Quote of the Day: Be the light!
There are two ways of spreading light:
To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
~Edith Wharton
Inspiration...Beware, It's Contagious! by Ronnie Battista
A few years ago, when I was in-between jobs, I vividly recall what a difficult and stressful time it was. Having a good network of contacts, I expected that many of the friends and colleagues I worked with would be there to lend a hand. Many of those that I expected would be there weren't, but what was interesting was the few folks that weren't really 'close' to me that were there for me. It wasn't that they were getting me job interviews or connecting me with others. It was more the simple recognition that knew I existed and was in a tough spot. They would reach out every now and then with an email or phone call to see how I was doing, offer an encouraging word, etc... Small act, big impact.
I was very fortunate that this period was before the 2008 downturn and relatively brief, but it left me with a profound recognition that I could and should do the same for others. From then on, I resolved to pay it forward whenever I could, whether that was direct involvement in helping someone find their next career (I have at least 16 of them now!), or simply keeping in touch and encouraging those that were still looking.
So earlier this year when a friend of Facebook posted Life Vest Inside's "One Day" video, it hit home (and not only because it was filmed about 2 miles from my house!). If you're reading this I'm assuming that the impact it had on you was similar to mine. The idea of small acts of kindness - and how simple it is to "pay it forward" - resonated instantly with me.
After seeing the video, I went to this site, found out Orly was the inspiration behind this movement, and reached out to her directly. Orly and I talked on the phone, and agreed to meet in person. Coincidentally, during the same time my son came home from school and told me his teacher asked them to watch a video that was filmed it Red Bank about kindness. Yep, it was Life Vest Inside!
Orly and I met, and seeing the vision she had for LVI was in itself an inspirational experience for me. If you've spent 5 minutes with her I'm sure I don't need to explain. Her openness, compassion and conviction is infectious. Case it point: Our meeting happened right around my birthday, and when I got home that night I saw the nice card sent by my Aunt (which she sends every year like clockwork). I ashamed to admit that I never really called to thank her over the years. But, after meeting Orly, she told me a story about how someone she gave an Act of Kindness card to call his parents. I knew I needed to do the same, so I called my Aunt to thank her. Not just for this year's thoughtful card, but for all the cards she's sent. We caught up on things for about a half hour, during which I explained to my aunt that it was Life Vest Inside that was the inspiration behind it. Afterward my mother called to tell me how happy my aunt was to get my call, how it really made her feel good. Such an easy thing to do, but I had neglected to for so many years. This works.
A simple story, to be sure, but I think that's the point. To me, what Life Vest Inside is all about is simple kindness. There's no script, no "10 point plan" system, no book to read on 'how' to be kinder. Life Vest Inside challenges us to be mindful of, and celebrate, that we're connected to so many people. And that ultimately each of us has the power to do small things that can improve the well-being of others.
My involvement with LVI has only recently begun, and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to participate in building an organization that is designed to make the world a better place. I'm proud to work with Orly and Life Vest Inside. If you haven't yet, I hope you'll consider how you can participate in this LVI mission. We're all very busy, so that might not be possible. But at the very least if you've read this far you're already finding opportunities to spread kindness.
Consider this: What's one thing act of kindness you can do today? Holding that door open? Smiling at someone who you see clearly needs one? Calling someone you love to tell them they are important to you? Commit to doing just one of these today. It's that easy.
Thanks for reading!
Ronnie Battista
Ronnie Battista leads the UX practice at Slalom's NYC office. Slalom Consulting brings business and technology expertise together to help companies drive enterprise performance, accelerate innovation, enhance the customer experience, and increase employee productivity. The firm delivers award-winning solutions in areas such as business intelligence, mobility, and cloud through a national network of local offices across 10 North American cities.
Ronnie, I am touched, honored, and humbled by your beautiful heart felt words. I can’t begin to express my gratitude for all the ways you have offered to lend a hand to Life Vest Inside.
Ronnie has gone above and beyond the call of duty to reach out to everyone and anyone he knows to help Life Vest Inside flourish and truly reach great heights. I am honored to have him as a member of Life Vest Inside’s Advisory Board and I look forward to the great things we will achieve together as a team.
Ronnie, there are not enough words to offer my sincere thanks.
