12 Favorite Quotes by Wendell Berry

Wendell Berry is a conservationist, farmer, essayist, novelist, professor of English and poet.  Below is a collection of my favorite wisdom offered by Mr. Berry.
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Jean Vanier: On Community, Compassion and Celebration

My most recent post at Practical Compassion -- Pain:  Our Common Denominator -- featured this quote:

“I am struck by how sharing our weakness and difficulties is more nourishing to others than sharing our qualities and successes.” 

That is a quote by Jean Vanier, and I'm inspired this Sunday afternoon to share more of his wisdom.

I have been a fan of Mr. Vanier since reading From Brokenness to Community.  I feel a strong affinity with his way of being in this world, and how he views our journey as human beings.  His work is steeped in compassion, respect and integrity; it is my intention that Wishadoo! and all of my work are imbued with the same.

Anyone devoted to the work of alleviating suffering can find themselves overwhelmed and depressed.  Indeed, a new term has been coined in recent years:  compassion fatigue.  For many years I have spoken of employing what I call "compassionate detachment" in order to endure this "being human thing"; recognizing when it may be more compassionate to detach rather than engage directly can become a valuable survival skill in this world. Compassionate detachment can help us accept when we have done our best in any given situation and can do no more.  This approach prevents misery -- our own or others' -- from defining us, and prevents us from becoming apathetic and uncaring, allowing our work with others to continue.  It is especially helpful when we ourselves are suffering and struggling as well.

Mr. Vanier is keenly aware of the potential negative effect of the world at large on we as individuals and humanity as a collective.  It is why he stresses repeatedly that we should never lose sight of joy and celebration, no matter how dire a situation may appear, and encourages us to consider what celebration actually means.

"We must learn to celebrate.  I say learn to celebrate, because celebration is not just a spontaneous event.  We have to discover what celebration is.  Our world doesn't know much about celebration.  We know quite a bit about parties, where we are artificially stimulated with alcohol to have fun.  We know what movies and distractions are.  But do we know what celebration is?  Do we know how to celebrate our togetherness, our being one body?  Do we really know how to use all that is human and divine to celebrate together?

Staying mindful of the good that exists and, when possible, pursuing and focusing on positive action to rectify what is causing pain and suffering, allows us to embrace joy and celebration more readily.  There is no need to feel guilty about finding cause for celebration in the midst of sadness and despair.  Indeed, it those who endure the most pain -- people around the world, throughout time -- leading the way by example so beautifully.

Working toward and having hope in the world that can be, rather than become hopeless in the face of the world that is (or appears to be), is the only way I maintain some semblance of sanity and the energy to keep up the good fight.  It's about balance.

I would like to share a collection of Mr. Vanier's thought-provoking, heartfelt wisdom this Sunday afternoon, for your consideration.  I hope his words touch you in some healing way as they have me in recent years.

“This evolution towards a real responsibility for others is sometimes blocked by fear. It is easier to stay on the level of a pleasant way of life in which we keep our freedom and our distance. But that means that we stop growing and shut ourselves up in our own small concerns and pleasures.” ― Jean Vanier

“To love someone is to show to them their beauty, their worth and their importance.” ― Jean Vanier

“But let us not put our sights too high. We do not have to be saviours of the world! We are simply human beings, enfolded in weakness and in hope, called together to change our world one heart at a time. ”  ― Jean Vanier, Becoming Human

“Every child, every person needs to know that they are a source of joy; every child, every person, needs to be celebrated. Only when all of our weaknesses are accepted as part of our humanity can our negative, broken self-images be transformed.” ― Jean Vanier, Becoming Human

“Love doesn't mean doing extraordinary or heroic things. It means knowing how to do ordinary things with tenderness.” ― Jean Vanier, Community And Growth

“If we are to grow in love, the prisons of our egoism must be unlocked. This implies suffering, constant effort and repeated choices.” ― Jean Vanier, Community And Growth

“A community that is growing rich and seeks only to defend its goods and its reputation is dying. It has ceased to grow in love. A community is alive when it is poor and its members feel they have to work together and remain united, if only to ensure that they can all eat tomorrow!” ― Jean Vanier, Community And Growth

“We discover that we are at the same time very insignificant and very important, because each of our actions is preparing the humanity of tomorrow; it is a tiny contribution to the construction of the huge and glorious final humanity” ― Jean Vanier, Community And Growth

“When we love and respect people, revealing to them their value, they can begin to come out from behind the walls that protect them.”  ― Jean Vanier, Finding Peace

“Happiness comes when we choose to be who we are, to be ourselves, at this present moment in our lives.”  ― Jean Vanier, Finding Peace

“True peace can rarely be imposed from the outside; it must be born within and between communities through meetings and dialogue and then carried outward.”  ― Jean Vanier, Finding Peace

“We work for peace every time we exercise authority with wisdom and authentic love.”  ― Jean Vanier, Finding Peace

“A society which discards those who are weak and non-productive risks exaggerating the development of reason, organisation, aggression and the desire to dominate. It becomes a society without a heart, without kindness - a rational and sad society, lacking celebration, divided within itself and given to competition, rivalry and, finally, violence.”  ― Jean Vanier, Man and Woman He Made Them

Thank you for reading.

