The power of giving can lift you up when you are down. So can movies, says motivational specialist, movie lover and Do Gooder, Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman. In this 6 part post series, Emmanuel shares with us some of his favourite movies that inspire giving.

Here are 3 more films from my list of 15 movies to inspire you to be a more thoughtful, altruistic person:

10) Ocean’s 13 2007

This 3rd part in the movie trilogy is more like a Robin Hood story where they steal from the rich and give to the poor. See the fun scenes near the end where the thieves give millions of dollars away!

11) Pay It Forward 2000

This powerful movie illustrates the amazing model of committing 3 random acts of kindness and having those 3 individuals do the same with others. It shows how fast a chain reaction of good deeds can spread and help change the world. And the concept all originated from a young boy played by Haley Joel Osment.

12) Peaceful Warrior 2006

A young gymnast is taught how to achieve his dreams and goals by first changing his selfish attitude. Nick Nolte’s character is a mystical mentor who helps him while working at a service station. His occupation at a gas station is a powerful metaphor for an important life message for being of service to others. And there’s one scene where he literally gives someone the shirt off his back!

Let these movies help you visualize how you can give to someone today! For more movie ideas to help invoke the power of giving in you, please see the next blog post.

See Part 1 for complete list of movies

Emmanuel Lopez aka Motivatorman is an award-winning illustrator, recording artist and motivational specialist. The Washington Post has featured his blog as a recommended resource for motivational tips and inspiring movie examples. Emmanuel offers empowering keynotes and seminars to organizations to help build optimistic mindsets during the current economic challenges. More info: www.motivatorman.com

Come back to the Do Gooder Daily one week from today for Part 6 of 15 Inspiring Movies About Giving.

Background music by U2 - “Mothers of the Disappeared”

“She was an angel…” - Tara McDonald, mother of Tori Stafford

“As a father of a young daughter, I know that everyone in this country has the family in their thoughts and prayers.”
- Prime Minister Stephen Harper, May 22, 2009

With such a tragic end to the abduction of Victoria (Tori) Stafford and six long weeks of  subsequent negative news coverage, I wanted to keep this as positive and empowering as possible under the circumstances  ~  to honour the memory of this beautiful child.

Those arrested on May 20, 2009 for this heinous crime are not even worthy of mention here, and their unconscionable depravity cannot tarnish the memory of this young, innocent soul we have lost at their hands. Despite the profound rage and an ocean of tears shed over this grave injustice, my hope is that we can CELEBRATE TORI’S LIFE rather than focusing on the sad circumstances of her death.

Click Here for the history and time line of the case (April 8th to May 20)

Who Was Tori Stafford? (Taken from news report by Patrick Maloney Sun Media)

“She loved animals of all kinds — cats, dogs, horses.  Her favourite colour was purple and she loved to sing and dance.  She often watched Barbie movies.

She liked school and also attended Sunday school, where days before her abduction she wrote on a heart-shaped piece of paper about the importance of loving your enemies.

Though a bit afraid of the dark, she was a feisty kid.  Artsy and creative but also a tomboy, Tori was a study in contrasts, a kid still figuring out who she was and would become.

Her hand-written “resalushon” list for 2009 included getting A’s, or at least B’s, in school.

By all accounts, Tori was a happy, healthy, typical, normal, well adjusted and loved little girl. What happened to her is every parent’s worst nightmare. We must educate and “street proof” our children to recognize red flags, without making them overly fearful or suspicious of everyone. Tori’s parents did this with both of their kids, but it is not 100% foolproof. Children don’t yet have the life experience and “radar” against false appearances. Unfortunately, evil can disguise itself, to break through that shield, unless we keep street proofing our kids on a regular basis. Tori could have been anyone’s child.

On Easter Sunday, more than a thousand people rallied to hold a candlelight vigil in Woodstock for one of their own. They wore purple ribbon badges, and released dozens of purple balloons - Tori’s favourite colour ~ carrying their love, hope and prayers.

Bad things are not supposed to happen to innocent children in our schools where they should always be safe. Perhaps we need to have a “buddy system” in place at all times. The flag at Tori’s school continues to fly at half-mast, while her classmates are given ongoing grief counseling to help cope with the devastating loss of their friend.

Sympathy cards, lit candles, stuffed animals and other memorials from the community have appeared outside Tori’s home to help heal the sorrow of the family, as well as their own. She was such a bright light in so many lives. One of Tori’s neighbours ~ Emma’s mother ~ has set up a small table on her lawn, with stuffed animals placed in the little chairs, commemorating the many tea parties Tori loved to share with her best friends Emma Baker and Angel Murray.

Tori was last seen wearing a black ‘Hannah Montana’ jacket with a white fur-lined hood, green sweater with pink lettering, black  skirt, black leotards and black shoes ~ popular fashion that any little girl in grade 3 might wear.  When they are found ~ then tagged as evidence ~ we hope it speaks volumes in court on her behalf to convict the accused.

