Charity Matters Inspiration Archives - Page 26 of 37

Charity Matters Inspiration August 24, 2016

Joan Didion

” I’m not telling you to make the world better….

I’m just telling you to live in it.

Not just endure it, not just suffer it,not just pass through it, but to live in it.

To look at it.

To try to get the picture. To live recklessly. To take chances.

To make work and take pride in it.

To seize the moment.”

Joan Didion

Joan-Didion

I am a huge fan of Joan Didion and her writing. Her book The Year of Magical Thinking was a gift to me after losing my mom. Her writing, if you have never read it, gets so deeply to the point.

I know, I do try to share inspiration to make our world better each week, however, this quote spoke to me so completely that when I read it I began to cry.

All we have is now and this moment. So let’s make the best of every one we have!

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration August 22, 2016

Push up challenge

Last year this time it was the ice bucket challenge to bring awareness to MLS and this year the challenge no longer involves ice but push-ups…..22 push-ups to be exact. I have been challenged to do the 22 push-ups a day by a friend of mine to bring awareness to the 22 veterans who commit suicide each day across this country due to PTSD.

In 2012 a Veteran’s report came out releasing the shocking statistic about our veterans and suicide. In 2013 a non-profit called Honor Courage Commitment began to spread the word about this epidemic amongst veterans. In July 2015, the non-profit split into an additional non-profit called # 22Kill. 22Kill’s mission is to create a global movement that will bridge the gap between veterans and civilians to build a community of support.

A bucket of ice last August helped spread international awareness and raise millions for ALS. Today, 22 push-ups a day to bring awareness to the suffering of millions of our veterans, is a small sacrifice and privilege to help those who have served us so bravely. Join us, in honoring those who have served us.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration August 12, 2016

Finding the answer

I suppose when you pose such huge questions to the universe, as I did on Monday with, “Where is the love?” The universe begins to send answers, and of course, you begin to see answers everywhere. So as we end the week, I thought this was the perfect story to share. If you have seen it once, it is more than worth seeing again.

It is the story of a man who received an organ transplant, more specifically a heart transplant and if ever there was an answer to the question, where is the love? It is here…

Two strangers connected by a heart and there is the love.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration August 10, 2016

Summer kindness in action

I know on monday, I asked the question where is the love? I thought today I would share a little piece of inspiration. A friend reached out to me when she saw this and thought of Charity Matters and it made me smile, so my hope is that it does the same for you.

Last week a Minnesota police officer came home to find his front lawn newly mowed and this note taped on his front door. The note was left by the young neighbor and lawn mower, who wanted to show his support of the local police by doing something kind for the officer. He says, “Because your job is hard enough and I think people like you should know that we are behind you guys. Take the extra hour that it takes to mow and spend time doing what you love.”

A beautiful gesture and a perfect follow-up to Project Giving Kids Summer Kindness Challenge.…as well as the answer to the question…Where is the love? Love is all around us, we just have to look, and to share it all.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration August 3, 2016

Ideas for summer kindness

On Monday, I shared a guest blog post by Molly Yuska, founder of Project Giving Kids. In it, she reflected on the importance of teaching kindness, not only for the healthy development of our children but for our society and our world at large.

This summer, Project Giving Kids is challenging kids and families everywhere to get in on the action to see just how far and wide the message of kindness can be spread. You too can join the #SummerKindnessChallenge.

Any act of kindness, however big or small, will do. Quick, easy, important and the only way to make our world better, one small act of kindness at a time.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration August 1, 2016

Guest blogger: Molly Yuska Project Giving Kids

Since Charity Matters just celebrated its 5 year anniversary it seems time for some fresh perspectives. So I have invited our first guest blogger, my friend and non-profit founder, Molly Yuska. Molly is not only a mother but founded Project Giving Kids, a place to empower and teach children about philanthropy.

So, without further ado, here is Molly….

For many of us, the world has started to feel rather scary lately. Almost every week there seems to be a report of some major attack somewhere on our small planet. I can’t help but think how much scarier it must feel to kids who can’t remember a time when the world seemed at peace.

