In Case of Fire

Earlier I went outside and smelled the strong odor of smoke. I felt a burning sensation in my throat. Curious as to how close the fire was and where it was located, I did an online search. It turns out that there are several wildfires and other fires burning right now in both Colorado and Arizona, and possibly other places also.

This really got me to thinking. How can we personally help in situations like this?

Years ago, I lived quite close to the Hayman Fire. It was the largest fire in Colorado history.
I wanted to help so checked around. The Red Cross was using an elementary school to house a large group of teenagers who were on a camping trip and had been trapped in the fire, but were now rescued. They were staying at the school until arrangements could be made for them to travel home. They didn't have anything to do, and were frightened by their experience thousands of miles from their homes.

I was able to help by bringing soap,towels,shampoo, toiletries,snacks, board games, and more. In addition I spent time talking with them, making sure that they all got to phone their parents and know that people cared about what they were going through. When I came back on the second day with more supplies I had rounded up, as soon as they saw me they ran up and hugged me!
They told me that I had made a really bad situation far more pleasant. That knowing a stranger cared about them and knew what kinds of things teenagers liked meant a lot.

This is just one example of how to help out when there are needs that can be filled. Natural disasters happen everywhere. House fires, burglaries, and many other traumatic experiences all happen every single day.

There are many ways both on the scene, and behind the scenes to help. Firefighters and paramedics are those who either volunteer or do help in a major way as a career or job choice. The Salvation Army and other organizations also offer opportunities to help. You can donate money, goods, food, and various other needed supplies depending what needs there are.

Please always ask someone in charge who knows what is needed. They are coordinating a relief effort and you want to be a help, not a hindrance. You certainly don't want to get in the way or get hurt. Many organizations have classes for volunteers and offer information on the needs that they have. You don't have to wait for disaster to strike to find out how to help. Be proactive and
find a charity or organization or group you feel good about, and get involved right now!

Many times animals have to be rescued when a disaster happens. People who can shelter and feed animals in their own homes or donate food, animal bedding and such are real life-savers. You can let your local animal shelter put you on a list to phone should the need ever arise.

What action can you take right now to be prepared to help others when the need arises? Think of what you would appreciate if it were you, and start being of service to others today. You will be so glad you did!

All You Need Is

Note: This is a delightful 2nd guest post by Barbara Winter. I love her writing style and all that she has me pondering about when I read what she has to share. Her outstanding blog is Buon Viaggio, Barbara Winter's Thoughts on the Joyfully Jobless Journey, located at http://joyfullyjobless.com/blog/ . I much appreciate her doing this for me, and welcome guest posts on making a difference in the world, informing us about a cause or charity and solutions to world issues.

There was an ad running on television a couple of years ago that always caused me to stop and watch it. It featured forty years of photos with narration that goes, “This is Paul. He’s been a Quarryman, Beatle, Wing, poet, painter, father, frontman, producer, business mogul and if that weren’t enough, a knight. The key is, never stop doing what you love.”

In many ways, that seems truly radical. We all know that Doing What You Love is not a course offered by many schools. But the notion that love is the key to discovering multiple parts of ourselves is one really far out message.

There was a time, of course, when it was assumed that a person could be many different things. During the period known as the Renaissance, when the creative spirit was in full bloom, it was not unusual for an individual to be a poet, businessowner, artist, soldier, linguist and lover.

Although such thinking fell out of fashion (and with it came less creative thinking), all sorts of people have told me they always suspected they were in possession of a Renaissance soul. I believe we all are and that feeding that soul is an exercise in love.

Love and work sounds like an impossible combination to many people, but it’s the starting point of all great (and many small) undertakings.

“The real purpose of work,” says Claude Whitmyer, founder of the Center for Good Work, “is to give us an opportunity to practice being human—to discover everything we are and all that we can be, both as individuals and as members of a community.”

Psychologist Marsha Sinetar expands on that notion. She says, “Work can be used to communicate our love for self and other. For the person who is spiritually inclined, work even becomes a vehicle for devotion, a way of utilizing one’s gifts and talents to serve others, a way of truthful self-expression.”

Lately, I’ve had messages from several frustrated people who feel stuck because they don’t know what It is for them. Nothing they’ve tried seems to satisfy. It’s a Limboland I’ve visited myself and it’s not a pleasant place to travel.

The passport out of this discouraging state is to step back and give serious thought to purpose. To never stop doing what you love, you have to start doing what you love. Yup, those same puzzling questions that philosophers have discussed for centuries still matter.

The aforementioned Paul knew from early on what his bigger intention was. He explains, “See, my trick in life is to get away from having a job. That’s been my guiding light.”

Not working for someone else may not be the only way to feed our Renaissance soul, but it’s the best way I’ve seen to develop multiple talents.

At the same time all the e-mails of frustration were rolling in, I was also deluged with messages from numerous new entrepreneurs who had a different story to tell. The common thread in each of their accounts was that their business was teaching them new skills or opening them to things they’d been avoiding.

