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Happy Valentine's Day? How about Happy Generosity Day instead!!

wishadoo — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:39:41 +0000

Are you concerned about the extreme commercialization of holidays, including Valentine's Day? Rather than stress over the perfect card or the perfect gift or the perfection expression of your love for someone, consider DOING generosity.

About a year ago, Sasha Dichter, Acumen Fund’s Chief Innovation Officer, decided to spend the month of December saying “yes” to everyone who asked him for money – a homeless person, a street musician, a nonprofit. Prior to this, his gut response was to say “no.” He said that this was keeping him from being the open, generous person that he wanted to be.

Sasha then got together with with Katya Andreson of Network for Good, Scott Case of Malaria No More, and Ellen McGirt of Fast Company to reboot Valentine’s Day as Generosity Day.

As Sasha said, it's "...one day of sharing love with everyone, of being generous to everyone, to see how it feels and to practice saying Yes.”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO.

Here are a few ideas to help you celebrate Generosity Day each February 14th, starting today. It is very much in keeping with the Spirit of Wishadoo! in that it is NOT always about helping and being generous with money. We can be generous with our time, with our praise, with our compassion, with simple acts of kindness and love.

You can say YES without being asked.

* Hold the door open for someone; say thank you when someone does a kindness for you

* Give money to that street musician whose music makes you smile

* Leave a generous tip, especially where it's most unexpected

* Make a promise to to help someone do something that you are good at

* Introduce yourself to someone you see every day but have never said hello to

* Make a donation to your favorite charity of the day

* Give someone an unexpected compliment

* Say yes by being generous with your smiles!!!

* Please consider donating to Wishadoo!'s Fundraiser!

Please visit Sasha's blog post where more suggestions are offered to help spread the word about Generosity Day! "The goal is to spend Valentine’s Day being more generous, giving more money, sharing of yourself, being of service. All acts of generosity, small and big alike, count. But you have to say YES to everything that’s asked of you, all day long! It’s about creating more generosity in the world, and becoming a more open person along the way."

Wishadoo! is offering a special e-card (shown above) to celebrate this first Happy Generosity Day. When you are logged in to Wishadoo, CLICK HERE to be taken to the card to spread the word and say YES! to Generosity Day!

Wishadoo!'s Valentine Fundraiser

wishadoo — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:08:25 +0000

"The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do."

~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

We've created a special wish-filled Valentine video for you, one which Wishadoo! members may send to others with your own personalized message. CLICK HERE to see the video.

Click this lovely winged-heart image, by Wishadoo! member, MOLLY RICE, to be taken to the corresponding e-card (once logged in):

There are several Valentine's Day cards to select from in our e-card section (we'll try to add more throughout today, Monday).

As part of the current Wishadoo! Fundraiser, we invite you to considering "gifting" another by donating to Wishadoo! on their behalf, then inviting them to Wishadoo!

We look forward to creating a world full of more love, compassion and joy...together...at Wishadoo! Thank you in advance for joining us!

PLEASE CLICK TO READ ABOUT THIS FUNDRAISER

Choose Love, Not Fear

wishadoo — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:25:09 +0000

“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today being the official holiday celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr., many are sharing his words of wisdom. Indeed, his teachings about justice and freedom are as necessary today as they were decades ago.

Please think about the above quote and ask yourself: How often do you make a proactive decision that is based in love, rather than fear?

Many of us react out of fear, often making choices which distance us from others and even from our own dreams. It's human nature to fear the unknown, the unfamiliar. Too often we choose to see other people as unfamiliar and thus dangerous or threatening in some way, rather than find a common bond. We react to others from a place of fear, not love and acceptance.

This fear manifests in an "us" versus "them" mentality. We see it all around, with various forms of prejudice, inequality and injustice manifesting -- or being perpetuated -- on a regular basis. There are certain forces in society which benefit from people arguing amongst themselves, seeing one another as the enemy. Competition has been revered much more than cooperation, as though cooperation is a form of weakness.

Yet something is changing. Many are awakening to a different way of seeing the world and their place in it. We are opening our hearts and minds enough to see others in a new light, seeing our common humanity rather than fearing our differences. We're realizing that cooperating to achieve a better life for more and more people makes much more sense than cutthroat competition which benefits only the few.

This new way of being in the world enables us to make choices based on love, not fear. That is where we find our strength.

With a renewed inner strength, both individually and collectively, we can move toward the dream Dr. King spoke of, and envision and work toward our own dreams as well.

