Yearly Archives: 2012

What’s The One Thing You Want to Accomplish?

If you had only one thing that you could accomplish in your lifetime, what would it be? Just one thing…. not your entire bucket list. Limiting it to just one thing forces us to focus on what’s really the single, most important thing that we still want to achieve. Perhaps it’s writing a book that will make a difference to millions, raising our children to be good adults, sailing around the world, performing on Broadway or becoming an accomplished artist. Whatever it is for you, bring it to your mind right now. If you don’t know what that one thing…

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What is the Difference Between Fate and Free Will?

By Tara Taylor. I frequently get asked what my belief is on the difference between fate and free will is. Fate is that we are meant to meet certain people in our lives and then free will is what we choose to do with that encounter of the situation. Fate is that we all receive messages from the divine; free will is our choice on what we will do with that message. The best way to help you choose a higherself solution is to ask yourself: “Am I treating others the way I would like to be treated?” No matter what…

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Today’s Brilliance from Keanu and Tristen Ellen

Both of us have two-fold inspirations, Tristen's is family and the grateful smiles on the people when you help them. Keanu is not very different, his inspiration comes from family time spent together, and philanthropy. As brothers, we have learned the value of family, brother power, and the joy of helping others. These are the three things that drive us every day, make us sensitive to the needs of others, and appreciate what we have. It has molded our characters, taught us right from wrong, and inspired us to start our organization, Turn Kindness On. Our Mom and Dad have…

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Harvesting Happiness: Getting Unstuck

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. Are you stuck? Do problems always seem to get you down? Are you waiting for the right things to happen so that you can finally be happy? For many people, happiness is an enigma. Happy feelings come and go, yet it is not something that is a constant state of being in life. But it doesn't have to be this way! It is yet possible for happiness to be one of the most dependable elements of your life. When we get trapped in the little boxes that we create for ourselves, we find ourselves feeling miserable,…

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10 Tips for Becoming Positive When You’re Down in the Dumps

By Heather Legg. Being down in the dumps can become a cycle of sadness, so it's important to get yourself out and feel positive again. When you're down, it's easy to look at the dark side of things, but remember that there is always a brighter one. Here are some tips for becoming positive when you're feeling blue: 1. Take Your Dog for a Walk If you have a pet, play with him. Take your dog for a walk; play with the cat. Animals have an innate ability to make us feel better. Even if you don’t have a pet,…

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Today’s Brilliance from TJ Prodigy

1 in 6 students are bullied in school on a daily basis. I am one of those kids... or well, I was one of those kids. This year I am being homeschooled, because I couldn't take the bullying that I was going through in school any longer, and my school wouldn't do anything about it. Unfortunately our teachers tell us to speak up and tell an adult when we are being bullied, but what happens when the adults don't listen? I'm only 12 years old but I've learned so much about people in the past few months. I've learned that…

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Harvesting Happiness: Getting the Most Out of Life

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. Do you want to get the most you can out of life? You have to be the one to say, "I want more out of my life and I deserve to be happy in life as well." Here are a few things you can try in order to achieve happiness and obtain the most fulfillment in your own life: Come up with a goal for yourself and reach to attain that goal. It’s not enough to just want more for yourself, you have to find a way to achieve what you want, and take little steps…

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Open

By B. Lynn Goodwin. I know I've shared a gratitude list here before, but I always think of November as gratitude month. Maybe that’s because it’s the month of Thanksgiving. Or maybe it’s because so much in nature goes dormant, but I get to keep going on. This used to be the month when my high school actors performed the fall play, sometimes a drama and sometimes a comedy, but never a musical. Later my college students were putting together the student directed one acts in November, working frantically to have them ready to perform during the first two weeks…

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Using Music To Serve Others

I learned at an early age that everyone has a gift from God and it's important to use that gift for good. You have to give back. For me, the gift of music is something that I was born with. My mom says I sang before I talked, even humming as a tiny infant! At first music was something that I did because it made me feel good, but I began to realize that I made others feel better with my music and that makes it important to share. My grandpa died when I was younger and my mom was…

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Harvesting Happiness: Compassionate Living

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. Happiness for many people is an enigma. Happiness is something that seems to be just beyond our grasp. For many people, happiness is a nice thought but not a lasting reality. Happiness might show her face in our life in glimpses, but she seems to peek through momentarily like the sun passing behind the clouds on a rainy day. What does it take to bring the sweet, gentle flow of happiness to our lives? Is there one factor that can make happiness a deep and abiding reality for us? What is our H-factor? When we embrace…

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Today’s Brilliance from Jake Zeldin

I may only be 13 years old and to some, that may not be lot of years to absorb experience and wisdom. Yet I have endured more than some people have experienced in their lifetime. What matters most in this world is to make a difference and to inspire others. I suffer from a speech disability which renders me unable to communicate like everyone else. I have a hard time getting my words out quickly and most people judge me as a person as soon as I open my mouth to speak. I have fallen victim to bullying by peers,…

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Harvesting Happiness: Lasting Happiness

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. Although money, relationships, jobs, or status do not necessarily result in true and lasting happiness, you can find other ideas and practices that will lead to greater, long-lasting happiness. Happy people hold a very important key to their internal state of joy. Happy people take time for themselves. Happy people do the things that they want to be doing. Happy people surround themselves with other happy people. Happy people find a way to see the beauty in life. Happy people are happy because they make happy choices for themselves. They don’t let outside forces control their…

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Missing

By B. Lynn Goodwin. "Jay's run away," his mom told me over the phone. It was 2 a.m. and I didn't know what to say. I know that running away is something many 12-year-olds do, but Jay is not an average 12-year-old. He and his younger brother both have autism.  At 12 he’s energetic and determined. He’s also as vulnerable and stubborn as a five-year old, and I imagined the same questions were running through his mom’s head and mine: What if he can’t articulate his name or his phone number? What if he walks up to a homeless encampment…

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Top 10 Daily Mantras to Get You Going

Every day should be a positive one, no matter what it may bring you. One way to focus on the positive is to start each day with a mantra to bring in a positive outlook and exclude the negative. Some people like to have one personal mantra they say every day, while others like to switch it up, always staying on the bright side. Here are some daily mantras to keep you in bright, positive spirits. Choose one to be your own, modify them to suit you, or alternate between your favorites. I am thankful for what I have, even…

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Today’s Brilliance from Madison Lewandowski

When I was in first grade, I broke my wrist. When the day finally came for me to get my cast taken off, I wasn't excited like most kids would be. I was petrified. The doctor came in with a huge tool that looked like a medieval torture device and started cutting my cast off, making a loud irritating sound. After that came the worst part. They had to take the cotton off of my wrist. It was very slightly stuck to the hairs on my skin because the cotton had been on my arm for the past six weeks.…

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Harvesting Happiness: Never Give Up

By Lisa Cypers Kamen. If you want to find a story of courage, then you should definitely read Chasing Miracles by John F. Crowley. In it, he talks about his family's tumultous journey with their children, two of which have a form of Muscular Dystrophy known as Pompe disease. These beautiful children, Megan and Patrick, are an inspiration. The book is divided into three parts: strength, hope, and joy. Chapter two is what helped me come up with the title of this blog, because the family’s motto is “Never, never, never quit.” Their story focuses on determination, faith, hope, love,…

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