One woman said she was finding herself in leadership roles for the first time in her life. Another is doing her first media interviews. Over and over, they told me about discovering the unmapped territory inside themselves.

Like everyone who lets love lead, they’ve discover a surprising bonus: love neutralizes fear. When that happens, amazement follows.

Then there’s this strong admonition from Kahil Gibran: “If you cannot work with love, but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.”

That sounds like marching orders to me.

Leave It Better Than You Found It

Note: This is a guest post by Barbara Winter, "Jobless Muse". It is reprinted from her blog Buon Viaggio with her permission. Please do check her blog out, as she always has lots of food for thought and interesting things to share. Thank you Barbara!

Last weekend I painted a picture of the bouquet of flowers on my coffee table. After I’d finished that, I wrote across the top, “Making It Better Starts Here.”

It was meant as a reminder to me that the opportunities to improve and shine surround us. That’s why Making It Better isn’t just the June theme of this blog; it’s also my summer project.

There is no shortage of projects right under my own roof, although my plans go beyond my personal environment. Impacting a larger world starts with small deeds inspired by a conscious decision to make things better wherever and whenever we can.

It was a lesson I learned years ago from a dear friend.

The most passionate environmentalist I’ve ever known was Chris Utterback. To her, all offenses were equally serious whether it was defiling a public space with graffiti or chopping down a rain forest. She cared deeply for the earth and couldn’t understand why everyone didn’t feel the same sense of responsibility.

One day we were driving through the quiet Connecticut countryside where she lived and came across a pile of trash heaped on the roadside. She slammed on her brakes and we jumped out of the car, picked up the litter, bagged it and put it in the back of her station wagon.

As we got back in, I sighed and said, “Planetkeeping is a full-time job.” Chris looked at me as if I’d said the most brilliant thing and without saying so, we both volunteered to be Planetkeepers.

Planetkeeping isn’t just a full-time job; it’s a demanding one that requires vigilance and a willingness to do more than our share simply because it’s the moral choice.

Planetkeeping is motivated by a sense of responsibility to nature and other people whether we know them or not.

It assumes that we’ll take care of whatever is ours to care for no matter how difficult or challenging that may be. Planetkeepers refuse to be influenced by the indifference and apathy of others.

Planetkeeping also demands that we stop withholding our own gifts and talents and put them to work in the service of making the world a better, happier, nurturing place.

Imagine, for a moment, how quickly things would change if everyone went through their days actively working to improve everything they touch. What would happen to road rage? To rudeness” To the environment? To self-esteem? To greed? To our communities? To litter? To hunger?

We may never eliminate all the Pillagers who have no sense of stewardship, but that isn’t an excuse for abandoning our efforts to make every corner of our own world as wonderful as possible…and spread out from there.

Buckminster Fuller, a card carrying Planetkeeper, challenged us to ask ourselves this question: “What can I do that isn’t going to get done unless I do it, just because of who I am?”

That’s a question worth answering every single day.

Seeing Signs Everywhere

Learning to be more aware of what is going on around me is one of the things that was taught in one of the modules of a class I took several months ago. I'm still working to improve my awareness, but I have begun to pay more attention. Doing that has been helping me in both my personal life and my business.

When you become more aware of any particular thing, signs will start showing up everywhere. For instance, when you buy a new car, you will begin seeing the make, model, and color of it far more often then you did previously. Another example- if you are looking for opportunities to show up, you will start finding them everywhere you go.

Since I had recently begun this blog about making a difference in the world, and finding opportunities to help others and this planet, I decided to pay more attention while on vacation to what was happening in other places than where I live.

Signs were everywhere! One business I stopped at had all the employees wearing breast cancer awareness t-shirts and were fund raising for that cause. When I asked about it, I was told that every single month they pick a different charity to help and focus on. So far they had helped a local animal shelter and several other causes. Each month they have been doing different activities to encourage people to participate and donate. They all seemed happy working there because they were helping others and felt good about it. What a powerful example for an employer to set for both his employees and customers!

At one of the fuel stops, I used the restroom designated for ladies. The wallpaper and border were hearts with different words in them such as love, peace, and giving. There was a poster on the wall about making a difference wherever you are. They had books for sale in their store with topics such as doing more to help the world too!

Over the course of the three weeks I met people who were actively helping some cause they believed in, and saw signs everywhere I went that people were volunteering their time, money, and assets to help other people, animals, and the environment. I saw families caring for each other and their neighbors. I saw businesses who were active in their communities and donating a portion of their profits to good causes. It warmed my heart.

I also heard from quite a few people about challenges they saw our world facing, and the need for everyone to pull together and do their part. They were frustrated by things they felt were out of control or in major trouble-the economy, the government, the oil spill, health care, food and other costs, ingredients and methods allowed to be used in food sold by grocery stores, the suffering of people in our own country and other lands, the education system, and much more.

So what I'm personally aware of is that things are shifting in this world. More people are feeling that we should be more united, and actively participate in changing the world to a better place both for ourselves and future generations. Join me in exploring solutions to all the people,places, and animals who need our help. Let's make a difference every day!