Today please give some thought to seeing the world anew, with an open mind and open heart. Try to pause when confronted with a decision, and ask if you're responding out of love and compassion (including for yourself), or fear.

From this new perspective, what does justice look like to you? What does freedom look like to you?

What are your dreams?

The Wishadoo! Community honors Dr. King today. We invite you to join us as we gather to manifest our dreams through more compassion, cooperation and authentic community.

We invite you to choose Love, not fear, in honor of Dr. King ... in honor of yourself.

Happy New Year, from the NEW WISHADOO!

wishadoo — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:49:33 +0000

Happy New Year!

An almost miraculous transformation has taken place at Wishadoo! over the holidays. It's a brand new renovated, upgraded site, though your current login information should work just fine.

We'll share more about the new features and tools, but for our first sharing in 2012, we simply want you to know we're grateful that you are part of the Wishadoo! Community.

Here you can see our newest, featured e-card, part of our original "Wish~Spirations" Collection, introducing the idea of sending Gratitude Cards rather than traditional holiday cards which get lost in the hustle and bustle.

Click here to be taken to this Gratitude Card, where you can then send to family and friends to start off the new year with the Spirit of Gratitude!

Wishing you and yours are most wonderful new year!

We Will Find You

wishadoo — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:21:32 +0000

"To those alone, we are here. To those feeling unloved, we love you. To those in need, we will fulfill you. To those who are homeless, we will welcome you - with open arms. Take heart, for we will find you. One by one, as long as it takes. We will find you - and, once found, we will never let you go. A prayer on this night, and all nights to come." ~ Nance Greggs

James Taylor sings "Lonesome Road"

She, Too, Is Our Sister

GivingHeart — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:28:35 +0000

(Permission to repost in full by McCamy Taylor; Mon Sep 26th 2011)

THIS IS A DIFFICULT ONE to write. Lots of anger out there. Lots of suspicion. Lots of folks looking at each other and saying to themselves “If he weren’t around, my life would be so much better.” Before I get started, I just want to remind everyone of something that we all know in the abstract but sometimes forget in the particular: we are all necessary. We are all important. We are all human.

She was brought up the youngest of eight kids in a Catholic family in a large southern city. There was a photo of JFK on the wall next to the picture of the Virgin Mary. The priest at the parochial school she attended would pray for peace in Vietnam during the mass. The school was integrated. Catholic families too large or poor to afford tuition for their children would receive scholarships. Good thing, too. Dad had a good job as a plant foreman and Mom had a dress shop, and the family always owned its own home, but it wasn’t easy raising eight kids.

She was brought up during the Civil Rights era in a large southern city. Her mother never, ever used the N- word. Ever. Her father occasionally did, but never in his wife’s presence. Mom was very active in charity. She volunteered at the local Catholic Hospital and would host charitable events in her home.

When she was sixteen, her father died suddenly. Dad’s company had good benefits, so her mother was financially well off. However, Mom’s health deteriorated after her husband’s death. She was a straight A student, praised by all her teachers, and she meant to go to college, but she ended up staying home to take care of her mother. Denied a college education, she decided to get married and raise a family instead. Her husband had a good job at a good company with good benefits, just like the one her father had and her grandfather had---

And then Reaganomics swept across the country, and her husband’s plant closed down. Then her mother’s health went from bad to worse. She and her husband took over the dress shop---it was their sole source of income once Dad’s life insurance money was used up taking care of Mom’s medical bills. They struggled to raise their two kids. Things got a little better in the 90s, but they turned sour again under W. Their oldest son, married and with a child on the way, lost his job and then lost his home. Their youngest son could not get treatment for his medical problems, since the family had no insurance. That’s what hurt the most, knowing that there was help out there for her baby, but she could not afford it. When she was growing up, her parents always gave their kids the best education and health care money could buy.

During the long afternoons at the dress shop, when no one was buying, she would pass the time listening to the radio. At first, she chose music stations. Then, she discovered talk radio. She began to listen to Rush and the other right wingers. They told her that her husband could not get a good job, because the federal government had reserved all the good jobs for Blacks. They told her that she could not afford health care for her son, because that was reserved for Black folks, too. They did not say it in so many words, but the message was clear. The reason her parents had so much and she had so little was because the people who were once attacked by police armed with fire hoses for demanding the right to vote had decided to get even with her and her family, even though she had never done them any harm. It was not fair. It was not right. She had grown up believing that she mattered, and now she had to beg money from friends to pay for her cancer treatments. The rich folks who used to attend her mother’s charity fund raisers didn’t know her from Adam. But it wasn’t their fault. It was all the Blacks and Mexicans and Asians.

