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” - Lao Tzu
While hindsight is said to be 20/20... foresight is often very myopic. The 20/20 plan is a deliberate process to help you see your way forward to the fulfillment of your dreams. At the core of the plan is soulful value, organization and endurance. It is my belief that 20 years is a sort of “critical mass” or quantum level that empowers a dream to become a meaningful success. It will take effort to produce a truly valuable result. Skills must be developed and applied, mistakes will (must) be made. Action and time will form the magic alchemy that releases your dream into reality. GIVE, GET, BE & DO The big dream, the big change is always made up of smaller parts that are easier to grasp and manage. These small parts are your constant guides over the long cultivation of your dream. So let’s get started. Make a list of: 5 things you want to GIVE 5 to GET 5 to BE 5 to DO that are consistent with your dream. These 20 elements will be the focus of your daily efforts. They will change and evolve constantly; slowly morphing, coalescing and growing until your dream materializes. These smaller, yet essential, elements will illuminate your strengths and weaknesses and will keep you from wasting your time with trivia. They will also bring you the ongoing joy of accomplishment so necessary to stay on track to your long-term goals. Fatigue and disillusionment will be your biggest obstacles. Welcome them, they are your call to summon your best strengths and persevere! Your dream is alive!
DREAMS + ACTION + TIME Start Dreaming A great life is not reserved for the few. It is attainable no matter where you find yourself now, no matter what obstacles you may face. You don’t need another cheerleader without a clue shouting “Yes, you can.” There are too many of these fantasy merchants already out there. What you need is an
action plan and a deep desire for change. DREAMS + ACTION + TIME will bring enormous returns. Our biggest fear is dying with regrets, ending this life with a lack of fulfillment, the sense that we missed out on the core, meaningful beauty of life. The 20/20 plan will help you die with a smile...knowing you leave this world a better place. n
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MIND, BODY & SPIRIT
How to Develop
High-Impact Habits
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Sunrise Yoga • Pedro Moura Pinheiro, via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
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umans become conditioned to behave a certain way by repetition. To change a particular behavior, you have to reprogram or rewire the brain by repeating a new, different behavior over and over and over again until new synapses are created. Eventually, if the new behavior is repeated often enough and long enough, you begin to see results. Although it’s been said that it only takes 30 days of repeated behavior to develop a habit, research indicates that it actually takes at least three to six months to create a solid habit. You will know you’ve successfully developed new behaviors when other people start noticing the change in you. People often ask me how I was able to establish such a thriving business less than nine years after leaving my job. Well, today I’m going to reveal one of my secrets. I rolled up my sleeves and went to work. I started waking up early every morning to spend 15 minutes writing my business plan, creating a client target list, or writing a chapter for my first book. In the old days, I got up just in time to shower, shave and get to work. I decided to develop the habit of getting up early, and soon 15 minutes turned into 3 hours. One of the most crucial things you can do to improve your life is to develop high-impact habits. These are the behaviors and actions that will move you farthest and fastest in the direction of your heart’s desire. High-impact activities
By: Simon T. Bailey