With kindness, love and a whole lotta respect
Your fan,
Orly Wahba
My Call for Help! Reaching out to Ellen Degeneres!
A Call for Help! To all of our AMAZING supporters out there, if there's one thing I believe it's that each person in this world can truly make a difference. So imagine if we came together in one united front? We can most certainly ROCK this WORLD with KINDNESS! PLEASE read this post fully and share with others!
We all know the value of kindness and its importance. Life Vest Inside isn't simply about inspiring people, it's about guiding people to a better tomorrow. We are all about bringing back HUMAN CONNECTION to the world; taking people out of their "I" world and increasing their awareness to those around them. But, LVI needs your help! Sure, there are many obstacles that come our way, but I for one and giving everything I got and I won't quit because I love and believe too much in people to give up.
I just received the following message today from Philip Murphey:
You guys need to be on Ellen, with your commercial, and your message. Seems like something she'd dig. Love, kindness, compassion, forgiveness; these are the highest expressions of humanity.
____
Philip, that would be AMAZING! The message of LVI has up until this point magically spread all on its own - it has traveled across the globe. But, now it's time to bring it to the next level. For that I need every person to help out by spreading our message. I've tried several times to reach out to Ellen Degeneres. I know how strongly she speaks against bullying and so many programs have been implemented as ANTI bullying, but guys they MISS the point! These “anti-bullying solutions” are just band-aids; covering up the wound but never dealing with the reasons those issues came into existence.
Bullying is not the only issue plaguing society today. Hatred, poverty, war, crime, depression, suicide, fear, hopelessness, and unemployment are just a few of the vast amount of global social issues effecting today's society. WHY?? Simple - because people don't recognize just how AMAZING and powerful they are. There are way too many people walking around with no sense of confidence or self-esteem - all you have to do is look into a person's eyes and you can see that. This absolutely kills me, because when I look into someone's eyes I see such an amazing beauty, the potential they have, the kindness that exists in their hearts. And it pains me that so many don't see it in themselves. As a teacher, I didn't just teach my students facts and figures, rather I taught them to see the beauty and strength within themselves and the results were SPECTACULAR!
Life Vest Inside is a preventative program aiming to foster self-esteem and self-value in the hearts and minds of both children and adults whose lack of such has led to social unrest and a state of hopelessness that the world has not seen in many years.
I left my job of 7 years to dedicate every moment to this initiative because I KNOW it can make a difference and the friendships and bonds I've created with so many of you out there from all parts of the globe through this organization proves that. LVI has SO much in store for you guys. If one film was able to inspire love and kindness in the hearts of so many, imagine what LVI can be capable of. WE are initiating a KINDNESS REVOLUTION: our revolution doesn't require the use of weapons, or anger, or hatred, or negativity. Our revolution calls upon the power of positive energy; the magical power of kindness; the magical power locked within every single person in this world. If you are HERE, that means that you have a purpose - you are so much more important than what you think. And if you allow society or the trends of the day to make you think otherwise - you are being cheated out of seeing your potential!
Let's bring back human connection to this world; let's bring back that innocence of childhood that allows us to feel like we can make a difference, that the world in fact is a wonderful place. That dreamer, that believer, that optimist is still there within you. Filter through all the negativity, throw away all the pain, remove the darkness - and you'll begin to see the wonderful light you have within you. Help Life Vest Inside show you! I hope to help you see yourselves through my eyes - because when I look at people I can't help but smile, I can't help but love them.
So how can you help? Let's get the word out there. Since Philip brought this up - let's try and reach one figure on one united front. The figure - ELLEN DEGENERES! How? Raise your voice by writing to her. Click on the link, send her a letter online, tweet her, message her on FB with a link to our film - whatever it is let's do it! Tell her why you feel Life Vest Inside is so important! Let's prove that together we can make some noise, that we can make a difference by raising our voice to STAND FOR KINDNESS! Let's not just speak out against the negative things in the world, that's just going to draw more negativity. Instead, let's speak PRO KINDNESS, positive words, positive affirmations. Just as the saying goes, you can attract more bees with honey.
There is no such thing as a bad person - there are only bad actions! But, if you speak to the core of person you CAN remove that darkness that has led them to those bad actions. Difficult? YES! IMPOSSIBLE - NO!!!
