Monday, October 26, 2015

From Poor Perspective



I read a really good post from the perspective of a man named Eric, who spent nearly ten years trying to work his way out of poverty.  It's his take on some of the main issues that contribute to being poor (in the U.S.) and how the situation might compare for people who are not poor.  There are moments when I can just imagine some people who "have" saying "this is stupid, why didn't you just...*insert easy fix here*" but I really appreciate that he put all if it out there and then some, taking time to respond to those and other questions and comments in the commentary section which is usually riddled with not nice people.  On this occasion, however, it seemed like a lot of people could relate not only to Eric's life but to his compassion.  People commented, openly admitting their non-impoverished lives, and yet still were able to recognize and support Eric's theories and shoot down some people who just don't seem to get it even when they outwardly state some of the major flaws in their "comparable" situations.

Poverty is a compound issue because any issue that may be small for the "average" person is that much more expensive in dollars, in time, and in energy, based on the fact that it is generally not the only issue they have.  I urge you to take a look at this, even if you already think you "get it" and even MORE so if you "get that people are lazy and are good at making excuses. (*note sarcasm)"  A lot of poor people are too busy to make excuses.  So do yourself a favor;  Read the article, gain some new perspective, recognize what it's like to see or face all of these obstacles at once.

I was able to look at this list and relate to so many points, and I'm a college-educated middle class adult.  I can only imagine what my life would be like if I didn't have people who supported me financially when I needed it in the past, or who didn't offer me shelter when I didn't have any money for rent, or who didn't encourage me and even take their own time to help me search for job opportunities when I was having a hard time encouraging myself and finding time to be able to work AND search for a better option.  I can't remember what it was like to take care of my apartment alone, to make every meal on my own, and I can't remember a time when I didn't feel that I had a safety net in case something were to go wrong.  I am so lucky...a lot of us are and I'm not sure that we all take the time or even think to realize it.

So this is a "thank you."  Thank you to everyone who has ever helped me.  Thank you to everyone who has ever taught me or showed me what it is to help others.  Thank you to my husband for not making me do it all alone anymore.  Thank you to Eric for writing about poverty from first-hand experience from "the other side" now that you've "made it out."  Thank you to the people in the comment section for understanding, for recognizing that a split second can change an entire reality for people or that poverty can be your challenge from birth with generations of it built up.

There's a way out.  There are people that can help.  
There are people that understand.  You can do it.

To see Eric's article click here.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Who stops bullying?

What happens when this girl gets bullied in public?... Watch to see & remember to #StandUP against bullying. #NationalBullyingPreventionMonth

Posted by UPtv on viernes, 23 de octubre de 2015

Saturday, October 24, 2015

"That Jew" Video...


There are moments when you won't like what he says, and moments that you will, but if you're really listening...

his story is not only to Jews.  nor is it only to non-Jews...it really is to humanity...

We are fallible.
We are not perfect.
We are proud and arrogant and closed-minded sometimes because
we are human.
BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY...
we want peace,
we want to be able to live
and to continue living
and we want that for others, as well.

We are not interested in making targets of others.
We are people that want to remember where we came from
and be supported
wherever it is that we are going.
We are interested in other cultures
and we do not take issue with their differences
if it means that we all can continue living.

This is not to say that there is not bad in the world;
if you are killing people
for whatever reason,
we are not supporting you.
Why?
Because it goes against our humanity
and everything that comes with it:
the desire to live,
to grow,
to marry or not,
to have families or diverse friends,
to travel,
to love,
to interact,
to change
and to exist.
If you rob someone's existence,
you are not respecting humanity.

And humanity is what we have in common
and humanity is how we can save the world from it's troubles
because humanity is nature;
it is us in our most natural state.
It is giving and kind and free and happy and it is LOVE.

If we love one another,
if we love the world and the natural beauty
that come from letting things be
and exist and to grow as they are
and not what we want them to be,
then we are exercising our humanity.

You may not like how we says all of this...
you may not like his reason for making the video in the first place...
but I can imagine there have been many moments
where you were at your wits end,
wondering how things were going to get better
when things were happening that were outside of your realm of understanding or seeming control. You didn't see the logic.
You were searching for the humanity.

This is it.
Humanity.
Understanding that we're all the same
and we are different
and that's ok.
Upholding all of the good in the world
that allows people to live
and to be free
and happy
and healthy.
Humanity is love.
Is it in you?