accelerate the process of opening the vault and releasing your brilliance. Low-impact activities, on the other hand, drain your energy, your enthusiasm, and your efforts, and prevent you from maximizing your brilliance. What is the number one high-impact habit? Create a commercial about how you see yourself in the future and rehearse it every day, without fail, starting now. Repeat it at least twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening—and anytime you think about it, declare it out loud. It will begin to reverberate and vibrate in your internal being. Develop a habit of being a steward of your time and energy. What you do with these two resources will determine the outcome of your life. Time is the most precious asset on the planet, and yet we tend to let it slip away on activities that don’t move us forward. How much time do you spend watching TV, answering email and surfing the Internet? I’ll be the first to admit that I waste way too much time on those three things alone. I remind myself daily that if I’m going to reach my financial and life goals, I can’t let these low-impact activities consume my day. To help get control of the time I spend doing email, I developed a new habit that I recommend you try too: I force myself to check email only twice a day. Create two time blocks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to answer all your emails. You’ll be astounded at the amount of time you’ll
free up for the crucial high-impact activities. One of the best habits I developed grew out of those extra 15 minutes I found each morning, and it’s literally transformed my life. Create a habit of guarding your energy and protecting your spirit with your own personal Hour of Power every morning—20 minutes of meditation, 20 minutes of exercise, and 20 minutes of reading out loud. Meditation focuses your energy and intention on how your day will unfold. Exercising invigorates your body and creates energy and momentum for your entire day. Reading focuses your mind. We live in an electronic world that moves at light speed. We have instant access to virtually any kind of information. Unfortunately, that’s created in us an attention deficit, and we’ve forgotten how to focus our minds. Reading out loud keeps you focused and expands your vocabulary, increases your confidence, and allows you to interact with the author’s message. Aristotle said,
“It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.” When you focus on the high-impact activities in your life and commit to making each of them a habit, your brilliance will shine like never before. n
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MIND, BODY & SPIRIT
How Parents Can Help Kids Succeed By: Jolene Roehlkepartain
Kurt & Sawyer Hellmann the day before Kindergarten • Photography: Jen Hellmann
You can help your child succeed.
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lot of information about the dos and don’ts of parenting exists. So, how do you know what’s most effective? Minneapolis-based Search Institute has created a proven parenting framework that works. Based on more than 3 million surveys of young people across the country, Search Institute researchers have identified 40 Developmental Assets that all kids need to
succeed. As a parent, you can easily build these assets every day. The 40 Developmental Assets are powerful. When children and teenagers have a lot of the Developmental Assets, they are: • More likely to act in ways that we value as parents. (They help others. They succeed in school. They value diversity.) • Less likely to get into trouble.
(They’re less likely to have sexual intercourse as teenagers, use alcohol and other drugs, and hurt someone.) • More likely to bounce back from difficulties and hard times. What are the 40 Developmental Assets? They’re concrete positive experiences and qualities that help kids grow up well. Positive family communication, safety, youth programs, continued on next page positiveimpactmagazine.com
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-!'!:).% &/5.$!4)/. 'REAT NEWS ABOUNDS AND 0OSITIVE )MPACT JUST KEEPS ON GOING AND GIVING "ÕÀÊ iÜiÃÌÊ>`` Ì ÊÌ ÊÌ iÊ* Ã Ì ÛiÊ «>VÌÊv> ÞÊ ÃÊÌ iÊ* Ã Ì ÛiÊ «>VÌÊ >}>â iÊ Õ `>Ì ]Ê ÕÀÊ iÜÊ «À v ÌÊ ÃÊ`ià } i`ÊÌ Ê«À Û `iÊ}À> ÌÃÊ «À > `ÊvÕ ` }ÊÌ Ê À}> â>Ì ÃÊ> `Ê «i « iÊVÀi>Ì }Ê>Ê« Ã Ì ÛiÊ «>VÌt ÌÊ ÃÊ ÕÀÊ Ìi ÌÊÌ Ê}iÌÊLi `Ê ÕÀÊÀi>`iÀÃ]Ê ÕÀÊë à ÀÃ]Ê> `Ê ÕÀÊÃÕLÃVÀ LiÀÃÊ ÊÌ i ÀÊivv ÀÌÃÊ Ì Ê} ÛiÊL>V °ÊÊ7iÊ ÜÊÌ >ÌÊ Ê À`iÀ Ì ÊLiÊ> Ê v Õi Vi]ÊÜiÊ ÕÃÌÊÃiÌÊ> iÝ> « i]Êà ÊÜiÊÜ Ê«À ÌiÊÌ i >ÌÕÀ> ÊVÞV iÊ vÊ} Û }Ê> `ÊÀiVi Û } Ü iÊ«À Û ` }Ê>ÊV `Õ ÌÊv ÀÊÃÕ«« ÀÌt 7iÊ>ÀiÊiÝV Ìi`ÊÌ ÊLi} Ê ÕÀÊ ÕÀ iÞ > `ÊÜ Ê ii«ÊÞ ÕÊ« ÃÌi`Ê>ÃÊÜiÊ« > iÛi ÌÃ]ÊvÕ `À> ÃiÀÃ]Ê> `Ê> } ÊÜ Ì À}> â>Ì ÃÊÌ >ÌÊÜ Ê ÛiÊÌ i * Ã Ì ÛiÊ «>VÌÊ >}>â iÊ Õ `>Ì Ì ÊÌ iÊv ÀivÀ ÌÊ vÊÌ iÊ} Û } V Õ ÌÞ°