So what do you say? Instead of fighting against the negative, let's support the positive and trust me if we go about it correctly, eventually the negative things will cease to exist. Throughout history, the world has tried it by going the first route. Obviously that route hasn't worked! Let's try something different. We can't just put a band aid on things, we need to stop it at the source. KINDNESS, LOVE, COMPASSION, RESPECT, SELF-WORTH - these are our tools! These need to be our weapons!! Not guns, not anger, not war! They don't get us anywhere but spur more guns, more anger, more war.
I apologize for the length of this post. I started writing and it just poured out. I am speaking because I care SO much and doing what I do on a daily basis increases my love, appreciation and respect for people to such a great extent. I believe in LVI and more importantly I believe in YOU, I hope that you can believe in Me!
Podcast with Founder and CEO, Orly Wahba
Learn more about Life Vest Inside and the inspiration behind how it all began from Founder Orly Wahba in this special podcast interview from Hispanic MPR.
Give and Receive With Two Hands by Travis Hellstrom
This is a guest blog post by Travis Hellstrom, author of Enough and founder of Advance Humanity. I must add Travis is a great friend, a source of inspiration, and truly one of a kind.
“Hold a true friend with both hands.” ~Kanuri proverb
In Mongolia, the country I have lived in for 4 years (including 3 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer), special things are done with two hands. People give gifts with two hands, receive gifts with two hands, greet each other with two hands and welcome each other with tea held in two hands. These are sacred events, not casual activities you can brush off. The small things are sacred just like the big things are. When confronting life or death, the birth of a child or the death of a loved one, the event is also experienced fully by the community, not avoided or fearfully hidden away.
In my three years as a Volunteer here I took part in many ceremonies big and small: funerals, birthdays, greetings, visits, anniversaries, festivals and weddings - including my own wedding. One thing that always fascinated me and gave me enormous appreciation for Mongolian culture was how gifts are given. In America I'm used to receiving gifts. If it's your birthday you get presents, you get cards, you get "Happy Birthday!" all day long. If it's your wedding you create a registry, or several, so people know exactly what presents you want and then bring them to you on your special day.
In Mongolia, you give presents. At your wedding, you give presents. If someone in your family dies, you give presents to the people who come to the funeral. At a house warming party you give presents to the people that visit. As a sign of appreciation, celebration, and love for the people who support and love you, you give with two hands.
As Life Vest Inside reminds us everyday, our lives are full of sacred moments. Even the food we eat required months and years of very hard work, and likely traveled for thousands of miles before it got to us. It required thousands of people to plant, grow, harvest, produce, ship, package, cart, scan, deliver, present and prepare it before you can bite into it. And that's just food. Every day each of us engages in sacred moments that deserve our full attention, a two-handed approach to life. If it's going to fast, it's okay to slow yourself down. Don't just hand your bills between two fingers while looking the other way. Don't ignore those who make your happy, healthy life possible. Don't brush these things off as small things. All of them matter, just like every single breath we breathe matters. They are what make life possible. They are what make life worth living.
Travis is founder of Advance Humanity, the first Kindness Partner of Life Vest Inside. He is also author of Enough, which was published this month. You can download it for any price at WorldChangingGuides.com.
Photo: Travis's grandmother and niece in Mongolia
Act of the Day: The Power of a Greeting
Greet a doorman or tollbooth collector warmly and wish him a nice day.
A kind greeting goes a long way!
Guest Blog Post: Kindness is Contagious by David Gaz
Last week I received an email from a man by the name of David Gaz. David had seen Life Vest Inside's Kindness Boomerang and was inspired by our message.
Realizing that his venture was closely tied to Life Vest Inside he reached out and sent me and email about a film he has just finished up titled, Kindness is Contagious. David, I couldn't agree more! Let's show him our support. Below is a brief description of the project with links to view the trailer and learn more.
Good Virus is a feel-good documentary that’s all about being nice and the benefits of being nice. They profile cutting-edge scientists and authors from Berkeley to Harvard and everywhere in between as well as real life people whose lives illustrate their incredible discovery: That kindness IS contagious.
The shocking conclusion is that nice guys do indeed finish first!
