Category

Charity Matters Inspiration

Category

Enlightenment, a slow process

I’m not sure if it’s getting older or perhaps wiser, but lately it seems that digesting information takes more than a few minutes but rather days to sink in. So, last week when the Dalai lama spoke I found myself taking copious notes and trying to take it all in.

As I sat there listening to this incredible man, I felt like a young student trying to cram for test, wanting to absorb the wisdom being shared. A week later I am still chewing on it. So perhaps sharing it here will help me process and practice His Holiness’s wisdom.

Here are a few of his words: “Happiness is a skill and compassion needs to be cultivated  Producing a good heart is just as important as a clever brain.” The Dalai lama went onto say that in his 80 years he has already seen great change. He has watched billions of people realize that no one wins in a war, he has seem man realize the importance of the environment and he believes that,”this century has the potential to be known as the peaceful compassionate century.”

His Holiness, inspired hope in our future and asked all of us to change our mental diet by practicing simple acts of kindness. As I continue to process all of this wisdom, I know that practicing this work is where the real learning happens and that enlightenment is a slow process.

 

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Scott Neesom, The Cambodian Children’s Fund

Scott neesom and cambodiam childrens fund

Since my “enlightenment” this past week in the presence of his Holiness the Dalai lama, I began to research who else his Holiness spends his time with. In this search, I can across the most amazing man and story. His name is Scott Neesom and his journey during his short 56 years is simply remarkable.

As a young man, Scott grew up in Australia and wasn’t much of a student, dropping out of school at 17. He ended up working in a movie theater and before long had climbed the corporate ladder to film promoter, then buyer and in a relatively short amount of time, was head of distribution for 20th Century Fox in Australia. Before he knew it, Scott was in Los Angeles, very successful and within seven years was the President of 20th Century Fox International.

Three years later, in 2003, Scott was on a five-week vacation in Cambodia, when he asked to be taken to  Phmon Penh, the 18 acre garbage dump. Upon arriving, Neesom saw an incredible site which he describes as “an apocalypse” with over 1,000 children living and surviving from the trash and poverty beyond imagination.

“The moment I stepped there it was the single most impactful moment in my life. I was standing there facing into the abyss. The smell was almost visible.There’s this sudden moment when you realise it’s people – it’s children and they’re working. There were kids everywhere. In some cases, they’d been left there by parents that didn’t want them. They’d be going through the rubbish looking for recyclable, metals, plastic bottles making maybe 25 cents a day.”

Scott returned home a changed man and knew that he needed to do something. The following year, in 2004, he created the Cambodian Children’s Fund. He began the fund by quitting his seven-figure job and selling all of his possessions, cars, boats, homes and funneled them into saving these children.

What began more than a decade ago, as one man’s mission to save 87 children, has today cared for more than 2,000 students and 10,000 people annually providing to entire families and communities in crisis. Scott recently met the Dalai Lama, who told him, “Karma means action. Real impact comes from action, not just thinking.”  If there is one thing Scott Neesom’s life is about, it is action and karma.

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Happy Birthday Dalai lama!

“The creatures that inhabit this earth-be they human beings or animals-are here to contribute, each in its own particular way, to the beauty and prosperity of the world.”

Dalai lama

Dali Lama's bday

God works in mysterious ways. Months ago when we were planning our youth leadership camp at UC Irvine, we were told that we might have to share some space with a “secret VIP.” At the time we were none too pleased. What are you supposed to do when you discover that the VIP is the Dalai lama and he is celebrating his 80th birthday? Answer: Channel your inner zen, take a deep breath, pray for enlightenment, an invitation to the party and know that the camp will sort itself out.

How did the Dalai lama choose to spend his July 6th, 80th birthday? He decided to have a three-day summit and world birthday event called the “The Global Compassion Summit.” While I didn’t see party hats and favors, I did get an invitation to see his Holiness celebrate his 80th birthday (along with hundreds of others). Only the Dalai lama would use his celebration as a platform to discuss, the transformative power of creativity, youth leadership and compassion for the planet. How I loved the irony that our youth leadership camp was getting reorganized so that His Holiness could discuss youth leadership.

