Author: Lori Deschene
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Secret Santa’s Layaway Gift
Three mothers got the best holiday gift ever this year: the gift of renewed faith in people. It’s something we can all give year round, not just at the holiday season, and not just with our wallets. In fact, you may already give it regularly without even realizing it.
For all the angels who give it here, through kindness, consideration, and support, in comments or in the forums, I thank you. You remind me that people are good, and people care!
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25 Ways to Make a Difference in the World Every Day
“The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” ~Socrates
When I started Tiny Buddha, my main goal was to make a positive difference. I think that’s a goal many of us share.
I’ve stumbled upon countless blog and books written by people who say their purpose in life is to help people.
I suspect it’s how most of us infuse our lives with meaning: trying to somehow leave the world a better place than we found it.
I recently read a somewhat old blog post by ex-Microsoft employee Scott Berkun that got me thinking about this collective fascination with making a difference in the world. He wrote:
“We rarely need big things. As soon as someone starts talking about changing the world or radically reinventing something odds are good he’s talking from his ego, not his heart. Unless he’s working on bringing safety to the scared, health to the sick, or opportunity to the poor, the reinvention serves a want (or an ego), not a need.”
He went to explain how on his last day at Microsoft, he gave a lecture and one of his colleagues thanked him for the first time, saying he’d never expressed his admiration before because he assumed it was apparent. According to Scott:
“…it takes a better man to acknowledge goodness in others than it does to merely be good oneself. Anyone can criticize or accept praise, but initiating a positive exchange is a hallmark of a difference maker.”
What a beautiful idea. I couldn’t agree more. (more…)
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Returning Military Father Surprises Son on His Football Field
MSgt Joseph Martel returned home from Afghanistan a month earlier than expected. He and his wife immediately drove to Belgium to their son’s high school football field, where Joseph initiated a surprise reuinion, dressed as an opposing player.
This brought tears to my eyes…all four times I watched it.
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Stress, Snowfall, and the Inner Child
I love when people send me inspiring videos that include their own thoughts, voice, and illustrations. It’s like gaining access to a piece of their soul in one entertaining, thought-provoking work of art.
This short film by Mike Biagiotti really spoke to me. In his own words, it’s “a meditative journey about one man’s escape to his back country cabin.”
What does you inner child need today?
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Danny and Annie: A Love Story
This video is three years old, but I just saw it and it moved me. I believe this is the greatest kind of love, the kind that makes the mundane magical and the banal beautiful. It’s the romance of everyday living with someone whose very presence makes the ordinary seem extraordinary.
From the YouTube description:
Danny Perasa and his wife, Annie, came to StoryCorps to recount their twenty-seven-year romance. As they remember their life together from their first date to Danny’s final days with terminal cancer, these remarkable Brooklynites personify the eloquence, grace, and poetry that can be found in the voices of everyday people when we take the time to listen.
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The Last Pick: A Video About Helping Others
This is for anyone who thought they weren’t good enough and maybe never would be. For anyone who considered giving up before they even started. For anyone who ever needed someone to believe in them and show it.
But most importantly, it’s for anyone who can make a difference by helping someone else–which means this is for everyone.
Written and produced by the Jubilee Project, this short film supports the Jeremy Lin Foundation, which provides kids with hope, empowerment, and leadership development. Learn more at jeremylinfoundation.org.
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Piano Juggling!
I am in awe of the unique talent this man possesses. If you enjoyed this, you’ll enjoy the several other ones at pianojuggler.com!
