Mosey (rhymes with posey) down further for newer entries

Please make sure to subscribe to my RSS feed and join me on Twitter. Thanks for visiting!

 

Nonprofit vs. for profit: Why is there a versus at all? #dbfb Response to backlash surrounding last post

I’ve been asked to make revisions to my last post by organizers of the “#hohoto event.  I’m against cencorship but I am in favor of making wrongs right, living harmonously and looking for solutions.

What happened in December of 2008 was an outpouring of love and charity by hundreds of people.  Special recognition needs to be given to those that created the vision.  The organizers who put it all together and worked to make it happen; they contacted everyone who could help bring about results that were so much larger than what  individuals could have accomplished on their own and the result was awe inspiring.  I thought I had shone the spotlight on who had done the orginal work and the vision, but obviously I didn’t. 

 

I’ve set up the  tag of #dbfb that is open to anyone that contributes to Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank through individual and/or business donations and events anytime of the year.  No ownership rights to this tag.  All are welcome to use it in any tweets when sharing about raising funds for Toronto’s DBFB anytime.  

I’d like to make it clear that I never stated that I was associated with #hohoto.  In fact what I did say was a group of people planned an amazing social event.  And it was.  

My event has been planned since last fall (late September-Early October.)  I secured the speaker and paid him half up front and paid deposits on other assoicated costs.  Brochures, marketing, ads in newspapers, etc have already been in place. This event is an INSPIRE-ites! event, and is not associated with any hohoto event.   

The association of wanting to use my event, already planned, to add to the great work done by hototo seems to have stirred up some very strong opinions (negative by the organizers; supportive by others not with the organizing group) about a non-profit branding being assoicated with a for profit organization.  When did it become popular to hate anything that was for profit?

INSPIRE-ites! is a for profit company.  I have no shame in that.  I like to earn money.  I like to eat well.  I like to live comfortably.   I give 100% dedication to a service that I fully believe in and money is the compensation for my time, energy, creativity.  INSPIRE-ites! serves many charities and is involved in numerous fundraising activities.  I wanted to add the Daily Bread Food Bank to that list. 

I can’t help but wonder if hototo organizers had such outrage when many press and others used the tag to highlight and give free publicity to their event; I doubt it.  I used the #hohoto tag so the Daily Bread would continue to receive more money.  That was my ulterior motive.  

I used it “out there” in “twitterworld” to attract those that were attracted to hohoto’s outpouring of “help your fellow man”.  A small gesture of kindness and charity.  Nothing lofty or sinister.  I didn’t use it to “steal” anything away from anybody else.  It was an addition; a small add-on that any business could do with any event they were planning to keep the giving ongoing.  (I will use and encourage others to use the #dbfb tag from now on.)  Nothing was meant to be ”shameful” of, as one person from hohoto has repeatedly described my actions. 

I  have had to use the Daily Bread when my paychecks haven’t covered my expenses.  I have cooked for and helped to serve food to Toronto’s homeless on Christmas Day for over 25 years.  Our family has volunteered at our local foodbanks since 2001.  Our friends have volunteered at the Daily Bread Food Bank, stacking and sorting food coming in, on a weekly basis for over 10 years. 

Giving of ourselves is not a new concept that has come into my life in order to further my business.  The opposite is true; the business came about as a means to increase the giving in my personal life in a more substantial way.  

INSPIRE-ites! speaking events are not large, flashy events that attract hundreds of people.  (Wouldn’t it be awesome if they did, though?!)  They are small, intimate offerings of sharing the best of others with others so that many lives can be improved. 

INSPIRE-ites! was founded on the vision of helping others through uplifting others by sharing messages of hope, good will and the message that we are larger than ourselves.  It’s not about self-help gurus and life coaching events, although that makes a part of the whole, because when we help ourselves and improve our life tools we become stronger to help others.   If anyone from hohoto had taken the time to visit INSPIRE-ites! website they would have seen that charity is integral to INSPIRE-ites! vision.  INSPIRE-ites! is about giving and sharing to all.  This has been ongoing since the beginning of the company.

