#FF Friday's Fab Finds: Art, Education, & Inspiration

Thought for the Day: This week I had too many finds to fit the post, so I held on to some for next week. By then I may have 15 or more to choose from! Let me know if you would like more or less finds each week. I have 5 great finds for you to explore. There are stories about amazing teachers who go above & beyond the call of duty, endangered artwork on part of the remaining segments of the Berlin Wall, a mind boggling viral video about the distribution of wealth in America, a mom's invention, that was right beneath her son's feet & how a woman overcame adversity & became a supporter & role model for homeless teens.

I hope you will have time to check these out over the weekend. While you are at it, you may want to come back to listen to Saturday's Songs for the Soul (last weeks segment featured Psychology & Music). This week I feature a songwriter who's songs have been covered by Elton John, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt & Faith Hill to name just a few.  I have been fortunate enough to get to know this amazing writer who taught at one of the songwriting retreats that I organized. She has used music as therapy & in the process has helped others as well. On Sunday you can check out Sunday's Comic Strips (last week's Sundays Comic Strips) which bring a humorous look at psychology. Have a great weekend!

Here are this week's Fabulous Finds-->

1) The first find is by Julie Fishman from Mom.Me. In a slide show: Leaders to Admire, she features teachers who, "Despite budget cuts, pink slips & unions under fire, a lot of our nation’s teachers are working harder than ever. From raising money, to starting clubs, to working without pay, the 10-plus following teachers have inspired students, parents and community members with their tenacious efforts and huge hearts. Read on for your daily dose of optimism."

http://mom.me/parenting/education/6186-inspiring-teachers/

2) The second story is a find that may soon be lost. It is endangered artwork which is an integral part of the history of the Berlin Wall. A picture is worth a thousand words & this link takes you to my third fabulous find, a video on Huffington Post Arts & Culture with pictures of the historic artwork which may be destroyed. I'm not an architect, but I would suggest that they find a way to incorporate the wall into the plans. Any hotel that did would become a destination & an instant landmark.

Berlin's Famous Street Art Threatened »

3) My third fabulous find is a Video explaining the distribution of wealth in the United States.

The differences between people's impression of the distribution of wealth, the ideal people imagine & the reality of how wealth is distributed in our country may surprise you.

4) Marlo Thomas's blog share wonderful inspirational stories about women achieving their dreams. This week a story she shared is my fourth fabulous find. It tells the story of how a mother faced with her husband's chronic illness & the need for a source of income found an unmet need on a baseball field & persevered till she created a solution: Cleatskins,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/25/baseball-mom-scores-big-marlo-thomas-it-aint-over_n_2759258.html?icid=maing-grid7|heroes|dl39|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D279314

5) Finally, my fifth find is another inspiring video about how a woman, Lauri Burns, overcame her abusive & tumultuous upbringing & what led her to becoming an advocate for foster kids & homeless teens with the Teen Project.  --> 

http://www.makers.com/lauri-burns?icid=maing-grid7|heroes|dl29|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D278402

I hope you like these finds & share them with your friends. Let me know what you think. Would you like me to share more or less finds? What do you think about them?

 
 

The Psychology of Social Media for Social Good

Thought for Today: The Psychology of Social Media is strongly connected to what I called the Psychology of Unexpected Adventures in an earlier post on March 23rd. Unexpected adventures bring joy & sometimes help us shift direction in life. Some people call these events serendipity, the law of attraction or fate, but I think it is something different. The March 23rd post led me to discover a wonderful new product capable of helping multiple causes. I'd like to share their story as an example of the connection between social media & the Psychology of Unexpected Adventuress. How has social media led to an unexpected discovery or adventure for you? I'd love to hear your stories.

I saw a very funny, touching film yesterday at the Garden Cinemas , in Norwalk CT. We try to see all the movies played at this wonderful 4 screen art house, since they show films you may not find at the bigger establishments. I knew nothing about the movie, but trusted that it would be good if they brought it. I was not disappointed. I had not realized that Susan Sarandan was one of the stars along with Jason Segal, Ed Helms, & Judy Greer in the movie, Jeff Lives At Home. I don't want to ruin the movie for you, but in one sentence, getting out of your normal routine often leads to unexpected adventures. Jeff's mother, Susan Sarandan, is worried about him & her one birthday wish is for him to buy wood glue at Home Depot & fix a wooden slat on a louvered door on her closet. Jeff sees everything as signs of his destiny. He follows all the "signs" when he ventures out of the basement to go to Home Depot.

Jeff, (Jason Segal) who lives at home & is going nowhere in life, but he is not the only onewho is stuck. All the main characters in this movies are dissatisfied with their lives in one way or another. His mother (Susan Sarandan) is working hard at a job, but is lonely & dislikes both her sons. Ed Helms plays Jeff's brother who turns to extravagant purchases to try to fill the void he's feeling in his marriage. His wife, played by Judy Greer, is having an affair. She is looking for someone to pay attention to her, since she feels misunderstood by her husband. Each of the characters change their normal routine on the day reported in the movie & have unexpected adventures. In the movie, we only see one day in their lives, so we can only guess & hope that the adventures lead to changes in their lives.

You may be thinking, what does this have to do with the psychology of social media? I have loved the internet since I first started using it about 12 years ago. I have been able to "meet" people through the internet that I would never have met in real life without this technology. When I started using twitter last May, I did so since everyone in the world of publishing seemed to think it was important. Personally, I thought it was a silly platform where people tweeted about what they were eating for lunch. By the end of the summer, my view of twitter was totally different. I had used the platform to build several thousand followers including NPOs, authors, musicians, psychologists, philanthropists, & journalists interested in social activism. I discovered some (@BlindJudo, @Elimin8Prejudic, @VABC & @MusicFromABottle) of the NPOs included in my book through twitter. Many nonprofit organizations found me.

