Sangha of Auspicious Companions

July 22, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

5 Manifestos for Art, Life & Business

Manifestos are a powerful catalyst. Famous architect Frank Loyd Wright said that “an eye to see nature, a heart to feel nature and a courage to follow nature” were three of his top 10 manifestos. By publicly stating our views and intentions, manifestos create a pact for taking action. If we want to change the world, in ways large or small, developing a set of principles that we believe in and constantly strive to stand by is an invaluable tool. Here is some inspiration based on powerful manifestos from the likes of Seth Godin, Leo Tolstoy and Apple Inc. { read more }

Be The Change

Articulate your own manifesto, and put it somewhere you will regularly run into it.

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July 21, 2011

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The Intellect in Insights

At first glance, insights seem to come out of nowhere. But in hindsight they make perfect, logical sense. What happens is that we (sometimes unconsciously) recognize patterns that enable us to see things in a new way. Albert Einstein put it succinctly when he said insight “comes suddenly and in a rather intuitive way. But intuition is nothing but the outcome of earlier intellectual experience.” This article explores how to think like a designer: not just observing the world, but drawing upon what we know, interpret what we find, and looking for unmet needs. { read more }

Be The Change

Think back to a recent insight and ask “Why is this a pattern?” “Why is this unexpected?” and “Why is this meaningful?”

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July 20, 2011

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From Vacant Lots to Urban Gardens

A berry garden now sits at the center of Richmond, CA, an area known for its high crime rate. Once a month, Latino and African American families — often people who live just a few blocks from each other but rarely had a chance to meet in the past — gather at the garden and have a barbecue. The garden is the work of Urban Tilth, one of the dozen or so groups at the center of Richmond’s urban garden movement. Built by community members, often young people, it’s tended in part by students and teachers from a nearby elementary school. But there’s more than food and land at stake here: it has become a community gathering space. “What’s really important is the food we grow and the time we spend investing in people,” says Doria Robinson, Urban Tilth’s executive director. { read more }

Be The Change

Here are 8 ways to join the local food movement, including turning a lawn into lunch and swapping preserves. { more }

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July 19, 2011

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How He Crossed the Finish Line

In 1992, Derek Redmond was running the race of his life — the 400-meter dash at the Summer Olympics. In the previous Olympics, he was forced to withdraw 10 minutes before the race due to an Achilles injury but now he was he was ready and heavily favored to medal. His father was in the stands cheering. The race began and 175 meters into it, he pulled his hamstring muscle and collapsed on the ground. As the stretchers rolled out, he refused to get on. And he started hobbling towards the finish line. The rest of the story is best seen in this uplifting video. { read more }

Be The Change

The Greek word for encouragement is “paraklesis,” literally meaning “to be called to one’s side.” Stand by someone today.

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July 18, 2011

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Fostering Virtue

“How can we foster more virtue in our societies?” A question sparked for researcher Kentaro Toyama by a one-time interaction with a rickshaw driver in India. This reflective piece goes on to propose ideas for fostering virtue in three areas: Education, Measurement, and Mentoring. And of course, the question “How can I foster more virtue in myself?” comes up as well. There we’re left with the intriguing idea that a virtue such as self-control operates much like a muscle: extensive use in the short-term can deplete it, but steady use over the long term — like physical exercise for muscles — can strengthen it. { read more }

Submitted by: CF

Be The Change

Try fostering virtue through creating or joining community, as Kentaro suggests. Experiment with making values your organizing principle.

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July 17, 2011

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29 Lessons From Travelling the World

“Eight years. That’s 416 weeks, or almost 3,000 days. This is the amount of time that I have not had a fixed home; moving to a new country, culture and language every few months and taking absolutely everything I own with me. In 2003, on the week of my 21st birthday, I left Ireland for good. I had graduated university a few days before, and knew that I’d only be coming back “home” for visits. But it’s not really my home any more. Since then, ‘wherever I lay my hat, that’s my home.’ I have become the person I was meant to be in the last 4/5 of a decade, while on the road. And I certainly still have a lot left to learn.” Recently, it was Benny Lewis’s 29th birthday and 8 year “travelversary,” so he shared 29 lessons he’s learned about life: { read more }

Be The Change

What are some lessons you’ve learned from travelling? Share them with Benny and other readers here. { more }

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July 16, 2011

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The Beauty in Each Grain of Sand

When you take a moonlit stroll on the beach, how often do you think about the tiny grains of sand creeping in between your toes? From above, sand seems like a bunch of tiny brown rocks, perhaps peppered with occasional shells or beach miscellany. But sand has a far more fascinating story to tell. Composed of the remnants of volcanic explosions, eroded mountains, dead organisms, and even degraded man-made structures, sand can reveal the history — both biological and geologic — of a local environment. And examined closely enough, as the scientist and artist Gary Greenberg has, sand can reveal spectacular colors, shapes, and textures. Greenberg used an Edge 3D Microscope to take pictures of sand from around the world, creating these incredible images. { read more }

Be The Change

Choose something to look deeply into today, and see what new understanding you gain.

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July 15, 2011

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Global Trends in Social Good

There is a rising consciousness to do good in a world recovering from recession and facing global challenges. But what does social good mean? Traditionally, it is a good or service that benefits the largest number of people in the largest possible way. As more and more organizations and individuals wake up to the groundswell of social good, the realm is expanding. Many innovations are emerging, whether in business models, products and services. Some are aided by technology, others have their roots in building communities both online and offline. Here is a look at social good in action from the perspectives of consumers, communities, businesses, public institutions, and nonprofits { read more }

Be The Change

Take part in doing something for the positive change. Check out OpenIDEO, a collaborative online platform for social good. { more }

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July 14, 2011

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Reading, Writing and Revelation

Whenever the stabbing pain in her knee becomes unbearable, 17-year-old Mackenzie Bearup picks up a book and starts to read. While previous treatments — painkillers, physiotherapy, acupuncture, hyperbaric oxygen therapy — have failed, a self-prescribed reading cure works. “So far, books have been my only medicine,” Bearup says. Reading and healing have an age-old association. In ancient Egypt, libraries were known as psyches iatreion, “sanatoriums of the soul.” During the Renaissance, the poetry of the Psalms was thought to “banish vexations of both the soul. Now, science is starting to prove what readers and writers have long known: Words can help us repair and revitalize our bodies as well as our minds. And as a result, bibliotherapy — reading specific texts in response to particular situations or conditions — is becoming more and more popular among psychologists, physicians, librarians and teachers. { read more }

Be The Change

Mackenzie Bearup realized that there were many others kids like her, struggling with pain, and that reading could help them. To date, she has donated 38,000 books! Her site for collecting books for homeless shelters: { more }

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