Any increase in attendance equals an increase in what the Daily Bread Foodbank will receive.  If referencing a tag would bring in an additional 50 or so people that would be $500 more for the Daily Bread.  The February 5th event will cost what it will cost regardless of how many show up.  Expenses are expenses.  I work with a very small profit margin because money on others growth is not a priority for me; helping out and being of service is.  I only allow for a 25% profit margin on speaker events (otherwise the events would be in the $99 range as most other speaker events of this kind are) and I am giving away that 25% profit margin to the Daily Bread Food Bank.  The first 50 registrants cover the costs of putting on the event.  Anyone over and above that equals money directly going to the Daily Bread. 

As long as there is a “versus” mentality in anything in life there will always be a limiting result.  Change the versus to “and”; it accomplishes so much more.  Non-profits need for-profits and for-profits need non-profits.  It’s a symbiotic relationship of give and give, not give and take.

The goal is for more money for the Daily Bread Food Bank.  I welcome other companies and individuals to reference the #dbfb tag and set up donation systems of your own to keep the spirit of giving to the DBFB alive.   Great ideas grow because they are allowed to spread into areas unforseen in an original concept, not by keeping an idea to oneself, ”protecting our baby”.   Babies grow up to achieve and leave ”home”; so do ideas. 

Money is money.  Food is food.  The donation process should be open and fluid, not controlled and limited.  Use the #dbfb to share what you are doing.

Last Thanksgiving INSPIRE-ites! was a part of the Anthony Robbins Thanksgiving Basket Brigade.  In the Mississauga/Malton area 89 people were given a Thanksgiving they could smile about and be thankful for.  A couple of hundred volunteers gathered food, sorted and packed Thanksgiving boxes full of Turkey, veggies, pumpkin pies and other items and then we delivered them face to face to the people that needed them, at their homes.  It was an amazing experience and one that changed my view of how to be of service on Thanksgiving Day.  It was coordinated my Joanne Chrobot and done under the Anthony Robbins Foundation name.  Similar drives happened throughout Canada and the U.S. at the same time. 

No-one from that Foundation said don’t carry the message of love and service because the message is ours.  No-one asked or made it a criteria that if you were a company that made a profit you couldn’t help out or join in to bring happiness and food to those that need it.  In fact they did the opposite.  They welcomed everyone with open arms and requested that more people and corporations know of their foundation, and the good work they do.  Their vision is in including and expanding not excluding and dividing.  And as such, the Foundation has become known worldwide and the good works is was created to do has multiplied.  Lets follow this example.  

Michael Bungay Stanier is a wonderful man who does a lot of work and gives a lot of his time freely to help others.  He has resources that he shares with others to improve lives .  He doesn’t deserve to be ridiculed or mocked.  Nor do I.  

This is my business.  It’s not a party I am planning; it’s my livelihood.  It’s my passion and my calling.  If you want to hear a great speaker, get new tools to help grow yourself and others and give to the Daily Bread Food Bank then register for the event. 

 

DBFB- February 5th 2009 FUNdraiser – Michael Bungay Stanier

Back in late November/early December of last year, a group of people on Twitter (#hohoto) in Toronto planned an amazing social networking event in support of Toronto’s Daily Bread Foodbank. 

The response was overwhelming.  Let’s keep the momentum going.  The Daily Bread needs ongoing support every month of the year, not just at Christmas.  And we need social events to keep us happy and sane.  Put the two together and you’ve got one great night, one great speaker, a great social networking event and the Daily Bread is not forgotten.

Michael Bungay Stanier is an amazing life and business coach who makes learning what motivates you and others fun.  He was named Canada’s best life coach of the year in 2006 and has spent much of his time travelling all around the world in the last 2 years passing on his inspiration.  In the meantime his best-selling motivational toolkit sold out before I could even get my hands on one of them.  This man is a hot commodity! 
Click on this link  http://possibilityvirus.com  to watch Michael’s award winning online movie  8 Irresistible Principles of Fun;  it’s the foundation of what he’ll be speaking about on February 5th. 
Purchase tickets for February 5th on INSPIRE-ites! website at http://inspire-ites.memberlodge.com 
$10.00 from every ticket will be donated to Toronto’s Daily Food Bank.
(By the way, Michael does have a 3 day workshop you can attend – if you can still get a ticket – just before INSPIRE-ites! February 5th date and it will only cost you more than $800.00 to attend, or you can spend $40.00 and see him up close and personal for 2 hours on February 5th and give to Toronto’s Daily Bread.)