Kids make huge strides when they have a lot of supportive positive experiences. continued from page 53
homework, and peaceful conflict resolution are just a few that parents can instill in their kids. As a parent, I use this list of the Developmental Assets in parenting both of my kids. I use it to envision the type of citizens I want my kids to become (while also listening closely to their interests, hopes, and dreams). Whenever I get frustrated or don’t know what to do, I pull out the list and see what I can do next. Sometimes I feel alone and the list reminds me to connect with other parents for ideas. Other times I need to help my kids find a better balance of stimulating activities so that they aren’t too bored or too stressed. The framework of these assets emphasizes things I can control. Much of the research on parents focuses on how children of single parents, parents with low incomes, or parents of minority groups remain stuck because of the cards they’ve been dealt with. Research implies otherwise. In fact, researchers have found that what puts kids most at risk is not their ethnicity, income level, or family structure—rather, whether or not they have a lot of Developmental Assets. The more positive experiences kids have, the more likely they are to succeed. How many Developmental Assets do kids need to succeed? Researchers recommend at least 31 to 40. Why? Kids make huge strides when they have a lot of supportive positive experiences. For example: • 44% of young people with 10 assets or fewer use alcohol. • 23% of young people with 11 to 20 assets use alcohol. • 9% of young people with 21 to 30 assets use alcohol. • 2% of young people with 31 to 40 assets use alcohol.
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This protective trend can be found for 24 risky behaviors that we as parents worry about in our kids including using marijuana, smoking, having sexual intercourse, hitting someone, shoplifting, and skipping school. The more Developmental Assets we can build in our kids, the less likely they are to do these things. What about succeeding in school? When you compare the effects of having a lot of assets on school success, you find: • 8% of young people with 10 assets or fewer succeed in school. • 20% of young people with 11 to 20 assets succeed in school. • 38% of young people with 21 to 30 assets succeed in school. • 58% of young people with 31 to 40 assets succeed in school. These increases pertain to succeeding in school and to other areas that we value as parents, from kids helping others to maintaining good health and resisting danger. Young people who succeed in life know which adults to trust. They have critical thinking skills that help them to solve problems and make plans. They develop the skills to make positive accomplishments, and they don’t give up when life gets hard. The more Developmental Assets kids have, the more likely they’ll make positive choices. As a parent, I want my kids to stay away from trouble. I don’t want them using drugs and alcohol. I want them to be kind to others and to succeed in school. The 40 Developmental Assets framework gives me a guidebook for making this happen, and so far (now that my kids are 21 and 15), it’s working. n Resources on the Web: For a free, downloadable list of the 40 Developmental Assets, visit: www.parentfurther.com
Small grey tabby kitten relaxes in the loving arms of an elderly nursing home resident. ©iStockphoto.com/suemack
Companion Animals The Cure-All By: Twila Cole
D
id you know that the simple action of petting your cat can reduce your blood pressure? Have you attempted to reduce your stress by brushing your dog? A brisk evening walk with your furry friend can do more than expel extra energy; it can lift your gloomy spirits and even help you shed an extra pound or two. Being a pet owner just may offer more benefits than you ever could have imagined. A person that is willing to open their homes and their hearts to companion animals will find that the benefits to pet ownership expand far beyond companionship. When you look deeper into what owning a pet or pets can lead to, you will find the list includes mental, emotional, and physical benefits. It has been proven that pet ownership has been linked to and not limited to: • Reduced blood pressure • Reduced cholesterol • Natural mood enhancement • Higher survival rate of cardiac