I believe when faced with these kinds of tragedies, we have a choice – to move away in fear and try to hold on even tighter to safeguard our own self-interest in hopes the tighter grip will protect us just a little bit more (or at least make us feel that way) OR to put the fear aside and see it as a call to action, a call to spread kindness and to turn that dark tide back toward the light.

I recently came across an article about kindness and kids. In it, a teacher by the name of Marlem Diaz-Brown states: “I have learned that when you teach kindness and compassion to students and they really understand the concept, everything else falls into place. This should be the first lesson of every teacher.” (Article: http://bit.ly/25IIynS)

Whether the teacher be a parent, an after-school mentor, a grandparent or an actual teacher, I think our children today, perhaps more than any generation that has come before it, need to be reminded of the power of kindness. I want my children to live in a world where they don’t walk the streets in fear of what senseless tragedy may come next. I want them to walk the streets knowing that the power of kindness is stronger than the fear that drives violence. And the sooner we turn them on to their own power to create ripples of kindness, the better off we all will be. After all, kindness is a choice like any other.

I couldn’t have said it better myself! If you want quick and easy project ideas your family can use to begin teaching kindness, visit Project Giving Kids.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration June 23, 2016

700….how did that happen?

Next month will be Charity Matters five-year old birthday, hard to believe. I had planned on writing this post to you then, however, when I saw the 700 posts appear on my screen I had to stop and acknowledge this milestone.

Five years ago, I set out to share stories of amazing people who make our world better, share a few of my own and inspire people to serve. I didn’t have a plan other than that. I had never blogged, was and am still tech challenged and thought if I could inspire just one person than it would be worth it.

Today, seven hundred posts later with thousands of new friends and regular subscribers, I am in awe. There are not words to express my gratitude to you. You wake up, read this, share, reach out to me with ideas and inspiration and keep me going. You make me a better person. Because of you, I strive to give my best, share what I have, always want to learn and grow and for that I thank you.

Life is a journey and I am so grateful you have included me in yours. Thank you, thank you for all you do to inspire me and for your friendship and loyalty. My heart is full of gratitude. So here is to the next 700….thank you all for knowing and believing that….

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration June 8, 2016

Full circle, a life full of purpose

Have you ever had a surreal moment that you never in your wildest dreams thought would happen? Well, that is what happened to me this past weekend. I was the commencement speaker at my Alma Mater, a surreal experience for sure!

Confession: I was a bit naughty in high school and had at least annual trips to the headmaster’s office, so standing there on Sunday, imparting some of the lessons I have learned this far, was both a privilege and a full circle moment.

If you had to tell students what you have learned along the way, what would you say? I know! It is overwhelming to pick just one message. So to give you all the cliff notes version, here is what I came up with. I talked about living a life full of purpose. Pablo Picasso’s quote, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”

A life full of purpose breaks down in to the following 6 categories:

Exercise- You have to take care of yourself first before you can care for others.
Make friends- What is life without them? There isn’t one!
Road bumps- Life is full of them, they are just road signs
Serve, serve and serve- Charity Matters…just sayin
One thing leads to the next-Regardless of your plan, purpose’s plan is bigger
Gratitude-The ultimate key to happiness.

At the end of the day, I think this is what we all aspire to, isn’t it? To find our purpose. It is after all that magical intersection of where your passion and purpose create this elusive thing we call happiness. Sunday, I felt it. Communicating and sharing, the message of service was my intersection, one I never thought I would find….but so worth the wait.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration June 6, 2016

The great one…

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

Muhammad Ali

This weekend we lost a great one. A man born into a family of pre-Civil War era American slaves, who experienced the segregated South first hand and was determined to use his life to help others, which is exactly what he did.

Muhammad Ali devoted his life to helping promote civil rights, cross-cultural understanding, interfaith relations, hunger relief, and world peace. He did this through a variety of actions and causes. According to the National Constitution Center, he has been responsible for providing over 232 million meals to serve the hungry in such countries as Indonesia, Mexico, Cuba, Morocco, and Cote d’Ivoire, to name a few.

In addition, to his work abroad as a Goodwill Ambassador, he also used his fame and success to bring attention to causes such as Make A Wish Foundation, Special Olympics, Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center and the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

The Muhammad Ali Center’s mission sums up the legend’s life and legacy best, “To promote, respect, hope, and understanding and to inspire adults and children everywhere to be as great as they can be.”