Bins will also be set up for food donations.

Invest in your personal development to learn how to motivate and be motivated and know that you are giving of yourself past yourself.  Let’s keep the commitment for making a difference ongoing.   Food and money is needed by the Daily Bread throughout the year and more often than not they get forgotten once the season of giving has passed.  Keep the party, the fun, the giving and spirit of generosity alive.  Let’s do what Twitterers do best: Feed your soul while feeding others.  It’s social networking at its best!

 

Who Are The Women In History That Have Inspired You?

The women who have inspired me are Eleanor Roosevelt (equliaty), Mother Teresa (service and love), Lucille Ball (laughter) and Erma Bombeck (realism).

 

Eleanor Roosevelt:

I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived.   Curiosity must be kept alive.   One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.            

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.

Mother Teresa:

  Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.

               Loneliness is the most terrible poverty

Lucille Ball:

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

          One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.

It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.

Erma Bombeck:

People shop for a bathing suit with more care than they do a husband or wife. The rules are the same. Look for something you’ll feel comfortable wearing. Allow for room to grow.

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.”

 

The Journey Inward

The Journey inward to the best of who you are is much like the experience of climbing a mountain.   Sometimes the climb is tough but each time you stop to look around, the view becomes more and more spectacular.

And you are propelled higher by the increasing beauty you see.

~~Susan Jeffers

 

This New Year’s Day

We will open the book. Its pages are blank.

We are going to put words on them ourselves.

The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year.

It is that we should have a new soul.

G. K. Chesterton

 

 

 

This Ride Called Life

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. 

The fact is, most putts don’t drop.   Most beef is tough.   Most children grow up to be just people.   Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration.   Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.

Life is like an old-time rail journey–delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.

The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”

-Jenkins Lloyd Jones

 

2 True Stories

STORY NUMBER ONE

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn’t famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

 

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed ‘Easy Eddie.’ He was Capone’s lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie’s skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

 

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

 

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

 

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.

 

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

 

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn’t give his son; he couldn’t pass on a good name or a good example.

 

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done.

 

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al ‘Scarface’ Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified.

 

Within the year, Easy Eddie’s life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street . But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

‘The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.’

STORY NUMBER TWO

 World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O’Hare.

 

He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

 

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.  He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.

 

His flight leader told him to return to the carrier.  Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

 

As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

 

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn’t reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

 

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber’s blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another.

 

Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.

 

Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly.

 

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.  eeply relieved, Butch O’Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.

 

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch’s daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

 

This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy’s first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

 

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O’Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

 

So, the next time you find yourself at O’Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch’s memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It’s located between Terminals 1 and 2.

 

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O’Hare was ‘Easy Eddie’s’ son.

 

 

December 7th – 20th “WOW” Items

Take time to give something small to someone not expecting it and watch as joy and surprise and thankfulness begin to become part of your daily life.

This weeks “WOW” schedule is as follows:

Monday:  It’s National Lemon Cupcake Day.  Give 3 people a lemon cupcake and put some sunshine into their day.

Tuesday:  It’s National Chocolate-covered anything Day!  (It really is!)  Today give 3 people anything you want to as long as it is covered in Chocolate.  Be creative.  Surprise yourself as you come up with creative ways to bring a smile to another person’s face.

Wednesday:  It’s National Maple Syrup Day.  I love Maple Syrup.  What can you give 3 people that is has Maple Syrup in it?

Thursday:  It Bake Cookies Day.  Nothing warms the heart or makes the house smell so gooood (!) as cookies baking.  What is your favourite Cookie recipe?  Bake some cookies and give them out.  It will feed the hungry and will also feed your soul because you have taken the time to put yourself and your skills into this “WOW”.

Friday:  It’s Oatmeal Muffin Day.  Go buy (or make!) some Oatmeal Muffins and give them to at least 3 people that aren’t expecting to receive anything from you.