She knows that the hate speech she hears on the radio is not right. She is careful to turn the volume down when certain customers come in the shop, and she never, ever uses the N- word---except when around people who think the way that she does. She would no more pick up a rifle and shoot an immigrant than she would run over a puppy, but when she hears about these things happening, she can not suppress a little feeling of satisfaction---

Quickly suppressed, because she knows that her God would not approve. Maybe if God would speak to her directly, the seemingly senseless tragedy of her life would make more sense. But the only one who acknowledges her existence, the only one who seems to see her is Rush and all the Rush wannabes. They feel her pain. They tell her that it is ok to be angry. When she talks, they listen.

Can you hear her now? Do you have anything you want to say to her?

What If?

wishadoo — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:49:59 +0000

(Photo by Jay Nolan, Tampa Tribune/WFLA)

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

WHAT IF?

What if you're someone who disagrees with governmental social safety nets and instead believes only "charity" should help those in need; are you confident the majority (and there are MANY in the US and around the world in dire need today) would be helped by Good Samaritans in an unconditional way, or only those deemed worthy?

What if you consider yourself a kind, compassionate person inclined to be "charitable"; when you see someone asking for help -- in the form of panhandling, for example -- are you likely to assess that person before helping, to judge if they are deserving of your assistance? If they don't "look" a certain way or answer your questions a certain way, a way you're most comfortable with, are you likely to help?

What if you prefer to instead instruct and impart wisdom, so that people can help themselves rather than provide assistance directly, yet no one seems as though they could benefit from your wisdom (maybe they're too young, too old, too infirm, too something)?

What if you judge others to be something they aren't, and you pass them by, but they would have indeed been worthy of your help, by your estimation, yet you didn't give them a chance?

What if you may not be the best judge of what others need? After all, we each have our own opinions and perceptions based on our individual life experiences.

What if one day you have no one to help you when you most desperately need it because life has taken a turn never anticipated? And what if you're in the exact same position one day -- at the mercy of strangers -- and others judge you as something you're not?

What if you're no longer here but loved ones have fallen on hard times and are at the mercy of strangers, and they're judged to be something they're not, so they are left to struggle, and perhaps die, alone?

What if there are so many in need that they outnumber Good Samaritans, because not everyone will act as an unconditionally compassionate Good Samaritan?

What if we decided to work together as a compassionate, productive community, creating a society that doesn't reward greedy, selfish behavior but instead works to create systems and institutions which truly reflect something beneficial for the masses?

What if we made choices that led our descendents to view us as kind, benevolent, wise stewards of the environment and one another...guardians of their future?

What if we were able to embrace phrases like "The Common Good" and "The Greater Good" as something admirable to work toward, rather than a reflection of weakness and some elusive "ism" that others have said are bad?

What if we at least talk about it, with an open mind and open heart?

What if you at least tried to believe this is possible, in our lifetime?

That's a choice that is within your power to make and act on.

The Essence of Optimism

wishadoo — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:19:42 +0000

"The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present, but it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy."

~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

These are trying times for so many people. Many of us are more acutely aware of the trials and tribulations due to our 24/7 media and modern technology. Being aware is a positive thing, though at times most of us have probably subscribed to the notion that ignorance may indeed be bliss. On the other hand, awareness without positive action can suck us into the depths of despair.

Wishadoo! was created to nurture awareness combined with positive action in myriad ways.

Often times the action must start with ourselves...compassionate action...as we nurture ourselves so that we can build the strength to engage in positive action with the world around us.

An inspiring quote, story or image can shift our focus in a moment, and thus shift the course of our entire day.

Today we share a few brief optimistic quotes, as well as links to several sites which will hopefully inspire and encourage you to focus on the good found around us, and within.

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

~ Martin Luther

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many -- not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

~ Charles Dickens

The man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled.

~ Andrew Carnegie

Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes.

~ Benjamin Disraeli

Check out these sources of good news:

WISHADOO'S GOOD NEWS PAGE

OUR COLLECTIVE GOOD

GOOD NEWS NETWORK

YES! MAGAZINE

ODE MAGAZINE

GOOD.IS

COMPASSION ONLINE NEWSPAPER

Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

From Down and Out to Happiness: It’s a Wonderful Life (If you let it be) - by Lee Gaylord

wishadoo — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 09:52:43 +0000

This is from goodnewsnetwork.org . I'm unable to link to the story as it doesn't seem accessible without registration, so I'm sharing here via my paid membership, with proper credit as to the source. I also encourage you to join goodnewsnetwork.org!