On March 23rd, on this blog, I asked readers to share their stories of unexpected adventures in their lives. I posted a tweet to my now 7500 followers on three twitter handles (@WakeUpDreamNow, @DreamNonProfits, & @PostTweetDreams). Three minutes later, here's what happened:

WakeUpDreamNow: Are you open to unexpected discoveries & dreams? Amazing things can happen on the path to your dreams. See how... Link 8:31am, Mar 23 from Facebook

Eraselet: @WakeUpDreamNow Ck out how we followed our dreams and used our past to gv bk http://t.co/tPlVRezg 8:34am, Mar 23

 (The only change I made was to update the links which were no longer active!)

With over 7000 followers, I had not read about Eraselet before this twitter encounter. When I read their story, I loved it & promised to write about it after last Thursday's event Wings of Change at which I was preparing to speak along with other authors, philanthropists, educators & NPOs dedicated to changing the world. 

Behind @Eraselet is Bryan Ricci, another person on a mission to help change the world. His story can give hope to anyone who is struggling at this time. At age 15, Brian lived on the streets of Nashville. He was sleeping under bridges. Brian hopped from couch to couch to survive. “I didn’t know what to do,” Ricci said. “And then one day … I had this crazy moment. I hitchhiked to California, got a job waiting tables & turned my life around.” Fast forward, 16 years & now Brian at 31 is married with children & working to help others avoid the path he took as a teenager.

His current unexpected adventure started when Brian's 10 year old daughter kept losing erasers. Brian's wife, Kimberly Ricci, says that, "knowing how kids wear all those bands & bracelets around their wrists, Bryan told her he’d make her an eraser she could wear like (a bracelet).’’ He invented a rubber wristband, called an Eraselet, that doubles as an eraser. The wristband can be used as a marketing tool to promote slogans such as “Erase Hunger.” For the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, “End Homelessness.” So the once homeless father, has found a way to help others erase homelessness & endless other causes.

I believe that once we decide to make a change in our lives & start moving towards our dreams, we begin to make changes which lead us to unexpected discoveries & adventures. Whether we get out in the real world or the virtual world of social media, we begin to discover people, organizations & ideas that can help us move forward towards our dreams. It is not some magical process even though it may seem magical. When you are stuck & start doing things differently, it becomes like a chain reaction leading to new opportunities. I hope this post brings multiple new opportunities for Brian's wonderful invention & reaches as many charities as possible!

What discoveries & encounters have you had using social media? I'd love to hear your stories!

Did a Doll Help You? Dolls Looking For Good Homes

 

Thought for the day:  Dolls are important to the mental health of children (both boys & girls). Has a doll ever helped you get through a tough time?

Today's blog is a bit different. It is about two projects that you may want to support. They reminded me of the importance of dolls. The projects are sponsored by two of the nonprofit organizations featured in my book, Enchanted Makeovers & Compass to Care. 

     I was first trained as a Clinical Child Psychologist & worked primarily with children & families for eight years before coming to Boston & completing my doctorate. Even though most of my current clients are adults, dolls, puppets & doll houses are still permanent residents of my office. When children are struggling with issues they play them out often with the help of dolls. Connecting with a doll is therapeutic for all children. Dolls, like good therapists, accept their "adopted parents" unconditionally & children can feel supported & loved by a doll.

The 1st project I'd like to tell you about is being sponsored by Enchanted Makeovers. They are asking artisans to donate handmade dolls to be given to children in shelters. The Doll Adoption Project was born out of memories that Terry Grahl, founder & visionary of Enchanted Makeovers has of herself & her dollies. It is her hope to give children in shelters the same gift of unconditional love that her dolls gave to her.

     The Project carries meaning for both the child & the creator. Adopting a doll gives the child the opportunity to nurture & express love.  The creator can sew herself & her story into heart of the doll. Each handmade outfit & hand embroidered face will tap into the creator's inner child, sending a message of love & support to a child in need. The precious eyes will help the doll maker to ''look'' back on what truly made them happy. The embroidered mouth will help let the child find their voice. The hair will remind them that no matter what their life circumstances, they can change it. The outfit will remind them that they are more then what we wear, they are powerful beyond ''measure.'' If you would like to help a child in a shelter, create & send a handmade doll to: Enchanted Makeovers 12663 Hipp St Taylor, MI 48180. Safety: Please only place items on dolls that a child will not choke on. Example: embroidered face or a painted face.

     The second doll I want to tell you about is the Dina Doll. The Dina Doll is named after Michelle Ernsdorff's sister, Dina, who shared many journeys with her when Michelle was dealing with cancer. Every difficult journey is easier when you have a friend by your side. The Dina Doll is more than just a doll, she’s a constant companion to bring the lucky recipient lots of smiles & to hold onto during the tough times. Compass to Care, a nonprofit organization founded by Michelle, helps families with the costs incurred when families need to travel to get treatment for children suffering from cancer.

Get a Dina Doll & help keep your child, or any child, company no matter where they are in their lives. Each doll has a special note placed in the pocket of her Dina Doll’s dress. There is also the Dina Doll story coloring book that comes with each doll.

Whether you choose to give the Dina Doll as a gift to your child or a friend, or donate one to a child with cancer, you’re helping families get their child one step closer to treatment because 100% of your purchase will be used to pay for traveling to the hospital.

A Doll That Helps Kids With Cancer

     Has a doll helped you through a tough time? I'd love to hear about your doll. My two favorite dolls were Snow White & the 7 plastic dwarfs that came with her & a ballerina doll with life like moving joints, toe shoes & a tutu.