Saturday:  Jelly Beans were first made on this day (Dec. 20th, 1874).  Their bright, colourful and everyone has a favourite flavour.  What’s yours?  Grab a handful of jellybeans, package them up in cellophane or pretty paper, add a bit of ribbon and hand them out to at least 3 people.  Watch the smile (or the look of surprise) develop as they receive a small unexpected gift in their day.

Remember these very small but great acts of kindness can be done in any city, any place, anywhere that you are.  Take time to give and you will receive moments of joy and conversation and connectedness (!) that will leave you feeling like YOUR life has meaning.  (Not to mention what it will do for the other person who you have touched with your acts of kindness.)

 

It Makes Cents. MS 2009 Climb. Get Involved.

       The MS 2009 Climb had their official kick-off event tonight.  I wrote about this great cause and this awesome opportunity a while ago.   http://inspiresites.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/ms-climb/  

I’m launching the IT MAKES CENTS Fundraising Drive for the MS 2009 Climb.  I believe we can raise money to find a cure and to fund this opportunity of a lifetime by just donating our pennies.  I am asking for a million pennies.  Starting now.  When you throw your change in the drawer, on the the top of the dresser or in a jar, put aside your pennies for MS.  It’s that simple.  A penny for someone else’s well being.  We can all do it.

What is MS?

While it is most often diagnosed in young adults, aged 15 to 40, we know that it affects children, some as young as two years old. The impact is felt by family, friends and by the community. MS is unpredictable, affecting vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility. Its effects are physical, emotional, financial, and last a lifetime. There is no cure.

Did you know …

• Canadians have one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world.
• MS is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults in Canada.
• Every day, three more people in Canada are diagnosed with MS.
• Women are more than three times as likely to develop MS as men.
• MS can cause loss of balance, impaired speech, extreme fatigue, double vision and paralysis.
• We don’t know what causes MS but researchers are closer to finding the answer.

I would love to be able to complete this trip, but there is a good chance I won’t be able to, so I am going to donate my trip to someone else.  With every donation your name will be put into a jar (a very large jar) and I will let  the organizers of the trip pick out the lucky name at the August meeting.  (Which everyone can attend.)  (If you donate your pennies every month your name will get entered each time you donate.)  You can also recommend someone that you would like to see have a chance to win this trip by emailing me.  This is definitely a win-win situation.  We raise money for MS and some lucky person gets to experience the trip of a lifetime.

Here’s the trip itenerary:                        

MS Climb ‘09 – Machu Picchu        

Climb #1:
Day 1 (arrival day) Sept 26^th 2009

Day 14 (departure day) Oct 9^th 2009

 

Climb #2:

Day 1 (arrival day) Oct 10^th 2009
Day 14 (departure day) Oct 23^rd 2009

Costs:
Admin Fee: $250 (non-refundable, no tax receipt)
Funds to Raise: $7500

Min: $5250, with option to buy ground trip $1800 USD (if unable to raise the min, all funds raised go directly to the MS Society and you will be unable to participate in the Climb)

(details available in climbers agreement)

Cancellation policy: 

Date to complete fund-raising is Aug 1/09The 12 days consist of (could be subject to change):

Included:
12-day guided tour of Peru including: Tour leader, accommodations (breakfasts in some locations), domestic travel, some guided site seeing.

• 2-day trip to Huacachina Desert and the Nasca Lines - included: accommodations (breakfast only)
• 4-day guided tour on the Inca Trail (permit, meals, trail guides, porters and tents during the 4-day Climb)
• 1-day travel to Puno (breakfast only)
• 2-day tour of Lake Titicaca at 14000’ above sea level including a night stay with a Quechua family (1 dinner, 1 breakfast, local guide)
• 2 free days (1 pre-climb, 1 post-climb) rest days – included: accommodations (breakfast only)
• 1-day Sacred Valley Tour (breakfast only, local guide)

§        Personalized fund-raising webpage
Fund-raising support
MS Climb travel booklet (All You Need to Know Before You Go)
Latin American phrase booklet

Climbers Expenses:
Flights to Toronto if coming from elsewhere
Flight from Toronto to Lima $1100 USD (approx)
Meals not on the Inca Trail (approx $20/day)
Misc expenses (approx $20/day)
Rental of Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Mat
All medical shots and other preventative medication (ie altitude medicine)
Travel/Health Insurance (climbers MUST have travel insurance to participate)
Tips (Tour Leader, Inca Trail Guide, Porters, etc)

 

I will pay the $250.00 non-refundable fee to cover the costs of the website and admin fees.