#imthatjew
My name is Eitan Chitayat. And #IMTHATJEWThis has been simmering with me for a while.And I’ve been wondering when would be the right time to let it out.The time is now. Last year, after the Charlie Hebdo massacre went down in France, radical Islamic terrorists entered a kosher supermarket and gunned down innocent Jewish shoppers who were just out to buy some groceries. They were killed because they were Jewish – no other reason. The world remained largely silent. And look at anti-Semitism now. It’s 2015 and it’s everywhere you look. In the streets. In the media. In the classroom. It’s practically en vogue. Is this really what we’ve come to? Lest any Jew forgets – because of all the violence directed at us, the hatred, the incitement to harm and kill, the vile words, the missiles, the rockets, the knives, the rocks, the deafening silence of the world that we all feel right now – we should be proud of our heritage, accomplishments and spirit. Just like anyone else on this planet. And we shouldn’t be shy about it. Rise up, speak up and keep your chins up. We'll get through this because we love life and we're strong and smart and funny and beautiful and talented and resilient and educated and hard-working and positive and so much more. We’re okay. In fact, we’re more than okay. We rock. And here's a little reminder.Love and peace to all.#IMTHATJEW --------------------------------------------- Bob Dylan- Elena Kagan- Richard Dreyfuss- Jack Black- Alan Greenspan- Drake- Ed Koch- Gabriel Macht- Golda Meir- Randy Savage- Moses- Billy Crystal- Lou Charloff- Asaf Goren- Ben Gurion- Mark Spitz- Jeremy Piven- Yael Arad- Michael Bloomberg- Sergey Brin- Larry Page- Howard Stern- Sheryl Sandberg- Shia Labeouf- Mark Zuckerberg- Bar Rafaeli- Rachel Weisz- Peter Sellers- Alicia Silverstone- Billy Joel- Adam Levine- Roman Abramovich- Abba Eban- Manuel Valls- Steven Spielberg- Jesus Christ Superstar- Bernie Madoff- Adam Goldberg- Joan Rivers- Paul Newman- Judge Judy- Menachem Begin- Yitzhak Rabin- Sammy Davis Jr.- Amar’e Stoudemire- Ben Stiller- Jeff Goldblum- Larry King- Sacha Baron Cohen- Arthur Miller- Albert Einstein- Sigmund Freud- Ruth Westheimer- Monica Lewinsky- Francois Englert- Carl Sagan- Ilan Ramon- Paul Rudd- Jonah Hill- Seth Rogan- Andy Samberg- Mel Brooks- Jerry Seinfeld- Bill Maher- Larry David- Scarlet Johansson- Gal Gadot- Natalie Portman- Carrie Fisher- Haim Topol- Joseph Gordon-Levitt- Amy Winehouse- Ed Milliband- Bernie Sanders- Matisyahu- Stephen Fry- Sara Hurwitz- Leonard Cohen- Leonard Nimoy- William Shattner- Daniel Pearl- Pope Francis- Dalai Lama- Sarah Silverman- Madeleine Albright- Mark Knopfler- Yoni Netanyahu- Yitzhak Rabin- Families of Eyal Yifrah, Gil-ad Shaer, Naftali Fraenkel- Gene Simmons- Yuri Foreman- Liev Schreiber- Eli Weisel- Shimon Peres- Coen Brothers - Harvey Weinstein- Beastie Boys- Simon and Garfunkel- Rina Wertheim- Lucian Freud- Ralph Lauren- Nigella Lawson- Adam Sandler- Woody Allen- Harrison Ford- Lenny Kravitz- Madonna - Dustin Hoffman- Benjamin Millepied- Kirk and Michael Douglas- Jon Stewart- Gene Wilder- Pink - Winston Churchill - Franklin Roosevelt- Martin Luther King Jr.- Jim Henson- Bill and Melinda Gates- John Lennon----------------------Special thanks to Dana, Adam, Uri, Hed, Ari, Dina, Shelley, Avi.***The use of these media materials is protected by the Fair Use Clause of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, which allows for the rebroadcast of copyrighted materials for the purpose of commentary, criticism and education.***
Posted by Words by Eitan Chitayat on jueves, 15 de octubre de 2015

Monday, October 19, 2015

Suicide prevention...being better humans


This is really important for students, parents, grandparents, friends, relatives, strangers, everyone... 'people need to be validated.' BE KIND ALWAYS.