There is an online petition to the Canadian government for changes to the criminal code,  amber alert criteria, as well as increasing the penalties for the abduction, interference or murder of a child.

http://www.petitiononline.com/vict888/petition.html

In remembering Tori, the full scope of our emotions cannot be measured. No amount of rational thought or explanation could ever justify what took place that fateful day.  May it never happen again. The sad reality is that it could.  Collectively, we can channel this energy to do more to save other children ~ by staying vigilant about any and all predators around our communities, reporting suspicious behaviour, supporting the efforts of police against pornographic images on line, communicating better with our children, actively monitoring their use of technology, their friends, safeguarding their activities,  speaking up for all children against neglect and abuse, never forgetting those who have been taken from us, advocating for change in our criminal laws to better protect the innocent while severely punishing the offenders. Our children are the most precious legacy we have ~ and they deserve no less.

Tori was only eight years old.
This July 15th, 2009 would have been her ninth birthday.
Rest in Peace, Sweet Angel.

Do you want an extra boost of energy? Try giving! If you’re not convinced this is an effective cure, why not watch a movie first? But not just any movie, says motivational specialist, movie buff and Daily Challenge member, Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman. In this guest post series, Emmanuel suggests movies that will stimulate your urge to give.

Here are 3 more films from my list of 15 movies to inspire you to be a more thoughtful, altruistic person:

7) Meet John Doe 1941

This Frank Capra classic is about Gary Cooper’s character who unwittingly becomes a spokesperson for a major newspaper. He ends up inspiring a nation with his messages of helping out a neighbour in need.

Millions 2004

A young boy finds a bag full of money and you see how naturally thoughtful he is about others in need. The film also shows how others behave (bad and good) when it comes to receiving sudden abundance. This movie was directed by Danny Boyle who also directed Slumdog Millionaire.

9) Mr. Deeds Goes To Town 1936

This Frank Capra classic is about a small-town man who inherits millions of dollars and is thrust into the big city life of New York. You see how his small-town values for being thoughtful of others leads him to helping hundreds in need of work with his new money.

Let these movies help you visualize how you can give to someone today! And see next blog post for 3 more movie ideas to bring out the giver in you.

See Part 1 for complete list of movies

Emmanuel Lopez aka Motivatorman is an award-winning illustrator, recording artist and motivational specialist. The Washington Post has featured his blog as a recommended resource for motivational tips and inspiring movie examples. Emmanuel offers empowering keynotes and seminars to organizations to help build optimistic mindsets during the current economic challenges. More info: www.motivatorman.com

Come back to the Do Gooder Daily one week from today for Part 5 of 15 Inspiring Movies About Giving.

The world is going through some unprecedented challenging times. Global psychologies are shifting, and pressures are mounting at home and at work for a lot of people.

So, my role as a leadership and personal development expert and author (The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Greatness Guide, among others) is to help manage change and turbulence for my clients, to reconnect them with the basic fundamentals, and to remind them that it’s often in these times of crisis that opportunities abound for personal and professional growth. I coach them along my Lead Without Title (LWT) philosophy – that leadership naturally resides within all of us, and is independent of any professional or social title. And I truly believe that it is in these times that one must break through their fears, and lead the pack.

That’s why, in conjunction with DailyChallenge, we’ve decided to challenge YOU to break through some of your fears, and share it with the world. The winner of this contest will win a free ticket to my exclusive Awakening Best Self Weekend, held this June 5-7 north of Toronto, Canada. The ABS Weekend is my premiere, and ONLY, personal development workshop of 2009, and people from all over the world will be attending. These 2.5 days with me will take your career and life to a whole new level of success and happiness! For more information on The ABS Weekend, please click here.

To participate in the contest, simply click here and follow the simple directions. And as a bonus for participating in this contest, I want to give you, for FREE, my latest documentary “Two Days in NYC”. Simply input your name and email address where asked (http://www.robinsharma.com/dc-abs) and I’ll give you the free download. This contest is video-based, and requires a video submission to be considered for The ABS Weekend grand prize.

I know many might be scared off with shooting their own video, and sharing it with everyone. But that’s the thing, everyone needs to break through, be bold, and lead the pack! Fancy editing, graphics, and music is not required – in fact I’d probably prefer otherwise. So start shooting, be raw and original. Can’t wait to see everyone’s great work!

The good news never ends and lucky for us or we’d run out of material to share with you in our weekly Good News Report. Today’s report covers a super healthy and flexible 83-year-old granny, a man who treats his mugger to a meal and little girl who gets mail from God!

Good News Links For May 15, 2009:

1. Supergran proves yoga keeps you young and fit. (Source: Mail Online)
2. God lives in the post office. (Source: Dog News Daily)
3. Digital Samaritans crop up on the Net. (Source: The New York Times)
4. Man takes his mugger out to lunch and gets his wallet back! (Source: StoryCorps)
5. Couple and community creates a fun beach program for inter-city kids. (Source: Reader’s Digest)

To share your feel-good stories, email us at goodnews {at} dailychallenge {dot} org.