There was more wisdom shared during this amazing event than I have had time to process or share but I will say one of my favorite thing that His Holiness said was this, “We focus on cultivating a clever brain and not a good heart. It is only with cultivating wisdom and compassion together mixed with action that we create change.” 

The Dalai lama’s birthday event will continue to create change. His Summit or party was hosted by both UC Irvine’s Center for Living Peace and Friends of the Dalai Lama,  which is a non-profit organization founded to amplify the positive messages of His Holiness. The organization’s mission is to nurture kindness and compassion through action.

Never have I been so happy to be at the party, so full of joy, and inspired to share the message of compassion.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

The Art of Doing Nothing

Art of doing nothing

Last week a girlfriend gave me a belated birthday gift, a book entitled The Art of Doing Nothing, which is exactly what summer is supposed to be about….simply being and finding those hazy lazy moments. I anticipated the book as the perfect solution to relaxing and I found myself excited to pack the book for the long holiday weekend.

Simply thinking about the title and exploring the decadent possibility of doing nothing was half of the fun. Pondering such questions as, when was the last time I did nothing? Answer: I could not remember. Does reading (this book) count as doing nothing? Who knew doing nothing was so difficult? Actually it is. After reading a few chapters I fell asleep, took a decadent middle of the day nap and decided that trying to do more nothing should be a new goal regardless of how backwards that may sound.

I am sharing this in hopes that it may inspire you to ask yourself when was the last time you really did nothing? The more you take care of yourself, the more you have left to share with others. Think about taking up this new art, I am sure going to try….

 

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

 

 

Weddings that make a difference

Weddings that make a difference

As we come to the end of June and July is just days away, I realized that the month zipped by without a mention of weddings. When you think June, you think weddings, so we simply can’t end the month without a few tips on how to incorporate charity into your big day. Decades ago, when we were married these options didn’t exists but today couples are using this special day to not only make a statement but more importantly to make a difference.

Here are few great ideas that couples are incorporating philanthropy into their big day.

1. Registering for gifts can now make an impact on others with the help of the I Do Foundation. Couples can either select a cause they want donations to go to rather than gifts or register with a variety of retailers who will donate a portion of those sales to a cause.

2. Wedding Dresses there are a number of organizations such as The Bridal Garden in NYC that donate 75% of their sales to a non-profit for children’s causes. Then when the big day is over you can donate your wedding dress and pay it forward with Donate My Wedding Dress.org

3.  Wedding Details and decor couples are picking a theme and or cause for their wedding and incorporating that into their decor. Different tables can represent different causes and the decor follows suit, with pink napkins for breast cancer and red for heart disease, all furthering awareness to a cause the couple cares about. Donations can be made in lieu of favors or the I Do Foundation also has charitable favors, so gifts that keep giving.

4. Food and Flowers can always be donated to homeless shelters and flowers to hospitals. Ask your caterer or crew to help you make sure that both of these get passed on to an organization who will appreciate them.

5. Honeymoon who knew that now even some all-inclusive resorts, such as Sandals, have local non-profits that they support? A wonderful way to know that even your vacation is helping the communities you are visiting.

Just knowing that you are starting out your new life by inspiring others to give and impacting lives is something worth celebrating.

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

 

Every rose has its thorn

14199448877_0ea2c2a1eb_z

Today I am sitting in the front row of my alma mater’s graduation ceremony. It is an all girls school and the ceremony is filled with tradition, ceremony, white gowns and could be confused as a debutante ball to a casual observer. In all the pomp and circumstance, I find myself tuning out the speeches and looking at the beautiful roses sitting in every graduates lap.

Their roses do not have any thorns, but as I reflect back decades ago when I too sat on that stage, I was nothing more than a thorny rose. Sure, I was young  and full of energy but the reality is that what was within was still thorny. The irony is that as I look at the fresh-faced beauties in their white gowns gazing blindly into their futures, it is only now that I realize their true beauty is yet to come.

What they don’t realize is that their lives are like the roses in their laps, de-thorned, closed buds that are full of fragrance and possibility. Where does the real beauty begin? How does the rose lose its thorn and open?

