Comments on: What Really Matters

By: Leszek Cyfer

Leszek Cyfer — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:20:12 +0000

I believe that everything that comes our way is there to teach us something – and it applies to the people you meet too.

When you see something that "hits" you – something that you feel is wrong, stop and think how would you like it to be if this was a perfect world. Then reflect what can you do immediately to help make it so and do it.

The little things we can do immediately are like an oil poured on our blockades – the brakes that stop us from helping. When you help one, two, three times – doing little stuff you open up and find ways to help more and better.

"The journey of thousand miles starts from one step"…

If you meet a beggar, the best thing you can do to help is to sit with him for a moment, talk about his life, try in your head to put yourself in his shoes and think about what help you'd want to get if you were in his position. Then just do to other as you'd want them do unto you if you were to swap your places in life.

The lesson you'll learn from it will be invaluable. Your world will suddenly enlarge and become all encompassing. It's hard to explain – it's something to experience.

One word of caution. All this is based on an equilibrium between being selfish and selfless, being separate and all encompassing. Trent from 'The simple dollar' covered it nicely talking about the fulfillment curve: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/10/03/some-th...

In other words – keep it healthy or you'll burn out

By: Mike Grace

Mike Grace — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:28:21 +0000

Wow! Lots to think about. It saddens me that as younger generations get more distracted with technology that less time and effort is spent in helping others. Thank you again for the thought provoking post. I will contemplate what you have shared and plan a way to change so I can make a bigger difference.

By: @jsdixonblog

@jsdixonblog — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:38:07 +0000

Theres a guy by the name of Nate St. Pierre that has been trying to get people to spend 15 minutes a week on little missions that can make the world better. Here is a link to his site, if it sounds like a good idea to you maybe signing up will be worth your time. http://www.itstartswith.us/blog/

By: Tyler@Feet2theFire

Tyler@Feet2theFire — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:12:24 +0000

I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala and it was an incredibly eye-opening experience, as you said seeing people living on the small change we throw at lattes. While I sold out and came back to the corporate world, one of my buddies went to work for Coffee Kids http://www.coffeekids.org/ , which helps the kids who pick our daily cup of Joe.

By: Jason D Barr

Jason D Barr — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:25:36 +0000

Arrgh! The comment system isn't working too well today. My friend Daniel tried to post this comment:

Charity is one of the most exciting opportunities I've had doing my Vinyl Art. My wife and I aren't in the best of financial situations, and with a baby on the way, our stress level is up. But with my art I get to give back.

In fact, coming up shortly I'm going to have a show at 6 local used media stores, Bookmans. $50 of every piece I sell or get commissioned during the show will go straight to Ear Candy Charity which provides musical instruments to kids programs. Give them the tools. Those are the charities I like. Nate at Ear Candy is on the same wavelength as me about getting creative types together to help out, thinking big.

I also have a series of pieces, the EC collection, which the buyer gets to pick a charity to give $100 of the $175 to, $75 to me for the piece. This way the piece becomes the conversation piece both about the music, my art, AND the charity. A way to gather, indeed.

I hope your efforts find growth for you and positive change for the cause.

Peace.
@vinylart

vinylart.blogspot.com

By: Doug Erickson

Doug Erickson — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:29:17 +0000

I've got a great way for your readers to help. It's a charity called AFRICAID that trains teachers for work in rural villages in Nigeria. The girl who started this project, when she was 11 years old, went to school with my son. Her name is Ashley, and she recently graduated from Harvard, having given a full year of her life to living in Nigeria and teaching girls herself. Education helps in so many ways, and the way you can help now is to go to this site: http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/educationafrica Then, register, and VOTE for AFRICAID. Your vote will help this charity earn grant money to continue its mission, so it really is important.

By: AvonWalker

AvonWalker — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:53:22 +0000

I tried to make a post via the Guest Post, but it's getting hung up. I wrote:
Everybody needs to give back to their community in some form or another. Something that is dear to my heart is the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This is my third year that I have signed up to walk the 39 miles over two days in Los Angeles, CA. It is a wonderful experience walking with several thousand other walkers all with the same concern. It's personally very rewarding raising money to help those with breast cancer get the treatments they need when they are underserved or don't have insurance. A $30 donation gets a woman who has started chemo a wig to wear when her hair starts to fall out. I am the team captain of the Warm Hearts and there are 10 of us this year walking in September. We each are committed to raise $1,800 and have rasied over $13,000 this year so far. We are still short of our goal and would love to extend an invitation to any of your readers to click on the link and read our stories and donate any amount to one of our team members who has not reached their goal yet. With your help we can make a difference.

Here is the link: http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk2009/L...