Let's get TEAM USA to help animals here in the US!

I'M ASKING FOR YOUR HELP IN SHARING THIS GRAPHIC and accompanying message. It's a long shot but we can try to make it viral, right? 

This idea came to me about an hour ago after reading yet another post about athletes adopting Sochi strays (which is wonderful!). I'm trying to get helping sharing it in the hope that we can actually get someone's attention -- someone who may be able to propose this to Team USA PR/community development people. If you're on twitter or other social media and can perhaps bombard any individuals or groups...rescue groups, athletes, celebrities or otherwise...to put this idea on the table for consideration for TEAM USA, I would greatly appreciate it. 

Maybe our Olympic athletes can be leaders in the realm of animal welfare and get other Olympic teams to follow in more compassionate footsteps. Unfortunately, it's often easier to engage human beings to have compassion for furry friends rather than fellow humans. Many of us are tackling that as well, but for now I'm asking for your help in supporting this idea by simply sharing this. 


#olympianssaveanimals


www.wishadoo.org

Wishadoo! on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wishadoo

Wishadoo! on twitter: https://twitter.com/wishadool3c

Wishadoo! on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/Wishadoo/ 

We're getting ready to relaunch Wishadoo! as a community-owned cooperative, with more of a focus on building the community itself rather than promoting the individual tools available to put MEANINGFUL compassionate action into practice.  I can tell you now there will be a deepening to it all, with a strong focus on Interbeing|InterconnectednesI|Interdependence, not just humans but the Earth and all beings.

With Gratitude,

Dena | About Me

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

COMPASSION REVOLUTION: PAKISTAN

(click images to enlarge)

The Pakistan General Elections are under way. 

Malala Yousafzai is the epitome of COURAGE and INTEGRITY, at the tender age of 15.

But she is not alone.  There is a movement afoot in Pakistan. The Charter for Compassion|Pakistan has been doing amazing work over the last few years, and have been very involved in encouraging citizens of Pakistan to have the courage to vote. 

From the Charter for Compassion|Pakistan: 

"On your marks... Get set... Vote! 

Courage will drive us to change, courage will help us identify ourselves and rise to any challenge. Courage will help us make a difference. 

Years from now, when we look back in time we can proudly say that we stood united even in the toughest of times only because we believed in a better Pakistan, and its that belief that gave us the courage to vote." 

PLEASE CLICK HERE to sign the Charter for Compassion

CLICK the image below to join the 

 GLOBAL COMPASSION REVOLUTION!

COMMENTS are not working properly on this blog, please visit Wishadoo! to leave comment.

PLEASE SHARE!

LOVE IS THE ANSWER

Earlier today a friend mentioned this song.  

In the face of personal tragedy and loss, and witnessing the tragedy and loss all around us, this song from her youth came to mind.

"Love is the Answer," by England Dan and John Ford Coley

This song is from the 70's, but the words are perhaps even more pertinent today.  

The lyrics are included under the video.

Indeed, Love is always the answer.  Simple, not always easy.

Songwriters: RUNDGREN, TODD/POWELL, ROGER/SULTON, KASIM/WILCOX, JOHN

Name your price
A ticket to paradise
I can't stay here any more
And I've looked high and low
I've been from shore to shore to shore
If there's a short cut I'd have found it
But there ain't no easy way around it

Light of the world, shine on me
Love is the answer
Shine on us all
Set us free
Love is the answer

Who knows why
Someday we all must die
We're all homeless boys and girls
And we are never heard
It's such a lonely world
People turn their heads
And walk on by
Tell me is it worth just another try


Are we alive
Or just a dying planet
What are the chances
Ask the man in your heart for the answers
And when you feel afraid

Love one another
When you've lost your way
Love one another
And when you're all alone
Love one another
And when you're far from home
Love one another
And when you're down and out
Love one another
And when your hopes run out
Love one another
And when you need a friend
Love one another
We got to love one another

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.

NIKOLA TESLA + FRED ROGERS = WISHADOO!

Sometimes a simple graphic conveys an organization's entire mission.  Here are two which give a better feel for Wishadoo!'s intentions and reason for being.  (click them to enlarge)

I miss Mr. Rogers...and his neighborhood. What a kindly gentleman, what a big heart. ♥

I think Mr. Rogers would have loved Wishadoo! -- don't you? :)

Please join us at Wishadoo!

Watch A Deep And Awesome View On Life From A 9-Year-Old Video

"It's an endless quest without knowing what your quest is." 

Must see video.  I've added this to Wishadoo!'s Video Library as well.  Please visit Wishadoo! and the library for more inspiration. 