¿Qué hubieran hecho ustedes?
Posted by Benshorts on martes, 18 de agosto de 2015
Who would dare to tell another person that their life is valueless? We need to be better at people-ing.
Let others know that you care, and let them know MORE OFTEN than you think is necessary. Sometimes we feel it so much that we just assume we are saying it, too. Let other people know they exist. Don't see through them. See them. Take them into consideration. Hold doors, defend injustice, seek peace, offer a seat next to you, SMILE! No one should feel useless or unloved or put down or non-existent to the point where he or she no longer sees value in his or her own life. 
Sometimes it's hard to see that value alone...you can help.
Be the change. 

Sunday, October 18, 2015

There IS such a thing as goodness and decency in the world!

As told by Matthew Morris on his personal experience tonight:

"People always say there's no such thing as goodness or decency in the world anymore. 

Earlier tonight when my family was driving home, a car in front of us was t-boned by a man who ran a red-light. The car skidded all the way up to the sidewalk. 

Immediately our whole family jumped out of the car and ran to see if the people in the wrecked car were okay. While we did that, a gentleman from nearby who witnessed the crash sprinted over to help as well. The 3 people in the car were, thankfully, not injured severely, but were in shock and very hysterical. While my mother and the other man talked to the victims to keep them calm, a woman came over and called 911, and her husband helped my brother and I clear the wreckage off the road. The paramedics showed up and helped the people to safety and took them to the hospital. While what happened was frightening and disturbing to see, the way those other people acted was amazing. 

They acted calmly and graciously and went out of their way to help the people in the accident when they could have gone about their business. 

Yeah, there is a lot of bad in the world, but that situation reminded me that there damn well still is good as well. Sorry for the essay status, but I wanted to share that, because those people made my day."

To that, we say: 
There IS goodness and decency in the world...
and if you can't see it...be it!

White people ask questions to other white people



33 Questions White People Have For White People WATCH MORE: http://bit.ly/1P4zIYB
Posted by BuzzFeed Video on Viernes, 16 de octubre de 2015

Buzzfeed always seems to know how to give us just the right amount of laughter to go along with the seriousness of the situation at hand.  Love this quick video of just a few questions that "white people have for white people."  

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Barbie: Back to the roots

Invented by a mother to inspire her children, Barbie had somehow lost her original purpose, a lot of inches in the midsection, and her ability to stand up straight as a real-life human given the proportions she developed through the years.  Now, Barbie is going back to the roots, starting with the way that we perceive women.  Barbie's new campaign asks us to "imagine the possibilities."  It hopes to inspire young girls and women to reach for their dreams, whatever they may be, and to dream big.  Bravo, Barbie!  You're becoming a woman of the 21st century! ...now if only you could get your proportions back to normal...

Friday, October 16, 2015

Another reason to love Jose Mujica...and get some perspective on Time


Los ’47 segundos de sabiduría’ de José Mujica sobre el verdade...
Los ’47 segundos de sabiduría’ de José Mujica sobre el verdadero precio de las cosasLo llamaban “el presidente más pobre del mundo”, aunque siempre ha insistido en que no se trata de pobreza, sino de sobriedad. El ahora expresidente uruguayo lo explica en un vídeo titulado 47 segundos de sabiduría de José Mujica. La publicación, subida por el usuario de Facebook Gumbi Ortiz, ha alcanzado los 2,5 millones de reproducciones y más de 95.000 compartidos en 4 días.Inventamos una montaña de consumo superfluo, y hay que tirar y vivir comprando y tirando. Y lo que estamos gastando es tiempo de vida, porque cuando yo compro algo, o tú, no lo compras con plata, lo compras con el tiempo de vida que tuviste que gastar para tener esa plata. Pero con esta diferencia: la única cosa que no se puede comprar es la vida. La vida se gasta. Y es miserable gastar la vida para perder libertad.Leer más: http://noticiaaldia.com/2015/09/los-47-segundos-de-sabiduria-de-jose-mujica-sobre-el-verdadero-precio-de-las-cosas/
Posted by noticiaaldia on Viernes, 18 de septiembre de 2015


Thursday, October 15, 2015

People are good. #NooneInTheMud

#VídeoUn hombre construye una casa en miniatura para que una mujer sin hogar no duerma en el lodo La construcción de una pequeña casa con ruedas a una mujer sin hogar se convierte en el inicio de una ambiciosa iniciativa: harto de ver a su vecina sin hogar durmiendo en un barrizal, un residente de Los Ángeles le fabricó una vivienda desplazable. Ahora quiere repetir la experiencia alzando muchas más.

