The folks at Give More Media have created a simple but effective positive action campaign called Smile & Move. "It's about mattering to the world, all with a smile."
| Smile Be Happy Wake Up. Be thankful. Be approachable. Complain less. Smile. Really. |
Move Do Something Start early and go long. Exceed expectations. Have a sense of urgency. Be resourceful & resilient. |
When measured results fail to provide the answers we're seeking it's possible that what's really needed is a new measuring stick. Such was the thinking of the country of Bhutan, when in 1972, the landlocked Himalayan mini-kingdom decided that rather than measuring its GDP (Gross Domestic Product), the common progress measurement for a country, it would begin measuring its kingdom's progress in terms of its gross national happiness.
Sounds a bit intangible, yes, but the concept garnered real interest among economists and other social scientists and has since grown into the global concept of Gross International Happiness (GIH) and the GIH Project with participation from the Center of Bhutan Studies, Spirit in Business, the Inner Asia Center for Sustainable Development, The Government of Mongolia, the Society for Ecology and Culture and others.
Bhutan and the concept of Gross National Happiness were recently featured in Michael J. Fox's ABC Special Always Looking Up, Adventures of an Incurable Optimist. He's also published a book by the same title.
Since 1995, Redefining Progress annually measures the US economy with an alternative yardstick called the Gross Progress Indicator (GPI) which starts with the same consumption data as the GDP and factors in metrics on the household and volunteer economy. In the loss category: all money spent on either preventing crime or repairing damage caused by it, all money spent on water filters, air purification and other ways of coping with environmental degradation and money spent on things like car crashes and divorces. The GPI also takes into account the extent to which the whole population shares in increasing material abundance.
Read more about the Kindgom of Bhutan.
Not long ago, less than one in 20 high school graduates in the Oakland, CA Unified School District was eligbile to attend a University of California school.
Today those prospects have been changed drastically thanks to the determination of school principal David Silver and a group of parents and teachers who envisioned and founded the Think College Now Elementary School. In its fifth year, the school was honored with a California Distinguished School Award, and today some 300 students from kindergarten through 5th grade are on a sure path to success.
This Vimeo video tells the story:
Dreaming bigger is always a possibility. What inspires you?
"For everything this disease has taken, something with greater value has been given"
Michael J. Fox
In his new memoir, Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist
In addition to the book, published in March by Hyperion, Fox co-produced a television special for ABC about the nature of optimism which will air in the United States on May 7th.
Michael's story is a reminder to us all to acknowledge the many gifts in our lives - even the one's we usually don't label as such.
Wrapping up the evening news recently, NBC Nightly News anchor and managing editor Brian Williams took just a few moments to suggest that viewers send in some good news stories, acts of kindness and other good works so that he might cheer up some otherwise bleak news of late. To his surprise, within a few hours he received thousands of replies via his blog The Daily Nightly.
Two nights later Williams featured many of the encouraging items on the news program and has continued to do so in various formats under the Making a Difference and Acts of Kindness banners. While no changes are planned for prominent headlining content, "good news" items will continue to be featured on the show. Said Williams, "We have more stories than we could humanly cover if we combined all three network newscasts."
Amen to that Brian!
Here's a video piece to the story...
Share your good news with Brian Williams here.
See more Acts of Kindness clips.
All At Once is an online social action network with an environmental focus that enables members to get more involved in their community, raise their voice for better environmental policy and ultimately become better informed consumers.
Launched in 2008 by singer-songwriter, musician and filmmaker Jack Johnson (along with his management and crew), the social network includes a real-time face-to-face element at the "Village Green", a focal point of every Jack Johnson concert.
In this video, Jack Johnson explains some of the reasoning behind starting the network.
The areas of interest members can choose from include climate change, ocean/river/watershed, renewable energy, sustainable living, tree planting /restoration, community / school gardens, environmental education, political / social activism and volunteer opportunities.
Mahalo, Jack!
Last October, TED announced their 2009 TED Prize winners who received $100,000 each and earlier this month, the granting of “One Wish to Change the World.” - read more.