 

We hope you can join the 2009 $1million dollar team MS!

I will start taking donations immediately although my official MS webpage for this fundraiser won’t be up and running until January.  You can donate through this donations link and you will receive a tax deductible receipt in the new year from MS.  Make sure you put MS donation in the comments box.  Start donating right now with the pennies you already have.  Every bit counts and a million pennies doesn’t sound like a lot, but it will take everyone’s effort to make this work.

The MS 2009 Climb.  It just makes cents!

 

Be a Part of the “WOW” Factor

Join in helping to create random jolts of joy!  “WOW”stands for Wide Open Wonder; it’s a state of wonderful anticipation that you get when you know that you are planning something special for someone and there’s that anticipation of waiting for it to happen.  It’s also the sense of wonder you get when you step outside your comfort zone and do something that you haven’t done before or normally wouldn’t do.  You also get the “WOW” feeling when someone has done something unexpected for you; it’s what turns a bad day into a not so bad day, an okay day into a good day, and a good day into a great day.

I located my “WOW” factor last year as I was recovering from a broken back.  One of the first things I did when I was able to, was to go and pick up someone’s favorite movie and then arrange to have it dropped off to them.  It was at that moment that I realized the hardest thing about being out of commission for that 6 month period was that I couldn’t do what I call “special little nothings” for people.  We all do them everyday without even thinking about doing them.   For months I wasn’t able to do the smallest things, like go get a coffee for someone I was thinking of and just drop it off at their desk, pick up a special card that I know a person would love, or surprise someone with their favorite desert.

I found out in that recuperating time that there was excitement in anticipating being able to do these little acts of kindness and that most of the fun was in coming up with ideas and “surprising” myself at new ways to be able to show kindness once I got on my feet again.

I’ve been having a blast this last year doing small little things for others.  I get much more out of it than what I give.  I look forward to the days when I know I’ll be doing the “WOW” thing because I’m always amazed at the response I get out of it.  Want to join me in the WOW factor?  There is the potential for many people to break into smiles just because a little something was done.

Here’s how it works.  Every week I will list 2-3 ways you can help make someone’s day a little bit nicer.  You choose who will be the recipients of your “gifts”.  For the most part it can be anybody – your family, friends, co-workers, and strangers.  (I especially like the stranger’s part.  The “WOW” thing for me with strangers is that is got me to move outside my comfort zone and interact with someone that I wouldn’t normally talk to.  I see everybody in a different way now as I plan what acts of kindness I can do next week.)  On some occasions these special acts of niceness will be only for your partner or your family simply because it is outside “the box” with what you would normally do in that relationship. 

Because these acts are not meant to be done for any other reason than to bring joy and a smile to someone’s face, the forum for listing the weeks acts of kindness and discussing anything related to this is located in the members only section of the INSPIRE-ites! website. If you want to remain anonymous sign up with a fictional name and use a gmail, hotmail or yahoo mail account.  This isn’t about public recognition or having others know what good things you do.  It’s about making the world a little bit nicer by simply being a person who brightens up another person’s life. 

I will Twitter a “WOW” tweet with the words ” “WOW” – Today is _______ day” so anyone can participate if they want to.  If you miss the tweet then you can log into the forum to see what’s upcoming or to spark ideas for your own acts of kindness.  Some things you will have to log into the forum for further explanation.

Imagine what good can happen if some of you join me in this.  People all over the city (or maybe even in other cities) can be the recipients of random acts of kindness.   I know I can brighten up 3 people’s day with a chocolate chip cookie and a coffee; wouldn’t it be great if people all over were getting a cookie and coffee or a plant or a card that says Hi, I think you’re great!” on the same day. 

Who’s up for this?  Leave a comment or join up for the forum on the INSPIRE-ites! website