The answer I believe comes with each act of grace and kindness. It is the moments of a life that open the bud. Each moment a gift of growth and which slowly opens the flower. Over time the petals burst to full-bloom,  the fragrance heavenly and the inner beauty abounds, unleashed for all.

As I sit here, smiling and watching, each girl takes her roses, grabs their petals and throws them up into the wind… all the petals blow away, as each bud awaits its turn to open.

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

 

Without words

without words

I have to say that in almost four years of blogging, I have rarely been at a loss for words. I sat down to write the other day and there just wasn’t anything there. I mentioned this challenge at our family dinner table and my sons said, “You don’t have to write Mom, its ok if you take one day off.” A thought that truly had never occurred to me.

I had resigned myself to the fact that with two graduations next week and a very full plate at work, I would take today off.  However, the universe had different plans, no sooner had I made that decision, when a friend sent me this video…which of course I needed to share with you.

Tired or not, seeing compassion in action, simply never gets old. It is moments like these that inspire me to do more, give more and use my time showing the world that it is actions not words, that really matter.

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally

A Widow’s Memorial Day

Taya Kyle and her children walk behind the coffin of her slain husband former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle during a memorial service for the former sniper at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington

Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor those who have served and sacrificed for our country. No one understands this more than a military spouse.  The other day when I saw this piece on CBS News This Morning, I knew I needed to share. It is a letter from Taya Kyle, Chris Kyle’s widow, to herself. To me this puts Memorial Day in perspective and I hope it does the same for you.

Today, think about all of those service men, service women and their families who give so much to each of us.

 

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Just Think

just think, bill gates

This past weekend I was up in Northern California for a board retreat. We were in the beautiful hills of Los Altos and it was a time to reflect, slow down the pace and “just think.”

As I pondered the takeaways of the weekend, I recalled a story that Bill Gates Sr. shared at a different board retreat a few years back. He was asked the question, “Was there any early indicator that your son (Bill Gates Jr.) was destined for great success?” Bill Sr. thought for a moment and shared a story about his teenage son.

He told the crowd that their family had loaded up the station wagon with children, pets and the like to head out-of-town to ski for the weekend. No one could find Bill Junior.  Bill’s mother went searching through the house hollering for Bill. When she opened the door to his room, there was Bill laying on his bed staring up at the ceiling in a quiet room. His mother said to young Bill, “What are you doing? We have all been looking for you, yelling and waiting?” Bill Jr. looked up at his mom thoughtfully and said, “I was just thinking. Do you ever just think?”

As Bill Sr. shared that story with the room, he said that his son had always taken the time to simply “just think.” That story has stayed with me over the years and as I was given the gift of time to reflect, slow down and “just think” it occurred to me that, “thinking” is a gift each of us needs to give ourselves. When was the last time you were “just thinking?”

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

The benefits of failure

Benefits of failure

As this week is all about college graduations, commencements and a life lessons crammed into speeches.. A friend and Charity Matters reader recently shared this with me and it was so wonderful I needed to do the same with you. It is a Harvard commencement speech given by the famous author JK Rowling of Harry Potter fame. Her words of wisdom are not just for graduates but for all and her message of the benefits of failure, reads like a road map to success, as long as you pay attention to the signs along the way.

Here are the highlights for those that do not have the gift of 20 minutes (although a gift it is).

“I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realised, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”

“If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence, but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped change. We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Charity Matters Quotes: Generosity

“Generosity is not giving me that which I need that you do, but it is giving me that which you need more that I do.”

 Kahlil Gibran

generosity

As many of you know, I run a non-profit organization. The nature of non-profits is that unlike traditional businesses which survive because of goods and services exchanged, non-profits survive because of others belief in a cause and mission. In essence they survive because of others generosity.

There are many challenges that come with this “business” model, such as knowing where the next dollars to fund your program and pay your employees are coming. These past few weeks, I have felt the incredible burden and stress of just that…where will the funds come to pay everyone and make this happen? In truth, it is a sickening feeling that I wish on no one.

