Murmurs

Don't apologize for being who you are.  Don't worry that you were "too" you or not calm enough or too naive or too bold or too blonde or too tall or short or too crazy.  Don't say you're sorry when you're blamed for being yourself.  It's not blame; it's you.  And you don't need to apologize for being you.  Avoid hurting the feelings of others but do not sacrifice your own self worth or well-being to do so.  Don't tell lies.  Seek the truth always.  It's in the best interest of everyone.  Be wildly and courageously you.  Love.  Seek peace and promote it wherever you can.  Demand respect and give it to everyone you encounter, whether they are deserving or not.  Be you and do not apologize.  You are the only one that exists.  You are a masterpiece of brokenness.  A unique one.  No two are alike.  You are special.  Exist in the way that only you can.  Let life flow through you.  Be a siren of happiness.  Be a light in the darkness for others.  While you are a beacon, do not lose your own way.  Be steady, be strong, know yourself.  There is no one more important in your life than yourself.  Those that depend on you need you to be at your best, so care for yourself first.  Those that don't think they need you may find that your influence changes their lives in unexpected ways.  Keep dreaming.  Keep doing.  Keep creating and inventing and working and pushing and evolving.  You WILL find a way.  You WILL change the world.  You will be the best you that anyone has ever seen...and it will be incredible.

"Helping Others": The Meaning of Christmas

"Philly," a homeless man in Louisiana, set up a tree which was then taken away by the city.  

When people in the area heard what had happened, they brought trees, decorations, and gifts (to put under the new trees).  There were so many trees that Philly gave them away to a women's shelter that didn't have any.  He also said that the gifts people brought were for anyone who needed them.  In addition to the gifts that people donated, Philly said he was most impressed that people were giving each other hugs.  When asked what Christmas means to him, Philly already knew exactly how to respond: Helping Others.  Philly, you are an inspiration and you represent the true meaning of Christmas.  Thank you to Philly and all of the people who reached out to him to share Christmas cheer with their community during this holiday season!

If that isn't a story of hope, community, and love...well then I don't know what is.  Happy Holidays!

365 Days of Grateful: A Year Long Lesson for Life.

She took a photo every day for a year, and it changed her life. Now, she's spreading the power of gratitude to others. (via 365 Grateful the documentary)
Posted by Upworthy on martes, 8 de diciembre de 2015

Selfie Skydiving!

This guy Skyped his parents while skydiving! Via Hostelworld
Posted by The LAD Bible on jueves, 17 de diciembre de 2015

This is not being posted for the awe factor but for this guy's parents whose reactions are just hilarious!  Need a laugh or a smile?  How would YOUR parents react?  Spread the joy! 

Animals: The best teachers?

It's hard not to watch animals sometimes and wonder if they may be more civilized than humans.
Elephants have big hearts (literally).

This Elephant Calf Stuck in the Mud Symbolizes All of Our Stru...
This elephant calf stuck in the mud symbolizes all of our struggleshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SauNUEw_OU
Posted by storyful on Tuesday, December 1, 2015

When Beauty has Brains...

...it recognizes that all of us are beautiful, that a brain makes you beautiful, that being a good person is beautiful, that image is powerful, and that image is not beauty; it is fiction.  

It is a sculpture of a desire.  It is a contrived moment.  

"Beauty," says the brains, "are not everything: trust me...I'm a model."

Thank you Cameron Russell, for the reminder of what beauty is.

Seek Beauty. Reflect Beauty. Be beauty.

Let people know when you see their beauty.  

They might not see it, themselves 

...but that moment when they hear it, they become it.

Thanks to Upworthy for sharing this project 

from the inner-mind of a high school art student in Chicago.

Empowering Each Other

A local barber gives free haircuts to children before "picture day."  Why?  "Just to support the community...empowering each other."  Good people doing good things and the name of the greater good of the communities where they live and work.  Good on you, dude!

A local barber took time out of his day Wednesday to help out RCSD students ahead of Picture Day!Read the story here: http://bit.ly/1O8w7sz
Posted by 13 WHAM ABC on miércoles, 28 de octubre de 2015

How will YOU use your skills, talents, and passions to Be The Change? 

Love trumps all. Seek happiness.

“I won’t give you the gift of hating you” – Antoine Leiris’ powerful tribute to his wife, who died in the Bataclan during the #ParisAttacks bbc.in/1NbYE0q
Posted by BBC News on miércoles, 18 de noviembre de 2015

Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate...Only LOVE Can Do That 

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.

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

"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

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. 

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."