disease, including heart attacks • Increased physical activity resulting in weight loss, cardio benefits and reduced osteoporosis • Fighting depression • New social circle and friends • Security • Improve socialization skills • Increase immune system • Decrease susceptibility to allergies • Learning responsibilities • Power of purr; the healing frequency • Cats can reduce the chance of having a stroke • Chronic pain relief • Service animals: seizure alert, diabetic support/low blood sugar alert, visual assistance, allowing independence The physical benefits of pets in your home can range from increased exercise to stimulation of cell growth and even pain relief. Having an active pet that likes to take walks, play in the yard or enjoys trips to the dog park increases the
owner’s activity level, resulting in possible weight loss and strengthening of bones, decreasing the chance of osteoporosis, and even reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The body warmth of an animal has been linked to relieving joint pain created by arthritis and fibromyalgia patients. Several studies have been done regarding the healing qualities linked to the frequency (20-200 hz) at which a cat purrs. This frequency stimulates cell growth, allowing the body to heal faster, along with building stronger, more dense bones. Self-confidence, self-esteem, responsibility, and mood can all be elevated simply by being a pet owner. A pet in the home can be used to teach responsibility to a child, offer a true friend and confidant to everyone in the family and put a smile on the faces of its owners. The soothing action of petting your furry companion is proven to reduce stress, giving you a moment to stop, take a breath and enjoy the sharing of unconditional love.
continued on next page
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MIND, BODY & SPIRIT continued from page 55
Pet-owning senior citizens can get even more from animal companions! The daily needs of a pet, such as feedings, cleanings and even bedtime can assist our senior citizens to maintain their own schedules and stay connected with day-to-day happenings. Pets will help to stimulate physical activity and mental awareness, which can result in the ability
for longer independence. Mature cats and dogs along with birds and pocket pets make great companions for senior citizens. Service animals come in all shapes, sizes and species. Support is available for a variety of services for people with physical challenges such as visual impairment, medical alerts for condi-
tions related to epilepsy and diabetes and also assistance with mental and emotional disorders. The sharing of your home with companion animals brings a variety of benefits depending on you, your life and the gifts given by your furry, fluffy or feathered friends. Enjoy a happier, healthier life; get a pet! n Things to consider with pet ownership:
• Are you ready for the commitment and dedication that another living being deserves? • Is this the correct species of pet to fit your lifestyle? • Do you have the time to invest in creating this relationship? • If this is a young pet, do you have the time and PATIENCE this pet deserves? • Can you provide the ideal living environment for your desired pet? • Will your daily schedule and social life allow time for this pet? • How do the people you live with feel about having a pet? • If you have pets already, how will they respond to a new family member? • Does this pet’s activity needs complement yours? • Can you commit to the financial responsibility of food, veterinary care and medications? • What do you expect from your new pet? This is a big decision and one not to make hastily or based on emotions. Your new pet can be the best thing to happen to you, so choose wisely, love whole-heartedly and be ready to be loved unconditionally!