However, just when I had to tell my board that I simply didn’t know where to go next….did I receive the gift of generosity that brought me to tears, literally. One person, simply said, “I would like to help.” Those words changed everything, including me.

Like everyone, it feels better to give than to receive. However, to be humbled by one person’s immense generosity is a gift and a lesson I am grateful for. While the non-profit business model has its challenges, I am beyond blessed to be the constant witness of human kindness, compassion and generosity in action. The human spirit’s capacity to love and give is beauty in action.

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

Commitment Day

Verb commitment dayWhat is commitment day? It is one of the most important days in Watts all year. Commitment day is the day that the boys from Verbum Dei High School stand in front of their community and tell everyone where they will be attending college in the fall.

This might not seem like a big deal to many, but for these boys of South Central Los Angeles, this is a game changer. A moment that will alter their life course forever. These young men live in one of the most dangerous, poor and crime ridden neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Yet, 100% will be leaving because they are going to college, against all odds.

What makes their journey more unique than any other high school student? The obstacles that these young men must overcome are simply staggering. First, they must apply (if their parents allow them to or understand) to this amazing boy’s school and be accepted. Often times they are behind academically and students must catch up quickly.  While other boys in these neighborhoods are joining gangs, the boys of Verbum Dei are putting on dress shirts and ties.

In addition to overcoming poverty, family issues, grades and gang pressures these young men are trained to work in corporate America. One day a week they board a van to their job where they work to help subsidize their education and more importantly see who they can become.  After four years of studying, working, doing sports and becoming “Men for Others” these young men are proud to tell their family and friends that they are heading to a place most have never been, college.

Today is Commitment Day at Verbum Dei. These men will announce to their families, peers and school that they are on their way to schools such as Georgetown, USC and a host of others, all sharing bright future ahead.

The teachers, staff, parents and corporate sponsors have made commitments to these young men and now these young men are committing to the world that they are leaving the life they know and heading to incredible futures full of promise. This is Commitment day.

 

Charity Matters.

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

World Wish Day: Make a Wish Foundation

(Photo by Trisha Leeper/WireImage)
(Photo by Trisha Leeper/WireImage)

Today is World Wish Day. World Wish Day is organized by Make-A-Wish to commemorate the anniversary of the wish that inspired the creation of what is now one of the world’s leading children’s charities. Seven-year-old Chris Greicius’ wish to be a police officer was granted in Phoenix, Arizona by volunteers on April 29, 1980.

The Wishes give these children and families something to look forward to, to dream of and a slice of hope. One of my favorite wishes was the little boy from the Bay Area that wanted to be Batman. Never underestimate the power of a wish.

Since Chris’ wish in 1980, more than 300,000 children around the world have had their fondest wishes fulfilled by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make A Wish Foundation’s mission is to “enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”

Every 37 minutes, Make-A-Wish grants the wish of a child with a life threatening medical condition somewhere in the world. Today the Make-A-Wish is active in 35 countries. All of this began, with just a simple wish.

Charity Matters.

It’s never too late

its never too late

I’m late, a week late. It seems that last week was National Volunteer Week and that the week shifts from time to time in April, as a result I missed it. However, it’s never to late to learn more ways to get involved and about the people who are doing just that.

National Volunteer Week was created by the Points of Light Foundation to promote volunteering. The organization was created out of George Bush’s 1989 inaugural speech calling for a thousand points of light. The organization, helps millions of volunteers change the world. They mobilize people to take action on causes they care about through programs, events and campaigns, such as National Volunteer Week.

Points of Light creates a culture of volunteerism, that celebrates the power of service. The week is used to encourage and volunteering, finding a cause that interests you and inspiring people to jump in. Non-profits from all over the country posted service projects and volunteers went to work.

In addition, some inspiring storied were shared to prove the power of one. This was one of them.

We all have gifts and talents, but how do we choose to share them? When we do, those points of light radiate out of us because there is simply nothing better than knowing your life improved anothers. As volunteer Amy Paterson said,” Anyone can make a difference. The important thing is to find what your strength is and then find a place to put it. Be that point of light, because the world needs you.”

 

Charity Matters.

 

Copyright © 2015 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.