Posted by Viva Nicaragua - Canal Trece on Martes, 5 de mayo de 2015

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Do you "give a shit?" (pardon my French)

Do you "give a shit?"  About anything?  About everything?  Guess what?  You aren't alone.  If you want a soliloquy to help explain yourself to the world, I suggest to start memorizing this post.

I give a shit, too.  If you care as much as I think you do, feel free to come back.  
You've got friends here :)  And the world needs people like you...to remind the world to care.

*I also want to stop to brag for a moment because I spelled "soliloquy" right on my first attempt...I even had to check it because I was afraid maybe autocorrect wasn't working...because I give a shit about grammar and spelling.  Mrs. Brady would be proud.

Have Clean Water? Be thankful.

Life of the poor and the rich...

Posted by Issam Bayan on Viernes, 22 de noviembre de 2013

Friday, October 9, 2015

Battery is dying, I'm one bar closer to humanity...



Why I Refuse to Let Technology Control Me.
Posted by Prince Ea on Lunes, 29 de septiembre de 2014


Update:10/10/15...this actually happened to me today: the very day after I posted this video.  Out for a 5 mile run and my phone/music/run-tracker just bit the dust without warning.  But I remembered this video...and I smiled at everyone I passed, the same way I always do, and I focused in on my breathing a little more and I listened to the beat of my own footsteps instead of the music, and it was music...it was my own.  I didn't need someone else to keep my pace, I have my own.  I already knew the distance, and I could check the clock when I got home to see how long it took.  I think I ran faster than usual, but I don't know and I don't care.  I think I'll go unplugged again tomorrow.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

500 smiles down, a lifetime to go!



The heart broken smile.
Posted by Doc Hallenstein on Viernes, 7 de agosto de 2015

The gem inside...

What would you say as you look back on your life?

A 92 Year-Old Woman Is Bringing Everyone To Tears. This Is BeautifulLIKE & Follow - Going Viral

Posted by Going Viral on Jueves, 24 de septiembre de 2015

You absolutely MUST read this!

...Must I, though?

I've often wondered about this when people tell me I have to do something:

...are we utilizing the correct vocabulary?  Do I really HAVE to or would you just prefer that I do?

While this is a latent question that only really surfaces when I hear someone ask "can I go to the bathroom" and my inner-English-teacher silently shouts "MAY YOU," I was blindsided by an article I clicked on accidentally earlier which discusses the difference between "should" and "must" (hence the title of this post).

I have more and more often questioned the things I am told (verbally or otherwise) that I SHOULD do.  There are conflicting messages, of course: societal pressures of what is "normal," my parents being my cheerleaders and telling me to "go for the gold" and "be whatever I want to be," and at the same time hoping that I choose something that works in society and that doesn't make me a stranger to it.

I think I'm torn.  I want the "should" because supposedly I should...right?  But the Must is the ever-constant tugging at me, making me defiant in the face of hoity-toity-ness and greed and hatred and evil and being unkind.  Even as I write, though, I don't necessarily believe that society or culture say that we should be THOSE things...so why do I feel so rebellious against them?  Maybe society says nothing at all about those things and to say anything at all is to be rebellious and to yield (FINALLY!) to our inner "Must."

I find myself hating "the nine to five"...I don't think I know a single human being who says they LOVE the nine to five.  What does this all MEAN?  That we all KNOW that we must not do it, but that we SHOULD?  Who said so?  Clearly no one I've ever spoken to about it.  Do you?  Do your friends or family?  Does anyone think we SHOULD do the nine to five?  If not, then how did it become the "should" that our inner "must" is rebelling against and why is it so hard to break free of?
One of my favorite parts of this article is where the author pulls a quote from the book she bases it on:

Must is different. Must is who we are, what we believe, and what we do when we are alone with our truest, most authentic self. It’s that which calls to us most deeply. It’s our convictions, our passions, our deepest held urges and desires — unavoidable, undeniable, and inexplicable. Unlike Should, Must doesn’t accept compromises.
Must is when we stop conforming to other people’s ideals and start connecting to our own — and this allows us to cultivate our full potential as individuals. To choose Must is to say yes to hard work and constant effort, to say yes to a journey without a road map or guarantees, and in so doing, to say yes to what Joseph Campbell called “the experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonance within our innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.”
Choosing Must is the greatest thing we can do with our lives.
...Just TRY and tell me that those words don't stir up the "Must" in you, anxious to explode into being, existence, life...just TRY to tell me you don't relate with every fiber as you read the words about your inner self.  I doubt that you can (I know that I can't) and yet it is quite likely that you are someone that is doing something you should...most of the time.  My hope for you, though, is that your should begins to meld with your must in such a way that your "must" DRIVES your "should."