Watch Good Virus and learn how a little generosity can help you live a happier, healthier, wealthier, longer and more fulfilling life. Check out our trailer.
Good Virus has already been filmed, edited and is currently being submitted to film festivals. They're raising money through Kickstarter to cover the cost of finishing the film professionally which includes final sound mix, the music mix and color correction.
David Gaz is an award-winning creative director, photographer and filmmaker. His clients include Levi's, Disney, Sony, IBM and Discover. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
Thank you David for sharing your project with us. On behalf of Life Vest Inside, we wish you much luck and success as you take steps towards bringing more kindness into the world.
An Email that Made My Day! (feedback from the Mission Day)
This past week, I emailed Life Vest Inside volunteers asking them to send me their feedback about our Kindness Mission Day in which we painted for Habitat for Humanity. I received one of the most touching and heartfelt emails that not only made my day, it made my year! I'd like to share it with you.
Thank you Estee for your beautiful words - they mean more than you know…
When Orly Wahba asked me to write a review of the day I spent volunteering for habit for humanity I could of written wonderful things about the day I spent painting and getting dirty to bring a smile to the faces of dancers at the non-profit. However I've decided to write about Orly and what it means to be a beacon of kindness.
Orly, from the first moment u meet her is a moving example of her message of spreading kindness. When she approached me, our first meeting, she eloped me in a hug. She greeted every volunteer with a smile and genuine interest in whatever they had to say, firing away questions and bringing smiles to everyone eavesdropping. With Orly, we became a team, interacting together, all strangers coming together for a common goal.
While I left my day feeling tired from all the painting, what I really learnt was how much we can learn from Orly, the living example of spreading kindness and smiles. It made me realize how we could all be a bit like Orly, all reach out to someone a bit more, all show interest in something beyond our lives. Our day of kindness taught me that beyond dedicating time to volunteer, we can spread the kindness through the simplest of acts throughout our day with only a little effort.
Thank you so much! Have a great day!
Estee Salem
An email like this one just goes to show you the power of words. Estee, you’re words have filled me with the energy I need to continue doing what I do.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Kindness Mission Day: A day dedicated to turning inspiration into ACTION
On Friday, March 2nd a small, yet dedicated team of Life Vest Inside volunteers ventured out of the comfort of their world and volunteered their time to paint a few rooms for a non-profit organization with Habitat for Humanity.
We arrived at the location in high spirits ready to get down to business. It was the first time I’ve ever volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and I didn’t know what to expect.
We were greeted in such a friendly manner, got our instructions, and set out to get the rooms painted! Fun is an understatement – painting was a blast! But, for me the thing that stuck out the most was the wonderful people I had the opportunity to meet for the very first time that day. At the site, Life Vest Inside had a team of 8 volunteers but there were other volunteers who had come on their own, to donate their time to Habitat for Humanity.
I LOVE people, that’s no secret. I love meeting new people, learning about who they are and what makes them special. And so I began conversing with the people there, both those who volunteered through Life Vest Inside and those who volunteered on their own. As the day progressed and I got to know them more and more, I was filled with a sense of gratitude for the fact that my path crossed with theirs. I knew that friendships were forming right there and then. And I felt fortunate to be part of something so wonderful.
I can say with great confidence that each person I met taught me something and inspired me in his or her own special way.
As I continued conversing with the people there I was taken aback to hear that almost every person shared one common thread; they were out of a job or in between jobs. I was touched to see, that people, who some would say, were down on their luck and things weren’t going quite as planned managed to find great strength from within and donate their time to such a notable and noteworthy cause in spite of the fact that they were out of a job. Just goes to show that no matter what, we always have something to give. It may not come from our pockets, but it’s coming from somewhere far better – our hearts!
Before I left, I scanned the rooms we painted, took a deep breath and smiled. Through brushes of kindness, life was restored to the once barren colorless walls.
I would like to extend my gratitude to those I met that day for opening up and sharing their story with me. We may have walked into the building as strangers, but we left as great friends! Each person, with their own unique color left imprints on the walls of my heart.
Inspiring Email of the Week: Power Thoughts
I feel privileged to wake up each morning excited and enthusiastic to start the day; anxious to see who I received an email, message, or post from over the few hours I sleep at night. With each inspiring word I am reminded all over again why I set off on fulfilling my dream of turning Life Vest Inside into a global kindness revolution!