WE NEED A GLOBAL BOATLIFT

3/19/13 | 12:30:05 PM; by Dena Patrick; Founder, Wishadoo.org

“They were feeling helpless, and that’s the worst feeling in the world.  I told my wife, ‘I have to do something.  I am going to take the Amberjack to the city and help.  I have to do what I have to do.  Nobody can stop me right now.  Even if I save one person or rescue one person, that’s one person less who will suffer and die.'”   Vincent Ardolino; Captain, Amberjack V

On September 11th, 2001, as hundreds of thousands fled south from the burning towers, people quickly discovered something we often forget: that Manhattan is an island. As officials closed all bridges, tunnels and commuter lines linking Manhattan to the rest of the world, people were trapped.

The little-told story of what happened next is the focus of a documentary short film (see video below), BOATLIFT, narrated by Tom Hanks. The film premiered at the Center for National Policy’s 9/11 Ten Year Anniversary Summit, in Washington, D.C.

BOATLIFT is the story of the largest maritime evacuation in history.

On 9/11, over 500,000 people were rescued from Manhattan’s seawalls in just nine hours.   This is the story of the resilience of the every day people at the scene that day, and the brave community who sail the waters of New York’s Harbor.

As the buildings fell, hundreds of boats of all types rushed towards the disaster. They did so at great personal risk.  These heroes pushed their boats into the harbor, and filled over and over with dazed passengers.  That the evacuation was unplanned and unrehearsed is remarkable. But what is even more impressive is that not a single person was injured in the process.

The story of the 9/11 boatlift is a reminder of the sense of shared purpose and resilience that pervaded New York – and the world – in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.

It is also a reminder of how helping one another, even in the face of seemingly overwhelming suffering is how we survive and thrive.  One person, one step at a time.  As Mr. Ardolino said:  Even if I save one person or rescue one person, that’s one person less who will suffer and die.

Many around the world are frightened and feel alone, in despair.  The world does not feel safe; they don’t know how they are to survive from day to day.  This is true in the United States and all countries around the world.

We need to come together for a global boatlift. 

In these modern times, with myriad forms of communication at the fingertips of so many, there is no need for anyone to feel so desperately alone and hopeless.

We each have something to offer the world, even if we are suffering ourselves.  Every single person has the capacity to offer empathy and moral support.  That is priceless, and it may open the floodgate to the many other ways we can be of service to one another without realizing it.

It is a choice.  Do you choose love or fear?  The mariners shepherding survivors on 9/11/01 chose love and compassion, in spite of their own fear.

One person at a time.  Reach out to one person at a time, and allow others to reach out to you as well.  Surely we can come together to rise above the current challenges and create a new way forward, a way of compassion, cooperation and authentic community.  We must embrace the better angels of our nature and be of good courage, knowing we are not alone.

I invite you to join others who believe in the power of community and have faith in Humanity, and know that we can do better. 

Are you ready?  Please visit www.wishadoo.org

Good All Around

I'm passionate about finding, sharing, and creating as much GOOD as possible!

This is a brief post to introduce you to several of the outlets I've created which serve this purpose:

OUR COLLECTIVE GOOD -- An online magazine curating all manner of GOOD.

WISHADOO! -- Where we gather and put GOOD into action!  (see our other social media outlets when you visit the site)

FACEBOOK:   CURATE GOOD (finding and sharing good)

THE DO-GOODER NETWORK on Google+


PLEASE FOLLOW AND JOIN US AND SHARE THE GOODNESS!  

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!

Subscribe to our mailing list

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

The Dance of Gratitude

“Let's be grateful for those who give us happiness; they are the charming gardeners who make our soul bloom.” -Marcel Proust


We have been in search of "good news" stories to share here, and in the process stumbled upon this delightful video to share. We hope it brightens your day.

"So many people in the world today are too focused on what's missing in their lives," observe the two young men from Victoria, Canada, who introduce--and helped produce--this video. "And when you focus on what's missing, you miss the many amazing things that are already there." Their solution? Some shimmying with a twist. Check out the Gratitude Dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NeMC1Fl3J0

Here is what we ask of you today: Think of what you're grateful for, in this very moment. There is always something to be grateful for, no matter how seemingly trivial it may appear in the scheme of things.

Hold on to that feeling...the feeling inspired by what, or who, you are grateful for. Then do the Gratitude Dance.

If you can't move your legs, dance with your arms. If you can't move your torso, dance with your mouth and eyes. If you are physically unable to dance with your body, then dance with your heart….that's where the root of gratitude resides.

When one is aware of gratitude, they can then open to kindness…to give and receive. That is the next step, and the next message here at Wishadoo.

And remember: “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.” –Buddha