I must travel the world because my inner self believes that is what I should do in order to fulfill my purpose and life on this planet for the brief time I am here!  Fulfilling our purpose is something society tells us we should do...this is a good combination of should and must that you can justify...

I must use my skills and passions to help others because it is the thing that MOST makes me feel alive and I should do it because it is good for society and for others.  "Must" is for me...the reason others give for my must-actions, in this case, is the "should."

In the end, you already know, what others say will not determine how well you live your life.  It will not determine if you are a good or a bad person, if you are accomplished or not.  If you do not do what you MUST, though...if you do not comply with the fibers of your being that beckon you away from the norm toward whatever your true calling is...then you will fail yourself...and THAT is the greatest failure of all.  So do what you must, and feel free to tell people that whatever their desire for your life is (from the outside perspective) - they should start using the correct vocabulary for it.

Bubble Gum Love


The Story of Sarah & Juan
When you fall in love with a commercial :) Video courtesy of Extra Gum
Posted by Love What Matters on Jueves, 8 de octubre de 2015

Transformation Thursday? It starts with I can.

I've shared this before but it is absolutely 1000% worth posting over and over again.

People struggle.  We ALL struggle.  Life is hard.  We overdo ourselves.  Something else outdoes us.  We get down on ourselves (and sometimes others do too).  We have moments, though.  We have moments of brilliance and hope and excitement and belief that even though life is tough, WE ARE TOUGHER.

I once heard that 30 seconds of courage is all you need...I think that applies here, too.  30 seconds of courage, of belief, of "I can do this" that get you from the couch to your feet, from the "I can't" to the "I will" from the "I'm not" to the "I can be!"

This video gets me every time.  I think it reminds me that we have a limited time.  We shouldn't take "no" for an answer when it comes to our health and our lives...we should find the answers, we should find the support, we should find encouragement to make ourselves better people and we shouldn't stop until we're doing what we hoped we might someday be capable of.

Life is tough.  Be tougher.  He can.  I can.  You can.  Be the change.


Never, Ever Give Up.

Never, Ever Give Up. Inspirational Transformation!More incredible stories ➡️ http://goo.gl/44PGy8

Posted by Bryan Silva on Sábado, 23 de mayo de 2015

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Turning and turning and turning...his ship around...


Jeremy Buck featuring Circusman Alexis
Coolest thing I've seen in awhile. This guy's got mad skills... check it out."Turn my Ship Around" by Jeremy Buck, featuring Circusman Alexis.
Posted by Art with Mrs G on Sábado, 26 de septiembre de 2015

This made me happy.  I don't know if it was the music or the theme, the message or the freedom he exudes when he's spinning around and taking control of each twist...it's liberating to watch.  I hope it turns your ship in a positive direction today :) 

Change Comes to Those Who Work for It

It may come slower than they'd hope for, but women around the world - victims of rape, domestic violence, communal violence, and oppression by their traditional communities for the sole fact that they were born females - are making big changes.

I read an uplifting post about women who were beaten for selling goods in their towns where this was considered acceptable only for men.  After being beaten, and finding that her husband had done nothing to defend her honor or life during her hospital stay, she decided along with some other women to start a village FOR women and led BY women.  While disturbing to note that men had gone so far as to blockade the entry to the female-only towns and even to beat the women in front of tourists who give them their livelihood through visits and the buying of traditional jewelry and crafts, it is incredibly invigorating to hear that the women persevered, bought land where blockades had occurred, and have continued to fight for their rights to life free of violence and oppression, both as women and as human beings.

While destroying traditional patriarchal norms of their people, they are creating new traditions that accept women of all ages and their children.  They accept male visitors who are invited in but they are not allowed to stay.  Other similar communities are cropping up nearby, with different rules and regulations and hierarchies, but all with the same goal in mind: to change the world for women, to make it a better place where they have voices and power over themselves.

You can check out the full story and some gorgeous images of these world-changing women by clicking here.

Recovering Lost Food...

This group of people came up with an ingenious solution to mend the broken food system across the U.S. borderlands. (See more at http://u.pw/1ISvwTz)

Posted by Upworthy on Viernes, 21 de agosto de 2015

Thursday, October 1, 2015

True Entertainers...musicians with gusto!

Nothing like getting super creative with your instrument!!

You will be TOTALLY amazed at this video!!

Posted by Brandon Williams on Sábado, 12 de abril de 2014