Emmy Lou, 10-year-old black lab • Photography: Jen Hellmann
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www. maiapparel com
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MIND, BODY & SPIRIT
Message of Hope Continues...
kindness By: Margaret Martin
In our world where everything is constantly changing and shifting, much of the change results in anxiety and fear. As we remember all of the things weather related that happened in 2011—earthquakes, tsunami, tornadoes, fires, rains—these events left so many people devastated and even more people in fear. The changes also included the many dictators who fell from position, the continued political strife, financial crises of many and so on. During all the events of last year and those so far this year, people are still dealing with doubt and fear, many on a daily basis. One thing that tends to be of help to people when they are feeling doubtful and fearful is kindness. When we are kind to people, we feel better. When we are kind to people, they feel better. Yes, it is so simple. And kindness, like most of the glorious things about enjoying life, is simple. One day last year I once again came across the words, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Two things came to mind: 1. A lot of people do not love themselves. 2. Some people are just hard to love. Through my work, I have encountered many people who have difficulty loving themselves, even though they think no
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one knows. So, more than likely, it would be extremely hard for them to love their neighbor. I have also encountered a few people that are darned hard to love. How do you reach out to these people, to spread kindness to them? Start first by being kind to you. Love and kindness start from within.
The more you can do to take care and honor yourself, know that you are worthy of loving and being loved, the more you can share those feelings with those around you. You can do simple things such as taking time for your self-care. Many women tell me they don’t have time to take care of themselves and I gently remind them that they can’t give from an empty cup, an empty body, mind, spirit; that to do all the things expected of them, they must put themselves at the top of the priority list. It takes practice adding new habits.
Simple acts of kindness for you to do—have some fun, laugh, play. This can take many forms, yet make sure you do some of these regularly. Take care of your body. Do the best you can to do a better job and do not beat yourself up when you don’t. By doing so, it will be easier to be kind to others. Second, it is difficult to love some people, yet I have found in my experience, I can be kind to them. One of the first requirements is to step back and not judge them—no matter what—everyone is basically doing the best they can. Just because we don’t do things the same way doesn’t make us right and them wrong. There is always more than one way to solve a problem or address any issue. We don’t know what others are going through—we all wear a mask rarely revealing what we are really going through, yet, we tend to make judgments based upon what we see. So, I recommend as you make that judgment to catch yourself, step back, let go of the judgment and offer kindness. One thing I have learned is that being kind to people gives them hope, gives them a “You made my day” attitude. Simple things can make such a powerful difference.
LittleFootprint Lighting Reducing the carbon footprint of lighting, one desk lamp at a time
What are some of the acts of kindness you can do? Here are a few: • Smile at everyone you encounter. • Open the door for people. • Bring your neighbor’s garbage can in from the street or pick up their paper and put it at their front door. • Take a friend flowers / wine / gift for no reason. • Leave an extra-large tip and tell the server you appreciate them. • Pay the toll for the person behind you—same for any drive-through. • Write a note to a teacher that means a lot to you. • When you say, “Please, thank you, I’m sorry,” mean it with all your heart. • Write a note to your children and tell them how much you love them. • Write a note to your parents, let them know what a positive impact they had on you becoming the person you are today. • Help your friend—pack for a move, paint a room, plant some plants, take them dinner—just because. • Buy lunch for a homeless person or give them a knitted hat and scarf for the winter. You see, it really is easy to be kind. It just takes practice. n
By: Jenny Carless
LED lights use much less energy than traditional light sources, generate less waste because of a much longer lifetime, and don’t contain mercury, making them much more sustainable than other types of lighting. That’s a good thing. One company, LittleFootprint™ Lighting, is on a mission to make this good thing even better, making the most sustainable task lights available. Its first product, the HeronLED Personal Task light, is an attractive, high-quality LED desk lamp made in the U.S. from recycled plastic that comes from e-waste. As CEO Nancy Wahl-Scheurich pursued the idea for making an “ultragreen” desk lamp, she became a true
believer in LED lighting’s environmental benefits and knew there was room for improvement. More recycled materials could be used in the manufacturing process. And why not manufacture in the U.S.? She established LittleFootprint Lighting to do just that. “I wanted to make an LED desk lamp that was made in the USA from recycled plastic,” says Nancy. “I also believed that making the product environmentally friendly wasn’t enough; we needed to make a good, attractive desk lamp. I hadn’t done anything like this before, but I was lucky to find wonderful people and companies to work with, and it came together.”