I have learned that no matter how far down you fall you can still find good in your life.

After experiencing three stokes, cancer surgery, addiction problems, bankruptcy, and homelessness, I can tell you that the key to a good life is to know yourself, be yourself and love yourself.

I have had three strokes, four heart attacks and two car accidents that I was unscratched in while the cars were demolished. I have a pace-maker defibrillator implant to keep me from having heart failure again. I have died twice and come back to life. I was missed by two inches in a drive by shooting. I was robbed twice. (A third time, I talked the robber out of $5.00.) I was in between the police and drug dealers when shooting broke out.

I have gone from earning a good income to homeless, three different times. I have lived in the suburbs and the inner city -- living in the roughest neighborhoods in Detroit. But I was happiest when I was homeless.
I was a drunk, but have not had a drink in twenty years. Even though, later, I tended bar and lived in a bar, i never had the urge to drink again.

I went from being with the rich to being with the poor. Presently, most of my friends are addicts, former addicts, street people -- society’s invisible ones. When you are poor you know who your friends are. I once had the street name The Crazy Old White Man. Now those in the streets call me Mr. Lee.

I'll never forget the time, after I had cancer surgery on the right side of my head, when I went into the drug store, bald on the right side, with long hair on the left. My face was red and swollen. It was 2 days after Christmas. I saw a little girl with her mother. The both smiled and said hello to me, even though I made the Frankenstein monster look handsome.

I looked into the mother’s eyes and saw her inner beauty. I said, ”You are the most beautiful woman I have seen all year.”

She said, “You are the most handsome man I have seen all year.”

On the way home, a homeless man came up to me and said, “Mr. Lee, I want your to know that while you were in the hospital those of us in the street were praying for you and that no matter where you are in the streets, we have your back.”

To me those two events not only made my day but they also made my life valuable.

Life is what you make of it. With your mind you can control physical and mental pain. You can control your addictions. You can make sad times lead to happy times.

After the third time I went broke, I realized that God wanted me to stay down and help the lost souls to find themselves and their way back up. I have helped some. I listen to them and advise them. I show that I care about them and am there for them.

I have been in contact with many people in prison. I have seen that, in spite of the system, there are many bad people who are now good people and could help others find their way.

In my life I have found that everyone has good and bad in them. Like the old cartoons, we all have the angel and devil fighting for control. I have never met a person in whom I could not find the good.Words of Wisdom from a Crazy Old Man -book cover

You determine your destiny. You determine your happiness.

Again I say Know yourself, be yourself and love yourself. That is the key to being clean and sober. That is the key to happiness.

Lee Gaylord is the creator of an audio book, Words of Wisdom From the Crazy Old White Man From the Hood. Visit his website at the Crazy Old Man Network.

Zen Parable: Paradise

wishadoo — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:04:39 +0000

Two people are lost in the desert. They are dying from hunger and thirst. Finally, they come to a high wall. On the other side they can hear the sound of a waterfall and birds singing. Above, they can see the branches of a lush tree extending over the top of the wall. Its fruit look delicious.

One of them manages to climb over the wall and disappears down the other side. The other, instead, returns to the desert to help other lost travelers find their way to the oasis.

If you are a lost traveler, someone who wants to connect with those to whom this parable may speak, or a guide who can help others, please, join us at Wishadoo!

(A huge thanks to Wishadoo! Community Member, laylah, for sharing.)

Before You Know What Kindness Really Is (a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye)

Dena Patrick — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:12:46 +0000

This is so lovely, it must be shared.

BEFORE YOU KNOW WHAT KINDNESS REALLY IS

Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.

Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and
purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
it is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you every where
like a shadow or a friend.

~ Naomi Shihab Nye, from The Words Under the Words

Photo by Molly Rice

The Origin…Mythology, Philosophy, Spiritualism or Living beyond Human imagination (STUDY RESEARCH)

Eagle_Des_Iles — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:25:54 +0000

There are many churches, many religions, different ideas, but there is only one audible truth. There is only one God.
As a matter of fact, Christianity is not a religion; it's rather the lifestyle of God revealed through a person. Teaching the Bible is a way of bringing people in the full knowledge of that fact and in the mystery of the Kingdom of God. A sense of value and worth usually come from God and knowledge, He God is Love.
Each of us, matters to Him, irrespective of color, culture, He is Father of all (James1:17)
Knowledge of Christianity helps us discover our inner self, and inside each of us there is love.
A love that needs to expand and grow.
We as Christians are ambassadors of Love, and wherever, we go, we must spread the light and the Love....