For those of you just joining us in this guest post series, we’re talking about the power of giving. Do Gooder, motivational specialist and movie enthusiast, Emmanuel Lopez, shares with us his favourite movies that inspire giving.

Here are 3 more films from my list of 15 movies to inspire you to be a more thoughtful, altruistic person:

4) Evan Almighty 2007

This comedy starring Steve Carell has a great message about changing the world one act of random kindness at a time. The other powerful messages in this movie may also inspire you to have better relationships in your life.

5) Ghost Town 2008

Ricky Gervais’s character is a self-centered, selfish, people-hating dentist who is forced to change after a near-death experience. You get to see how he becomes a more thoughtful human being when he starts to help the spirits of dead people find closure with loved ones they left behind.

6) Groundhog Day 1993

This is one of my top favourite movies and it’s about Bill Murray’s character who starts off as a self-absorbed, thoughtless weather reporter who is magically forced to live the same day over and over again. The only way he can break free of this pattern is to change his mindset, think of others first and commit random acts of kindness.

Let these movies help you visualize how you can give to someone today! And see next blog post for more movie descriptions from films that show the power of giving.

See Part 1 for complete list of movies

Emmanuel Lopez aka Motivatorman is an award-winning illustrator, recording artist and motivational specialist. The Washington Post has featured his blog as a recommended resource for motivational tips and inspiring movie examples. Emmanuel offers empowering keynotes and seminars to organizations to help build optimistic mindsets during the current economic challenges. More info: www.motivatorman.com

Come back to the Do Gooder Daily one week from today for Part 4 of 15 Inspiring Movies About Giving.

When Dee Turner, Do Gooder and friend, forwarded us this video of a sing-along and said it was perfect for the Do Gooder Daily, I was skeptical. But I was so wrong! I couldn’t help but feel the positive vibe and sense of community, and the song’s so good I caught myself singing, too!

If you want a little pick-me-up today, check out this 4 minute video of people gathered at Trafalger Square singing “Hey Jude” by the Beetles, shot two weeks ago on April 30:

Thanks for this inspiring video, Dee!

Who wants to hear some good news? Who doesn’t?! The news with a positive twist always lifts me up, just like inspiring movies about giving make me want to give! That’s why I love researching and writing these weekly Good News Reports.

Here in the 7th installment, we give you an example of technology, as well as a bank and student, doing good. There’s also a heart-tugging story on birthdays for homeless children and a book review that may help you change the world in a very specific way.

Good News Links For May 8, 2009:

1. Charity focuses on celebrating the birth of homeless children. (Source: boston.com)
2. A bank who does good - and is succeeding because of it! (Source: reuters.com)
3. Technology helps increase the quality of life for a turtle. (Source: msn.com)
4. Eckhart Tolle suggests we can contribute to the world by practising peace. (Source: odemagazine.com)
5. Twenty-four year old buys African orphanage. (Source: thesun.co.uk)

To share your feel-good stories, email us at goodnews {at} dailychallenge {dot} org.

Last week, we introduced fellow Do Gooder, Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman, and his thoughts on the power of giving. He has an exceptional gift for recognizing inspiring messages in movies and shared with us his list of films that illustrate the power of giving. The next 5 posts explain why these movies made the cut.

Here is the first group of 3 films from my list of 15 movies to inspire you to be a more thoughtful, altruistic person:

1) As Good As It Gets 1997

This movie shows how Jack Nicholson’s cranky, people-hating character transforms into showing more kindness and giving. It starts when he is forced to care for his neighbour’s dog who he hates at first but later opens his heart to and others around him.

2) Bed of Roses 1996

There’s an inspiring scene where Christian Slater’s character, a florist, demonstrates how great he feels to see someone’s face light up when they receive the flowers he is delivering.

3) Bicentennial Man 1999

Robin Williams’s character is an android programmed to serve others. His programming reveals that he is extra special and has a strong drive for self-improvement. This leads to amazing inventions that serve the human race in extending people’s lives.

Let these movies help you visualize how you can give to someone today! And see next blog post for 3 more movies that invoke the power of giving.

See Part 1 for complete list of movies

Emmanuel Lopez aka Motivatorman is an award-winning illustrator, recording artist and motivational specialist. The Washington Post has featured his blog as a recommended resource for motivational tips and inspiring movie examples. Emmanuel offers empowering keynotes and seminars to organizations to help build optimistic mindsets during the current economic challenges. More info: www.motivatorman.com

Come back to the Do Gooder Daily one week from today for Part 3 of 15 Inspiring Movies About Giving.

What do you love to do? What do you do well? Is there some way you can fuel your passions and contribute to the world at large?

If you doubt yourself, try watching this inspiring and motivating 3 minute video from 2007, Stir Your World: