Friday's Fabulous Finds: Everyday Heroes

*Photo Credits

Thought for the Day: Last night I received my intern, Steph Jacovino's suggestions for today's post, but did not have time to read them. Since this week's posts have been addressing topics like: Motivational Mondays: Do You Have What It Takes to be a Superhero?, Thursday's Psychology Trivia: Wednesday's Words of Wisdom:  Are Humans Instinctively Selfish or Cooperative? & Denis Waitley & Dr. Lavi on Life Choices, Steph's assignment was to search for finds that highlight the superheroes among us who put others' needs before their own. The common theme is the joy of giving to strangers by everyday heroes.

Larry Bogdanow

This morning, I opened the 1st find & read it. It made me cry, but it also my day. I have been in a pensive mood & very busy this week. The article made me stop. Since tomorrow is the second anniversary of my brother,  Larry Bogdanow's death, I had been trying to find ways to remember him that would feel right. The post pushed the envelope & made me look back at what I wrote last year. As i did, I realized that in contrast to a year ago, I can feel not only the sorrow, but the joy when I think of my brother.  Larry was one of my heroes who gave generously of himself to others.

 If you read nothing else this weekend, take the time for "The Cab Ride I'll Never Forget." It will touch your heart & soul. The other finds are uplifting examples of everyday heroes putting others needs before their own & giving to the community.  Thanks Steph for doing a great job! I hope you enjoy these finds. Come back tomorrow for Saturday's Songs for the Soul (the 1st entry from February 2013) which I started last February in honor of my brother.

The Cab Ride I’ll Never Forget  By Kent Nerburn, from his book: Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace: Living in the Spirit and Prayer of St. Francis, posted on Zen Moments  Author Kent Nerburn tells of his most memorable experience as a taxi driver. It shows that a little bit of patience & consideration can go a long way.

By Kent Nerburn

By Kent Nerburn

Super Caden

Tiny Superheroes [Video] By Aaron Olson & Diana Bull  In four short months, Robyn Rosenberger has made over 500 children with illnesses feel like superheroes. Then she posts their stories online, & gives a face to their medical conditions.

Dwight Orchard

Toronto College Student Saves Stranger from Subway Tracks From The Star, By Niamh Scallan 
Would you jump onto train tracks to save the life of a man, whom you never met before? College student Dwight Orchard says “I had to.” Read more about his life-saving deed.



Police Officer’s Touching Gift for Girl From Yahoo! Shine, By Elise Sole We expect policemen to be our heroes when they put their lives in danger, but a California police officer went above & beyond the call of duty in a different way while responding to a report of a stolen bicycle.

Boston Marathon Winner Returns his Medal to City from The Associated Press, By Tracee Herbaugh,
Lelisa Desisa, winner of the Boston Marathon, returned his medal to the city of Boston on Sunday to remember the victims of the Boston bombing. Through a translator, he said, “sports should never be used as a battleground.”

Who are your everyday heroes? I'd love to hear about them. They may be an inspiration to my readers. Please share their stories!

*Photo Credits
Taxi  http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/2354915174/

Toronto Hero Photo by VINCE TALOTTA / TORONTO STAR 

Photo Policeman Above & Beyond Call of Duty Nina Sanchez/Oxnard Police Department/Facebook

Superhero Caden from Tiny Superheroes website

Boston marathon Fay Foto

Photo: Taxi Union Square 2007 by Thomas Hawk

Photo: Taxi Union Square 2007 by Thomas Hawk

#FF Friday's Fabulous Finds: Easy Activism, NPO Helps Other NPO's, Marathon Winners, Operation Beautiful

Thought for the Day: This week has been an exciting week for me. I have not had time to reflect & write about my trip to Washington DC yet. As a psychologist, the parallels between the issues related to bullying & the gun lobby in Washington are ironic. On Monday, I plan to write about my observations of this phenomenon. In the meantime, my 1st Fab find gives some easy ways that you can get involved & help Moms Demand Action. Even if you have never been politically active before check it out. On twitter, I found an innovative nonprofit organization that offers support to other nonprofit organizations. In these rough financial times, their support will be a welcome service. If you know an NPO that could use some help, pass this information on. My third find is a story about a father who is facing the challenge of brain cancer by running marathons with his 5 year old daughter. Finally, I found it refreshing to see teen age girls encouraging their peers to go makeup free. Have a great weekend & enjoy these finds! I hope you will come back on Saturday for Saturday's Songs for the Soul & Sunday's Comic Strips & on Monday for Motivational Mondays. -->

I am honored to be standing behind Nancy Pelosi

1) Moms Demand Action is the main page of this grassroots revolution that has grown from one mom's web page to 80,000 members & 80 chapters across the USA since 12/14/2012. On this page they have several short videos including one showing how to make phone call to your congressmen & phone numbers of some senators who have voted against the current legislation.

     In addition they have an amazing page that includes easy click & tweet options to let your elected officials know you want them to support the anti-gun legislation being voted on now in the senate & tweets to let the world know the facts about gun violence in America

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2) Kerstner Foundation offers free websites& other services for Nonprofits.

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3) An truly inspiring story of true marathon winners. A father running for his life & making sure his 5 year old daughter knows her father's legacy first hand.

  

4) How some teenage girls from Texas are encouraging their peers be themselves & to go Make Up Free: Operation Beautiful.

