It’s not only Friday but it’s also the first day of Spring! Let’s celebrate with some good news, shall we?
This week’s Good News Report features stories of inpsiring kids, humans and a wild Orangutan working together to save lives and a store that gives away it’s wares!
“80% of people are hurt by words. Research shows that only about 20% of children and adults are able to handle put downs without emotional pain and psychological damage.” California Task Force for Personal and Social Responsibility.
Isn’t that an incredible statistic? It was among several in the rolling credits of Who You Are DOES Make a Difference. This 6:30 minutes of goodness is a cross between the movie, Pay-It-Forward, and the video, Validation.
On February 16, 2006, in Rochester, New York, Greece Athena’s basketball coach thought it would be great for their team manager (and autistic teen), Jason McElway, to play in a game. Jason showed everyone how much he could shine with only 4 minutes left before the buzzer went off, Jason shot SIX 3-point shots!
How did this happen? “I was hot as a pistol,” explains Jason.
Check out this 2:45 minute CBS newscast and see how wild the crowd goes with each basket!
Daily Challenge member, Jenny Foster, wrote us and expressed her enthusiasm for Pay It Backward Day; and being a dedicated and forward-thinking Do Gooder, also voiced her concern about the possible environmental impact of the event. Thank you, Jenny!
So let’s hear everyone’s ideas in how we can make PIB Day a green event! Here are some of the more obvious options:
Bring a reusable cup.
If you don’t have a washable takeout mug, recycle.
Carpool with friends.
Take transit.
Please share how you plan to reduce your carbon footprint for the PIB Day event!
An inspiring story of love and strength, this video shows how a father-son team defy the limitations of disability. Team Hoyt has run 85 marathons so far, competed in 212 grueling triathlons (a combination of 26.2 miles running, 112 miles bicycling and 2.4 miles swimming) and 4 Ironman competitions. Together, they’ve tackled mountains and traipsed 3,735 miles across America.
Oh, did we mention that Rick can’t walk or talk?
When Rick could communicate through technology, he said, “Dad, when we were running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore.” That was all the motivation his father, Dick, needed to start Team Hoyt. In 1992, they qualified for the Boston marathon and finished only 35 minutes short of the world record. When someone suggested Dad racing on his own, he replied, “No way.”
Team Hoyt’s message: “Everybody should be included in everyday life.”
Last week Darius introduced the first installment of the Daily Challenge Good News Report and it was well received by the community. So without further adieu, here’s this week’s dose of positive and uplifting news:
The Healing Toddler: A story about how a child transformed the mood in a doctor’s office waiting room.
I don’t know about you, but environmentally products that are FUN to recycle get my mojo going! Imagine this: you’ve just finished the ink in your latest eco-friendly, leaf-green pen and instead of chucking it in the garbage, you trot on over to the nearest flower pot and plant it!
MVP Design is a company making a big difference with the Green Pen. It’s made of biodegradable, compostable corn-based material; basically, an environmentally-friendly plastic!
All you have to do is dispose of the empty ink cartridge and bury the plastic barrel in some soil. Eight months later: fertilizer! They also have these cool bottom caps filled with seeds they say will “sprout and bloom while the pen decomposes”.
The only kicker for regular eco-aware folks is that these pens are only distributed as promotional items. You’ll have to find a Do Gooder company who is as committed to reducing their carbon footprint as MVP is (check out their about us).
Oh! Did I mention the other cool characteristic of the Green Pen? It’s square! At first, it’s just weird. And then I noticed that it fits quite nicely - it just takes a little getting used to.
So, who’s already giving out these cool promo pens?Let’s find out: Calling all Do Gooder companies out there who have purchased the Green Pen! We want to know who you are!
Stephanie Miller is a dedicated Do Gooder, spreading kindness in the world through Daily Challenge as well as assisting others in finding balanced, naturally healthy lifestyles as Head Health Nut on www.LiveLighter.org.
Imagine if every leader in the world (which includes bosses, parents, teachers, etc.) measured their success with how many eyes they made shine? This is exactly what Benjamin Zander does!
As conductor of the Boston Philharmonic since 1979, Mr. Zander soon realized that his main role as a conductor, as a leader, is to unlock the potential in others. He says he knows when he’s done this when he sees people’s eyes shine.
Mr. Zander guest conducts and tours around the world using classical music to speak on leadership. Here is an inspirational sneak-peak performance from a TED (technology, entertainment and design) conference last year, guaranteed to leave you appreciating classical music and motivated to be a better person:
Whether you’re a leader or not, how many eyes have you made shine today?
On February 12th, a handful of Do Gooders, the Daily Challenge team and a whole nest of Twitter folks descended upon the lavish digs at CiRCA for Twestival Toronto. And we rocked the T-Dot!
The scene had a magnificent, Bob Marley, feel-good vibe - and it wasn’t the shine from the free Molson beer! Everyone was smiling and networking, and many Tweeples met online Twitter friends face-to-face for the first-time!
Check it out with this 3 and a half minute video of Testival Toronto:
The Daily Challenge team had a blast at this event and we are honoured to have been one of the media sponsors. We can’t WAIT for the next Twitter event!
Habits begin as offhanded remarks, ideas and images. And then, layer upon layer, through practice, they grow from cobwebs into cables that shackle or strengthen our lives. Denis Waitley
Motivated by pleasure, habits are repeated behaviour that eventually require practically zero attention or effort. Because of this nature, “Habit is either the best of servants, or the worst of masters,” says Emmons. This is what Waitley in the opening quote meant: bad habits become our chains while good habits strengthen our lives.
Most people will agree that kindness and happiness are good habits to develop. Daily Challenge is a great tool to help do exactly this!
One of our community members, Dan Hocking, recognized the potential of Daily Challenge as a kindness tool and wanted to know how he could work Daily Challenge into his already very busy life. Here are a few tips:
Log on every day. When creating a habit, it’s more important to just do it. Habits are created by repetition, so don’t worry about quality right now. You don’t have to accept or complete challenges, comment, make friends, etc. If you want to make Daily Challenge a habit, just log on every day. Which leads us to the next tip… Continue Reading
This is the official blog for Do Gooders. It is the vehicle for the Daily Challenge story and the tool to get you directly involved in the project so you can become part of the story, too.
It’s not only Friday but it’s also the first day of Spring! Let’s celebrate with some good news, shall we?
Daily Challenge member, 
Last week
I don’t know about you, but environmentally products that are FUN to recycle get my mojo going! Imagine this: you’ve just finished the ink in your latest eco-friendly, leaf-green pen and instead of chucking it in the garbage, you trot on over to the nearest flower pot and plant it!
Motivated by pleasure, habits are repeated behaviour that eventually require practically zero attention or effort. Because of this nature, “Habit is either the best of servants, or the worst of masters,” says Emmons. This is what Waitley in the opening quote meant: bad habits become our chains while good habits strengthen our lives.