The three winners announced their wishes at the 2009 TED Conference. In the past, the TED Community has granted the wishes of numerous prior year winners with some truly awe-some results. It will be exciting to follow the amazing things that will start to occur for this year's three.
“I wish you would use all means at your disposal — films! expeditions! the web! more! — to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, hope spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet.”
Thanks to some advanced planning, Google Earth is one of the first to support Sylvia's wish with ocean-specific enhancements to its search tools:
“I wish that you would empower Earthlings everywhere to become active participants in the ultimate search for cosmic company.”
Jill is the Director of the Center for SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) Research. Learn more about her quest in this video from KQED:
“I wish you would help create and document a special training program for at least 50 gifted young musicians, passionate for their art and for social justice, and dedicated to developing El Sistema in the US and in other countries.”
José Antonio Abreu is the founder of The State Foundation for the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Venezuela (FESNOJIV - Fundación del Estado para el Sistema Nacional de Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela) promoting the collective practice of music through symphony orchestras and chorus as a means of social organization and communitarian development.
Much has been said about the Web 2.0 tools used by the candidates in the recent Presidential campaign. Facebook and Twitter accounts were a given and online fund raising reached new heights.
It seems the rest of us - individuals, lobbyists, constituents of all stripes, hope our new President continues to log on and be influenced by the same medium that helped him get to the White House.
Last year the folks at Brighter Planet, Inc. and 1Sky designed a video contest to spark compelling commentary on climate called, Climate Matters! Inspire your next President. The Vimeo video channel accepted submissions in August and September and four winners were chosen the following month. All of the winning entries, like first place winner below, were distributed to candidates and each member of Congress.
The folks at Amnesty International created an online campaign called 100 Days to remind Mr. Obama that while some goals may be lofty and unrealistic, their list of 17 challenges relating to illegal detention, torture and impunity must be addressed in the first one hundred days. The tongue-in-cheek video that promotes the campaign is called We Don't Expect the Impossible envisioning the unlikely outcome of all the world's major problems being fixed by day 83.
As Tom Watson notes in his recent book CauseWired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World
It's pretty amazing to see how ubiquitous these tool have become and the many ways that we come together to voice our concerns and effect change. And with members of the "next generation" at the helm, the White House Fireside Chat Room can't be far off.
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Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. http://www.amnesty.org
Brighter Planet offers innovative products and services to help create a sustainable future for the planet and its people, empowering individuals and businesses in the fight against global warming. www.brighterplanet.com.
1Sky was created in 2007 to focus the power of millions of concerned Americans on a single goal: bold federal action by 2010 that can reverse global warming. http://www.1sky.org.
Today I want to tell you about a book called, The Art of Possibility, by Benjamin and Rosamund Zander. Among other things, Benjamin conducts the Boston Philharmonic and Rosamund is a psychotherapist who changes lives in big and small ways as a coach and consultant. Together they created a book that provides some amazingly simple yet powerful insights into their approach to the world. I've no doubt you'll take a page or two from this book and incorporate into your approach as well.
If you've not read this book, do so immediately. Seriously. Click here right now: The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life
And now I need something else from you. I need 20 minutes. Seriously. Last year Ben Zander spoke to TED. His TED Talk, Classical Music With Shining Eyes, is a great example of Ben's amazing energy. You'll be glad you watched - I promise. And now that you have the book you'll feel better knowing a little bit more about its co-author.
It's good to read you mission statement from time to time. Part of this blog's mission is to promote good things, and so what could be more apropos than to promote a book called... Life is Good. It's a great little book from the folks who, with their friends Jake & Rocket, remind us of all of the good things in life through their Life is good® brand of positive products, festivals and the Life is Good Kids Foundation.
If you've not heard of these folks, you will love their story, their philosophy, their products and the ways that they give back. Indeed, Life is good® will donate 100% of its profit from the sale of this book to the Life is good Kids Foundation, established to help children facing unfair challenges. The foundation was recently featured on NBC's Today Show:
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