Sangha of Auspicious Companions

September 11, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

The Ripple Effect of Kindness

“Over the last few years, I’ve become a big proponent of Smile Cards. The premise behind these small cards is simple: do an anonymous act of kindness and leave a card behind, inviting the recipient to pay-it-forward. If he/she does, the chain keeps going, resulting in “ripples” of kindness radiating out. Smile Cards are wonderful in ways I cannot count. Small, simple, humble — yet powerful, because one act of kindness can be the start of a long chain. But for all these reasons, the main reason why I use them is the subtle change that has begun to occur in the way I think.” So begins this reflection on how the ripple effect of kindness leads to change — both externally and internally. { read more }

Be The Change

Do a kind act, leave a smile card, and start a chain. Download or receive a gift of pre-printed smile cards here. { more }

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September 10, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

10 Strategies for Reducing Prejudice

UC Berkeley professor Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton provides research-based tips for overcoming prejudices based on differences. Here are his top ten strategies, summarized: Travel (somewhere that challenges your worldview); Take a course on prejudice; If you value egalitarianism, recognize that unconscious bias is no more “the real you” than your conscious values; Laugh a little — smiles and happiness help trump racial bias; Recategorize other people according to characteristics that you share; Do your part to save the planet; Stay healthy — a sense of security promotes tolerance of other worldviews; Acknowledge differences, rather than try to fight an uphill battle to ignore them; Remember that people are really bad mind-readers, so communicate; Make a cross-race friend. This in-depth article shares further. { read more }

Be The Change

Make a conscious effort to be aware of preconceived notions — and to stop propagating them internally.

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September 9, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Where Children Sleep: A Poignant Photo Series

‘Where Children Sleep’ is a remarkable series capturing the diversity of and, often, disparity between children’s lives around the world through portraits of their bedrooms. Kenyan-born, English-raised, Venice-based documentary photographer James Mollison explores the topic with poignancy. The project began on a brief to engage with children’s rights and morphed into a thoughtful meditation on poverty and privilege, its 56 images spanning from the stone quarries of Nepal to the farming provinces of China to the silver spoons of Fifth Avenue. “From the start, I didn’t want it just to be about ‘needy children’ in the developing world, but rather something more inclusive, about children from all types of situations. It seemed to make sense to photograph the children themselves, too, but separately from their bedrooms, using a neutral background,” says Mollison, whose touching photos follow. { read more }

Be The Change

What memories do you have of your childhood room? Share your reflection with other readers here. { more }

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September 8, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

A Storyteller of the Streets

Most people have never walked down the street and looked for homeless people before — most look the other way. But not Mark Horvath. A former Hollywood insider, Horvath has been a drug addict, con artist and, for a brief period, homeless. He says he’s left that life behind, and these days, he’s drawing on his past to inspire his Web site — Invisiblepeople.tv. The site is a collection of YouTube-length video profiles of homeless people he’s met across the country, and it’s become a surprise hit in social media circles. Horvath heads down Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, looking for homeless people. When he finds someone, he reaches into an overstuffed backpack and pulls out a bag of fresh white socks. Nearly everyone takes a pair. And when they do, Horvath pulls out a video camera and asks if he can interview them. { read more }

Be The Change

Visit Mark’s website InvisiblePeople.TV, which aims to change the story around homelessness. { more }

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September 7, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Dogs with Custom Wheelchairs Inspire Rehab Patients

Cruising in their custom wheelchairs, Chili and Arlo are the center of attention wherever they go. But for patients at the Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation in Dallas, these two canine caregivers are also an inspiration. “Many of the patients are new to wheelchairs,” Linda Marler, the program’s director told TODAY.com. “When they see Chili and Arlo, they say, ‘If those dogs can do it, so can I.'” Chili and Arlo are the only dogs with disabilities among the 90 specially trained therapy dogs that participate in Baylor’s Animal Assisted Therapy program. The canine volunteers make weekly visits to lift the spirits of patients who have suffered traumatic injuries or a stroke. “We use the dogs to create more of a home atmosphere and also to get a response,” Marler said. She’s found that animals will often elicit a reaction when every other method has failed. { read more }

Be The Change

Consider the challenges you’ve overcome — and share your process with someone who might benefit.

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September 6, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Gifting Art

A controversial statue led conversations.org founder Richard Whittaker to an unusual artist, Fredric Fierstein. The art piece itself was inspired from a place far off the beaten track. In Fredric’s words: “When I’ve gotten out of the cities I’ve met people of the earth, I call them. They’re not the kind of people you meet in the cities who are trying to hustle you. My guide, who spoke Thai and a few dialects, couldn’t speak with this guy. That’s how far out he was. I did find out from him, by sign language, that he was my age at that, which was so great! I had, I don’t know if you’d call it a revelation, I realized that guy could have been me and I could have been him. It’s so incredible.” A rich dialogue follows. { read more }

Be The Change

Reflect on a radically different and meaningful experience you’ve had — does it inspire your own creativity?

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September 5, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Mankind is No Island

“Mankind is No Island” is a cleverly crafted visual and musical narrative — with a production budget of a whopping $57. Jason van Genderen shot this entire movie on a cell phone using emotive images found on street signage in Sydney and New York. Winner of the TropFest NY 2008 award, the world’s largest short film festival, it is a three and half minute meditation on hope and hunger, on community and care, and on beauty and belonging. { read more }

Be The Change

Learn from a relationship, whether established or emerging, in a new way today.

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September 4, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Disrupt Yourself

When Whitney Johnson decided to walk away from a stellar career on Wall Street, even close friends thought she might be making a mistake. But in Johnson’s own words, “Notwithstanding the considerable career and financial risks involved, it was time to leave my comfortable perch and become an entrepreneur. Time to disrupt myself. We typically define disruption as a low-end product or service that eventually upends an industry. But I’ve found that the rules of disruption apply to the individual too.” Six years into her transition she shares lessons gleaned from her journey, in this insightful Harvard Business Review post. { read more }

Be The Change

Do something disruptive, something that feels right even though it might be unknown.

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September 3, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Time

“‘Time’ is the most used noun in the English language, yet it remains a mystery. We’ve just completed an amazingly intense and rewarding multidisciplinary conference on the nature of time, and my brain is swimming with ideas and new questions. Rather than trying a summary (the talks will be online soon), here’s my stab at a top ten list partly inspired by our discussions: the things everyone should know about time.” This intriguing Discover Magazine explores Time from the standpoint of science. { read more }

Be The Change

What does time mean to you. Reflect here with other readers. { more }

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