LittleFootprint Lighting’s first product is the HeronLED Personal Task Light: • First desk lamp made of recycled ABS plastic from e-waste • Uses only four watts – seven to 10 times less energy compared to conventional desk lamps • Replaceable LED bulb lasts 15 years or longer • Adjustable, ergonomic design with a five-year warranty • Warm white light, over 230 lumens, 58 lumens/watt • Steel base of lamp is made-in-U.S. steel comprised of at least 70% recycled scrap • Desk lamp and LED bulb designed and manufactured in USA The company’s goal is to decrease the overall carbon footprint of lighting, and this is accomplished in several ways: • Recycled plastic and steel require much less energy to produce than virgin materials • Reduced transportation emissions because the products are made in the U.S. • When in use, the desk lamps save energy not only because LEDs use so little of it, but also because less ambient light is needed To learn more, go to www.lfplighting.com or call (831) 401-2007. positiveimpactmagazine.com
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MIND, BODY & SPIRIT
Affective Neuroscience to the Rescue By: Teresa Aubele, Ph.D. and Susan Reynolds
If you’re struggling to think more positively, we have good news: The field of neuroscience grew by leaps and bounds in the last few decades, including the creation of a new branch called affective neuroscience. Rather than being focused on what can go wrong with your brain, affective neuroscience is focused on what can go right—particularly in relation to your ability to manage and improve your emotional well-being. One of the major breakthroughs in this exciting field was the discovery that human brains are not fully formed at birth—and set in their ways by late adolescence—yet that they continue to grow and evolve. This brain “plasticity” means that the situations you experience throughout your life can sculpt your brain into a unique structure built for you, the individual—and you are in the driver’s seat! Recent research has shown that your brain can: • Reactivate long-dormant circuitry. Once your brain has mastered a task, it retains the ability to reactivate those neuronal pathways. Often, you only need a short period of practice to kick your neurons back into gear. If you were happy once, you can be happy again. • Create new circuitry. Although once thought impossible, your brain can generate new neurons; and when you learn something new, your brain can strengthen existing neuronal connections and create new synapses that allow you to maximize new skills—including those related to happiness or positive thinking. The more you think positively, the greater synapses you form to support the process. • Rewire circuitry. If a part of your brain is damaged, your brain can create new ways of performing functions, such as, when stroke victims relearn to use a
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limb or to speak after some neurons related to those functions are destroyed—which means you can rewire your brain to think more positively. • Quiet aberrant circuits and connections. You can train your brain to quiet circuits and connections that lead to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), phobias, and so on. By utilizing techniques such as focused concentration, mindfulness meditation, and behavioral adaptation, you can strengthen the neuronal connections focused on positive emotions and lower your emotional responses to the negative, anxiety-ridden pathways that are likely undermining your ability to think positively or live a happy, fulfilling life. Here’s what scientists have discovered: 1. The actions you take can, literally, expand or contract different regions of the brain, firing up circuits or tamping them down. Example: If you focus on negativity, you are activating certain types of neuronal pathways related to that habit. You can learn, however, to retrain your brain to quiet these pathways and strengthen others (such as looking on the bright side!), so it doesn’t automatically focus on the negative aspects of any situation. 2. The more you ask your brain to do, the more space it sets up to handle the new tasks. This is often done by shrinking or repurposing brain space that houses your ability to perform rarely used tasks. Example: If you typically feel emotionally paralyzed when you face problems, your unchecked brain will continue that habit. If, however, you resist shutting down and replace that habit with repeatedly and consistently instructing your brain to focus on coming up with
creative solutions, you can eventually shut down the old, nonproductive pathways and open up and increase your brain’s creativity. 3. Imagination can become a potent tool. New brain-scanning technology has shown that conscious perception activates the same brain areas as
imagination. In effect, you can neutralize the long-term effects of painful memories by rewriting (or more correctly, re-imagining and thereby rewiring) the past that lives within your brain. Guided imagery or any type of meditation could be used to reorganize the way your brain perceives your past.