 
 
 

What Do You Get When You Combine Corporate Sponsors, NPOs, Academics, & Entrepreneurs?

Thought for today: It is amazing where dreams can lead if you allow yourself to keep an open mind to the opportunities that begin to open up as you move towards your dreams. Have you ever started moving towards a dream & found yourself involved in even even greater things than you imagined? 

When we would go on vacation with my father we never made hotel reservations. He loved to drive & have the freedom to adjust the trip so that he could stop to make side trips to unexpected destinations. This lead to something I'd call the psychology of unexpected discoveries. On one trip we drove across 4 of the western provinces of Canada. My father's lack of clear plans, at times lead to driving for hours until we found a motel room. On this trip, he assumed that there would be no problem finding a motel in Calgary, Alberta, since is was a large city. We arrived in Calgary around 9 PM. By 10 PM, with four tired kids & an exhausted driver he knew he was wrong. At a gas station he asked someone what was happening? It turned out that we had stumbled into town in the middle of the Calgary Stampede, the world's largest rodeo! There were no rooms at any hotel or motel in the city. Local residents had rented their homes months before the event & left town for the week. Somehow, my father convinced someone to let him rent a room in their home for the night. We slept on the floor & on couches. The next day we went to the rodeo & had one of those lifetime experiences you never forget. 

When you dream, it's important to leave room for these kinds of treasures, which happen even when you have mapped out your DPS (Dream Positioning System). Don't worry, there is always room for "recalculating" & your DPS will go on automatic pilot & take you to new adventures. Here's one of mine that just happened. These kinds of unexpected encounters leading to even larger dreams seem to keep happening since I began to work on my book. I'd love to hear how working towards a dream has led to even better things than you first imagined.

Last night, around midnight, I received an e-mail from Donnetta Campbell about the upcoming event I have been helping to organize & will be participating in next Thursday in Stamford, CT. My involvement began as part of my efforts to publicize my book & the NPOs involved in my book. Since then it has pulled me into far more powerful opportunities. At first glace the event, Wings of Change (http://www.yerwoodcenter.com/event/wings/), may appear to be just another benefit for a good cause. It is for a good cause, but it is more. The main benefactor is the Yerwood Center, an after school program in Stamford. The Yerwood Center is transforming Saks Fifth Avenue for a magical evening event 6-10 pm filled with Fashion, Art, Music, Dining, Auction & Dancing! There will be a tribute to Gene Wilder & other celebrity appearances (Joe Franklin, Kelly LeBrock). 

However, this event is much more. It is the culmination of cooperation between multiple nonprofit organizations, authors & visionaries on a mission to change the world. The day long event begins with a series of talks sponsored by corporations like GE, UBS, Barnes & Noble & Saks 5th Avenue. Topics to be covered during the day include: Learning about Mother Theresa as a CEO (Ruma Bose), Empowerment & Diversity (Gina Otto), The Value of a Woman (Joy Rose, Founder The Museum of Motherhood & Mamapollosa), Your Kids Diversity & Bullying (Wayne Soares), Would My Child Tell? (Jill Starishevsky), Wellness After Grief & Illness, & Raising Digital Kids (Digital Mom) to name a few.

In last night's e-mail an even larger picture emerged. I knew that there were plans for Donnetta Campbell's company, The Barnyard Group, to open office space in the Stamford Innovation Center. There will be an open house on Thursday from 4 to 6 PM to celebrate the new space & the new initiatives. What I did not know was the full scope of what will be happening in the Stamford Innovation Center.  

Here's what I learned about this part of the project:

  "(Stamford innovation Center is) a COMMUNITY… a team of individuals & organizations who are dedicated to helping our entrepreneurs succeed. To achieve this mission we have partnered with the City of Stamford, the State of Connecticut, & committed Corporate Sponsors. Together we will catalyze & grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem, engage the entire community, & build the critical mass needed for entrepreneurship to thrive.

  It is all about the relationships & network…

Investors (VC Firms, Angels, State Funds, Corporate Innovation Teams, Debt/Loan Providers…)

Customers (Corporate & Public Sector Customers, Gatekeepers to the Corporate Community…)

Experts (Educators, Experienced Entrepreneurs/Mentors, Industry Associations & Experts…)

Talent  (Exceptional students and a highly skilled workforce)

Service Providers (Attorneys, Accountants, Bankers, PR, Marketing, Web Design, Consultants…)"

What do you get when you combine corporate sponsors, NPOs, academics & entrepreneurs? You get the psychology of unexpected discoveries. You get innovation, opportunities, new ways to solve problems & change the world. I am excited to be part of this exciting development. I know it will lead to new dreams & ways of accomplishing dreams in multiple realms of business, nonprofit, & social entrepreneur endeavors. You can still become part of this exciting journey. Join me & other "wake up" dreamers to an opportunity to meet & learn from visionaries developing new ways to collaborate for social change! If you live in the NY, NJ or CT area, there is still time to RSVP for the free (but space is limited) workshops & open house & the gala evening event ($100 donation). For a schedule of the daytime events & to RSVP for either the workshops or the evening gala: www.yerwoodcenter.com/event/wings. For the Stamford Innovation Center's open house from 4 -6 please  RSVP here.

Please tell me know about your unexpected encounters on your way to your dreams. I'd love to hear about your adventures & discoveries on your dream journeys!