He was great and continues to inspire us all, to do the same.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration May 30, 2016

Memorial Day-Arlington

Each year this day comes and I wonder how can I convey and share my gratitude for those that have served our country. There is no real way to express how grateful I am for our freedoms. While searching for something, this video came to my attention.

While I am an occasional country music fan, I had never seen this song called Arlington. If you do one thing today, to stop and feel grateful, watch this.

As we light our barbecues and pack up from our long weekends. Let us be mindful of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us all and their families. God Bless America and Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration May 23, 2016

Charity Water

With 1.9 million non-profits and more stories to share than we possibly could right here, Charity Matters had to put some filters on who we covered. The core root is people helping people in the United States. As a result, we don’t always cover some amazing international causes because it is a little outside the scope.

Every once in a while, we come across someone, who just gets it and it really doesn’t matter where they live or who they serve, it is what they do for others that becomes the filter for goodness. Without trying to create water and filter jokes, Charity Water is one of those stories. More specifically, the story of Scott Harrison, the former nightclub promoter who turned his life and thousands of others he serves around by creating Charity Water.

Scott says in his bio, “For me, charity is practical. It’s sometimes easy and more often inconvenient, but always necessary. It is the ability to use one’s position of influence, relative wealth and power to affect lives for the better. Charity is singular and achievable.”

Since 2006, Scott and his team have provided over 6 million people with the gift of clean water. Now that is a true filter for goodness.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration May 16, 2016

Purpose

I have been searching for inspiration everywhere as I sat down this weekend to work on a commencement speech I am giving in June. Truly a terrifying prospect. If you were to impart wisdom, which by the way I am not sure I have to impart….to a group of young high school graduates, what would you want them to know?

There is so much to I want to say but I need them to leave with one nugget, one seed, one thought that they might possibly remember….although to be honest, the only thing that comforts me is that most of us do not remember our commencement speaker…..just sayin.

I digress, so I came across this, and thought I would share it with you. I honestly wish this guy would write my speech because this is good stuff. Enjoy!

If this doesn’t get your week off to a great start, then I am not what will. Happy Monday everyone!

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration May 9, 2016

The Year of Magical Thinking

One of my favorite books is Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. It is the real life story of loss and grief. A book I have given to many a friend who has lost a loved one.

What makes this book magical is that it talks about what triggers these emotions, in such a beautiful way. This year, has been a year of magical thinking. No, I have not lost a loved one but there has been much loss. We moved from the home where we raised our sons, we didn’t just get rid of the house, but most of everything inside…who knew that purging is loss? Our second son went off to college, our new house was truly empty, the dog died and I realized that perhaps my youth was on its way out too.

All loss but in a different way. It just chips away at you little by little, rather than in that large earthquake of loss that we experience with death. But the sadness, the feeling of loss is still there. Joan Didion writes, “we are imperfect mortal beings, aware of that mortality even as we push it away, failed by our very complication, so wired that when we mourn our losses we also mourn, for better or for worse, ourselves. as we were. as we are no longer. as we will one day not be at all.”

Loss is life, it is change, it is growth and renewal and it is hard. Whether it comes to you in an earthquake or is chipped away piece by piece it is a process that each of us must endure in our own way. This past year of loss, has once again, been a year of magical thinking.

Charity Matters.

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Charity Matters Inspiration May 4, 2016

What is old?

Aging is something that happens to all of us. This year with a “big” birthday ahead, I have been thinking about it, a bit more than usual. I have heard I should start looking in the mail for the AARP card, really? Let me be clear here, I am getting older (of course) but am not old, do not feel old and hope to be someone who never acts old, regardless of my age. One can hope.

I am also blessed with great role models, my grandmother in her nineties would take care of “the elderly,” people in their seventies. My Dad at 76, spins with me at the gym everyday, and as far as I can tell, everyone in my family who ever “retired” seems to just get busier.

So when I saw this recent video, I thought it was worth a share.

Age is a number, an attitude and a lifestyle. The number doesn’t matter but rather, what you do with your time….even if you have a little less.

Charity Matters.

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