Of course love is a commitment, but how many look squarely and honestly at their beloved and unconditionally renew their love on a daily basis? True love lives in the present moment, renewing itself daily. Committed love looks beyond the appearance, the emotional turmoil and the petty conflicts that come with living closely with another. Love inevitably sees the inner beauty and potential of the beloved. It is this inner beauty that you originally fell in love with, and it is this inner beauty upon which you must focus when times get tough in the relationship.

Since we each create our own reality through our thoughts and actions, we can also create a vibrant and timeless love relationship. It takes a conscious decision to have an attitude of ‘I love you no matter what’ with your partner. When they are having a challenging time emotionally, or for whatever reason, you will be a rock of non-judgmental love and support; like a beacon in the dark until daylight returns. Likewise, when it is your turn for a ride on the emotional roller coaster, your partner will be there loving you, no matter what you may be saying or doing that seems to be pushing them away. Unconditional no matter what.
....Love by nature, grows and expands. In giving more love, it comes back ever more richly. If you want to know love, keep giving it away every day. Make love your first thought in the morning and your last thought before sleep at night. Soon you will find love permeates your whole day.

We live in a difficult world. No doubt about it. But life does not have to be a struggle.....
“Games of Life” is a self-expressed, awakening of emotional selfhood. Come and indulge yourself in this inspirational saying that brings love, beauty and hope into your life.....
Whether you're looking for inspiration, wisdom, encouragement or some light-hearted moments, let these inspiring poems dance their ways into your heart. Let the sincerity of these simple messages speak to your soul. When you're down in spirits, what comfort you? For me, it's usually a mixture of laughter and encouraging thoughts and words.....
So go ahead, grab a comfortable seat, get some soft classical music, after reading you, may close your eyes if you wish, think about your life and what you want out of it and let these sprinkle stardust into your days and get uplifted, let your heart soar, soothe and motivate you. I hope they will give you hope when you're feeling a little down, remind you of the important stuff in life, and encourage you to reach for your dreams.....

This anthology « The Games of life » written by me, assumes the cores and impact of life, received, perceived and felt by any human being on this planet.....
Often people think that little things do not really count, well yes, they do, and as a matter of fact it is all little things that make more sense in our very life. Sometimes, a little thing can happen because, there’s an obvious lack or there is need to change whether the self or maybe something in our life.....
"In the long run men hit only what they aim at."....
- Henry David Thoreau....
.. Wrote these verses after having eye opening tools that lead me to understand values about life and matters. It gone well in my brain and I nursed it till it ended in being my anthology.....
.."I have always held firmly to the thought that each one of us can do a little to bring some portion of misery to an end."....
- Albert Schweitzer....
..And finally, being a helping hand in charity for over 5 years, I have come to understand that life is not merely about living it but a bit more about making it more interesting....
“The Games of life” out from June 2010....
‘Life can be defined as the result of the exchanges we make with the whole of nature. Life is made up only of exchanges. The most obvious expressions of this are eating and breathing – if these exchanges are prevented from taking place, weakness, illness and death will follow. But the exchanges we need in order to live are not limited to eating and breathing. They also consist in eating and breathing in all the different regions of the universe, so that our subtle bodies are also nourished. When you understand how you can find food in the universe to suit your various bodies, your life will feel like an immense symphony. But you must first start by re-establishing communications, so that the currents of energy can circulate between you and the universe, and this can only be achieved by working every day with thought, feeling and will.’

Elk Saves Marmot: A Inspiration for Humans

wishadoo — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:44:59 +0000

Check out this video showing an elk saving a marmot from drowning.

Please also note a quote from one of the zookeepers regarding this incident:

"The basic needs are being met, so you start to see a little bit more elaborate behavior," O'Connor said. "They're engaging their brains in different ways that would have been basically for survival in the wild, but now is a little more complicated and advanced."

We humans need the same thing -- more of our fellow citizens' basic needs to be met -- so we can help more...and create more joy.

This is wishable, it's doable; it's why Wishadoo! was created. It's Wishadooable.

News Source: The New Entrepreneur

wishadoo — Tue, 31 May 2011 15:09:34 +0000

A new online "newspaper" dedicated to today's New Entrepreneurs, who are devoted to far more than the bottom line. Learn more about conscious commerce and other ways of conducting business, with integrity.

News Source: Community Development

wishadoo — Mon, 23 May 2011 08:49:22 +0000

Check out this online "newspaper" where news of interest regarding Community Development is compiled and updated daily.