~ Dena | About Me

Jiffy (Cornbread Mix) Shows the Spirit of Wishadoo!

Today, I stumbled upon a wonderful article by Cory Suter of Policymic, which tells the story of one of America's oldest companies.  





"JIFFY" Mix is a product of Chelsea Milling Company, operated by a family whose roots in the flour milling business date back to the early 1800’s. They have been milling flour in Chelsea, Michigan, for over 120 years.

Mr. Suter's article shares why, in his view,  there are "7 Reasons This Muffin Mix Can Save America."  Here are the first three:

1. Jiffy mix sells over 55% of all muffin mixes in the United States, but doesn't spend a dime on advertising.
2. Jiffy mix denies Wall Street a chance to make money from other people's work.
3. Jiffy mix management treats their employees the way they would like to be treated.

I happen to agree and encourage you to read the entire article.  In fact, Mr. Howdy Holmes (CEO) and his company put Wishadoo!'s vision and values into action, combining a dedication to community, cooperation and compassion in practical, time-honored ways.

As Mr. Suter so astutely states, "One of the world's most widely recognized ethical standards is to do to others as you would have them do to you. By separating the owners and executives of companies from the communities where these same companies do business, the corporate structure of business has increasingly lost sight of this traditional American ethic. Cutting employee benefits and jobs to enrich Wall Street has become almost as common as hidden fees, and hiring lobbyists to gain unfair competitive advantages.

Small businesses and exceptional American companies like Jiffy mix, built our country's once-broadly shared prosperity. Sadly, thanks to Wall Street greed, large civic-minded companies are a dying breed. If all companies were as ethical as Jiffy mix, then most Americans could support the far right agenda to get rid of all the regulations. The best solutions are, of course, not so simple. We need commonsense protections from corporate abuse at the same time we need to scale back regulations that exist primarily to give big businesses advantages over competitors. Because, so few companies are like Jiffy mix, America needs a smart government of the people, by the people and for the people."

Indeed.  Kudos to Cory Suter.   Kudos to Policymic for being a platform for sharing the insight, thoughts and wisdom of Millenials, and HUGE kudos to JIFFY Mix for setting a brilliant example of integrity in business.

Six Degrees of Compassion

(My sincere apologies for not keeping up with this Google Wishadoo! Blog once the site launched.  I will do my very best to post blogs here, as well as at the Wishadoo! site, henceforth.

By the way, please join us -- there are so many tools being put to use to put empathy, compassion, cooperation and community into action at Wishadoo!)

COMING SOON...

PLEASE JOIN WISHADOO!

or INSERT EMAIL BELOW TO RECEIVE UPDATES!

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The New Wishadoo!

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank

Indeed, how wonderful it is that there are more and more ways to help improve the world. Wishadoo! is one such way; an easy-to-use, comprehensive way to connect to create a better world.

Wishadoo! is a free service providing ONE place to reach out and connect directly.

Everyone has a dream , hope or need. Everyone has something to offer another person in need. We ask you to join the new site and then go to the Wishlist and post one or more of the above.

Challenge yourself to: ASK. OFFER. DREAM. BELIEVE.....



Please share this message with others and ask them to also join Wishadoo! and post in The Wishlist. Ask them to:

ASK. OFFER. DREAM. BELIEVE.....

The more who gather, the better the chances of connecting to fulfill needs and wishes.

Watch and share our video, join our Facebook Page, and JOIN US at Wishadoo!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Rising from the Ashes (Spirit of Wishadoo)

Within the next few days, we will be back to post more, explaining how this story ties in with Wishadoo.

Indeed, this process of coming together as related to this tragedy, is Wishadoo In Action.

For now, this post is fully focused on Dan's story and one way you can help -- how you can "Chip In." (see widget below)

As many of you may already know, Dan and his son barely escaped a fire at their complex in the early morning of 12/28/09 while they slept. They literally came away with the pajamas they were wearing. Here is a news link, detailing the event:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/fire/early-morning-fire-strikes-palm-harbor-apartments/1061620

"They ran to the safety of a neighboring apartment building. Behind them, everything else was consumed by the flames, including fish, a turtle, a rabbit, and his dog, Daisy."

While they are grateful to be alive and safe, this tragedy is more than most of us can imagine; they lost so much...their beloved Daisy...and they are truly having to rebuild their lives from scratch. As Dan says, "one hour at a time."

Were it not for Dan's immediate family (many of you know Steph/Rain, his mom), they would be on the streets. The safety nets just aren't in place in our society as they should be, so we must help one another.

They all know they are blessed, yet this is a very, very difficult path they are walking. A path most of us can't imagine. There but for the grace of God....

Please contribute what you can -- even $5 adds up when others join to do the same -- to help them in this process of rebuilding. This is a family who has given to others...to their family,friends and their community throughout their lives. It's time to help them. Please join me in doing so.