On this particular day, I received an email from Sylvia Hayes, a woman who amongst many things runs a talk show. Sylvia expressed interest in using the film as a PSA. I was honored to grant permission and thankful for the offer. I sent her some additional information about the organization and received a beautiful reply that made me feel fortunate that my path was meant to cross with Sylvia’s.
Hi Orly,
I got so excited when I read the info that you sent me. You see, I am a school bus driver, driving pre-k thru 12th grade. Every morning I do a 'Power Thought' for my middle school and high schoolers before I release them.
A Power Thought is a message which empowers them to do better in school, reminds them that they are their Brother's Keeper, reach for high goals, treat everybody with kindness, have a high self-esteem and respect for themselves.
Over the years kids have felt better about themselves, made more friends, stopped bullying, gotten better grades.....the list can go on and on. They even use the messages to help others.
My sister is a teacher in Mississippi and I got her started doing the power thoughts. Every morning we would exchange thoughts. One morning she called me and told me that one of her kids father who was a minister used one of her Power Thoughts in a sermon. That was exciting! The principle at her school now does one every morning over the intercom. A teacher at one of my schools has started doing it also after the students told her what I was doing on the bus. I don't have any fighting or disorderly conduct on my bus. Everybody is respectful and well behaved. It really works. I am so happy to see someone else on the same mission as I am. The babies are our future and we have to make sure that they do things right.
Love and Peace,
~Sylvia
Sylvia, I couldn’t agree more. One of the fundamental tools Life Vest Inside incorporates into our program is the idea of empowerment! Empowering people to see the beauty and potential within themselves for greatness!
Thank you for your beautiful and empowering email. Let us all seek ways to empower others on a daily basis through our words. Remember positive words can make someone’s day, but negative ones can ruin their lives. Which will it be?
Act of the Day: Listen
Take the time to really listen to your children.
They need you more than you think
Email of the Week! Words have the Power to make Someone's Day a Bit Brighter!
I'd like to share a great email a friend of Life Vest Inside sent my way. I must tell all of you that your words of inspiration and the way you reach out truly inspires me and gives me the energy I need to keep on going. I'm putting everything I have into Life Vest Inside and knowing that there are people out there making a change for better, makes every moment worthwhile!
I wish I could share all of the amazing emails I receive. A thank you goes out to Antoni from Indonesia for his heart felt email. Keep doing what you’re doing and you in turn will inspire others to follow your lead!
Hi Orly,
How are you?
You know what? Last night me and some of my friends watched "One Day" movie from Life Vest Inside and after we watched that movie, we made a decision to help everyone that we meet no matter who they are. And it's really amazing because one by one some of my friend, including me, already did a little kindness to other people who need help, even though they didn't ask for help....:) and it's such a beautiful moment :)
Cheers,
Antoni
Denpasar-Bali, Indonesia
Act of the Day: Test of Character
Stick up for someone even if they aren’t around; it's a true test of character! Be a Leader and pave the road for others to follow:)
You're Aces in my Book! The Time Square Brush with Kindness!
O boy do I have a story for you guys! Just last night I had an amazing experience in NYC - my very own Kindness Boomerang:) I had a great meeting Downtown in NYC with an amazing woman, Reba, who was willing to spend some time with me to offer some insights for Life Vest Inside. Just so happens Reba needed to catch a train at Penn Station.
I was honored to give her a ride and figured it would give me a chance to head to Time Square to check up on a cool street band I was looking to connect with for an upcoming flash mob. After dropping Reba off, I headed to Time Square. Everyone knows parking in that area isn't a walk in the park. Luckily, the kindness wheels were in motion and my path happened to cross with a kind hearted man by the name of Ace.
He was holding a large spot for a truck soon to come in. I asked him if I would be able to fit and still leave enough room for the truck. At first he didn't think it was possible and I smiled, thanked him anyway and began pulling forward. Ace waved me down and said with a big smile on his face, "You know what, go ahead -we'll make it work."
Now that's what I call Kindness! I told Ace about Life Vest Inside and handed him a card. I may have only needed the spot for a few moments, but the impression he left on me will remain with me always:)
Ace, one things for sure - you're ACES in my book!