4. Your brain usually cannot reliably distinguish between recorded experience and internal fantasy. If you program your mind with images of you being happy and spend time visualizing the desired images long enough and hard enough, your brain will think those images really happened and will learn to associate happiness with them. This can be a potent tool for connecting pleasure with new ways of thinking more positively. Consistently picture things going really well and your brain will serve as your ally in manifesting desired outcomes. In other words, whatever you ask your brain to do (employing intention, focus, practice, and reinforcement), it will strive to do. It is a tool you can use in whatever way you see fit. When you are able to see viable alternatives to what you perceive as limiting ways of thinking and acting, and are able to consciously adapt your thought patterns and behaviors, you will, over time, positively affect and change your brainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neural pathways and neurotransmitters. n < Collage of human head, molecules and various abstract elements on the subject of modern science, chemistry, physics, human and artificial minds. ŠiStockphoto.com/ agsandrew
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SIMPLY POSITIVE
LAUGHING TO WHOLENESS By: Chris Morasky
©iStockphoto.com/Maica
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t’s one of life’s greatest gifts and most joyful sounds. It’s also one of the best transitions from emotions like fear, surprise, anger and sadness. This is evident when a child first learns the peek-a-boo game. Dad disappears and then shows his face again and says, “Boo.” The child’s eyes widen and excitable laughter follows. Laughter is an ideal transition from the aforementioned emotions because it moves them to a better state. Laughter, for example, can transform us from a bad mood into a good one, at least for awhile. Of course, the simple act of laughing is caused by something amusing. It leads to letting go of negative or worrisome thoughts, even if just for a few moments. You can lead yourself to laughter by writing down your thoughts. Once they’re on paper, you don’t have to occupy your mind with remembering.
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POSITIVEIMPACT MAGAZINE
When you release your worrisome thoughts, it can relieve stress. The opposite of stress is peacefulness, and we are more likely to laugh when we feel relaxed. A peaceful mental state also lends itself to seeing the absurdities of the world. There are reasons to laugh all around us. Jerry Seinfeld is a prime example of someone who appreciates and brings absurd humor to life. His sense of humor embraces the oddities of everyday life. You can teach yourself to laugh at your everyday life by watching reruns of Seinfeld the show or his stand-up routines. Children are another source of laughter. Just being around happy children will lift your spirits, and if you can join in their play, you’ll likely be laughing with them. The reason that children laugh so easily is that they are not negatively impacted by life’s challenges because they are uninhibited.
They live in the moment. Children are wonderful teachers about choosing a joyful attitude. Want a pick-me-up that will leave you with a smile? Visit YouTube and search for “laughing baby.” Laughter is contagious, and everyone who laughs feels better afterwards. Many people have found that depression dissipates when they look outside of themselves and do something for others. Laughter is a way to provide a simple gift to someone else. Laughing is accompanied by smiles, and the world becomes a more beautiful place. Simply put, laughter is healing and gives us a more pleasant perspective about life. Laughter can even help with relationships. During a time when I was more prone to argue, I would sometimes spontaneously break into laughter, often when my “arguing partner” said something that I found completely absurd, like, “If you really cared about me, you’d know what I want!” At times, she would get angry at my laughter, although sometimes she would join me. When we laughed together, we reached a place of safety within our fear/ anger/frustration. Our “negative” emotions dissipated and were replaced with our loving connection. Our love became stronger because we realized that we could transform our angry arguments into love. Once we laughed and said, “I love you,” there was nothing to argue about. Finding humor is simply a point of view. Everything that we find stressful in life can be laughed at when we give ourselves the gift of playfulness. When we learn to laugh at ourselves, we will guarantee an endless supply of entertaining material. Allow yourself to laugh easily, openly and fully. Your heart will expand and your friends will reflect your beauty back to you in their smiles and laughter. n
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