I can already tell you that the simple act you of taking the time to read this means the world to them all. :)






You can email Steph directly: rainspirite1@gmail.com

Here is a direct link to the Chip In page for Dan if the following widget doesn't work for you: http://onevoicerising.chipin.com/dan-scharaldi

Please note that you can copy this widget into your own blogs, websites and Facebook pages to spread the word. :)

The Wishadoo! Challenge - It's Finally Time!

The only true gift is a portion of thyself. --Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are delighted to announce the full launch of Wishadoo! -- a place where people can connect in a New Way, a way based in integrity, responsibility and compassion; a place created to fill a void, to show that we're not alone and to encourage direct interaction; a place that creates a full circle of giving, receiving, and paying it forward.

In a nutshell, Wishadoo has been described as the "Craigslist of Compassion." It's where you can share your heartfelt, lifelong wishes that seem out of reach, as well as urgent daily needs of survival. Many of us have been conditioned to not ask for anything and to be embarrassed that we are in need, let alone have the audacity to ask for help making a dream come true. Our hope is that Wishadoo will change that.

We're asking you -- we're challenging you -- to start somewhere. Post your needs, wishes and offerings. Put it out there. Enable others to act as human angels, and empower yourself to do the same for others in ways you never could have imagined. (no personal ads, please. ;) )

A kind word, hug, $5, or 30 minutes of your time can be a grand gesture which can change the course of someone's life. And yours. We believe you'll find the simple act of sharing, even anonymously, can be profoundly liberating.

There is no judgment, no expectation, no requirements to 'qualify.' We simply ask for respect, for oneself and others. If you enter with an open heart, with positive intention and no expectation, you have nothing to lose.

When we learn to ask for help – and then graciously receive it, and if possible pay it forward – so much can change. It could create this New Way. Wishadoo is part of this New Way, which is about taking responsibility for ourselves and others; forming real communities again; learning that it's okay to ask for help; learning that it's okay to give.

We offer this well-meaning challenge to step outside of your comfort zone and post your dreams and needs. We're inviting as many people as possible who resonate with Wishadoo!, asking you to help us by doing the following:

· Register at Wishadoo! (it's free, no requirement or commitment), which provides more opportunities for wishes and needs to be fulfilled and helps the Wishadoo! Community grow, online and in the real world. We have big dreams but will take it one step at a time.

· Forward this message to your contacts; insert a link to the site in your blog or website; put it on Facebook and other networks; share it with co-workers, church members, school contacts, organizations, and neighbors (how many even know our neighbors' names these days? Wishadoo can be your excuse to meet them).

· Once registered, check out the Wish List at the Main Site, and our Wishadoo! Community where you can join groups (feel free to suggestion new ones) and discussions, create a blog, and customize the "my page" area to promote your business, organizations, or simply share about yourself. We can create customized Wishadoo! Community groups for organizations, schools and workplaces, each being one piece of the Wishadoo puzzle.

· This is as grassroots as you can get; this is the creation stage, and we're simply there to provide the space and help it grow to be what can help as many people as possible

Again, we invite everyone to the Main Site, and to please join the Community Forum. As you'll see, we've entered into Google's Project 10 to the 100th, so the more members, the better chance we have of getting noticed! We're aiming for 144,000!

We're all creating it together now, and we'd be honored for you to join us!

Beyond The Holiday Spirit

Each year from mid-November through January, stories of kindness pour forth, as people take time to see how they may help another in need during what is supposed to be the festive season. These acts of often simple yet life-changing generosity are unforgettable for those involved, and they never fail to impact others who hear of them, inspiring and warming our hearts.

Sadly, the occurrence of such acts diminishes as soon as the holiday decor is tucked away for another year.

Please read the two stories below, two more examples of Wishadoo In Action. They are perfect examples of the direct connections and compassion, of the giving and receiving to take place via the bridge, the gateway that is Wishadoo. As you read, see how a simple act can change lives...how one simple act can multiply to become a movement.

The essence of the holiday spirit lives on at Wishadoo 365 days a year. It has been called "the Craigslist of Compassion." Wishadoo is the one place to reach out and help another when Season of Goodwill has dissipated, when the credit card statements from December have arrived, when the heating bills are at their peak, when the filing of taxes looms.

Connecting with one another -- giving, receiving, and paying it forward, with gratitude and grace...no expectation -- is what Wishadoo is all about. Please contact us to get on our mailing list to be one of the first to know when Wishadoo officially launches, and feel free to join the Wishadoo Community.

Wishing you and yours a joyous, compassionate and rewarding new year.

* * * * *

Elf Louise

Inspiration struck about five days before Christmas 1969, when Locker, on break from her junior year at Trinity, watched an episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in which the host did a segment reading kids' letters to Santa.

"It came to me in a flash. This is how I could give my dolls away," Locker, 59, said. "I thought, 'What if I could find a little girl who maybe never had a doll?' I just knew I'd find some little girl.

"There was no plan — it seemed whimsical at the time, but looking back on it, it was powerful."

http://www.mysanantonio.com/life/holidays/36551219.html


A Full Holiday Table

An impromptu open invitation to Thanksgiving dinner yielded dozens of replies. "... People laid off work. People with no family. People ashamed to bring their children to a charity Thanksgiving dinner at a soup kitchen."

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_11079316