I can do *that*!

If you are a:

• social services provider,
• advocate,
• teacher,
• parent,
• friend,
• educator,
• trainer,
• workshop facilitator,
• motivational facilitator,
• life coach,
• any kind of coach,
• volunteer,
• fundraiser,
• leader of any sort ....

...this is what you want your clients, audience, followers, and life associates to say to themselves,

"I can do that!"

Mitakuye Oyasin -- i remember ye

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifing rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star-shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there; I did not die.





poem source

What are you celebrating?

Whew!

Sometimes it is tuff keeping in focus.

I'm wildly flailing for my sword-in-the-stone.

Yesterday had some sweet moments and some horrid moments.

The upshot of it all is today it's a bit more effort on my part to pick up and go on.

Another day it will be easier.  Today?

Well, this morning I do a number of things to recognize, deal with, and move on, from the horrid moments. 

What can you afford to eat?

Homeless without a refrigerator?  With limited or no means to cook?  With limited or no funding to procure food?

Even with it's low-cost and ease of concocting, this won't help my peers still on the streets, unless I cook it for them.

However, it's much needed -- not only by my street peers but for folks like me who are low- and below-poverty-income.  So if you volunteer at a shelter by bringing in food, consider that all it takes to bring in fresh produce is:  awareness, judicious shopping, and willingness to spend your love in the time it takes to prepare/transport/serve.

Surprise!  It's also beneficial for those who are not in an income crunch.

The dish I outline here is called "what do I do with the stuff I could afford to buy?" sauce and entree/sidedish.

May I? (cool activities near LA in May)

Heartbroken not to be going to Ren Faire yet again, this year due to lack of funds, especially with the BudWeiser Clydesdales being there this Saturday, May 5 ONLY from 1-3pm --

HOWEVER!

There are other places for those of us with little- to no-coin in our pockets!

And to these I will be going.  This is the first month I'll be participating in a number of things, despite the silliness of my darned CFS symptoms.  Whoot!  See ya there?


For instance:

VAWA - Violence Against Women Act , 2012

Victims of violence and abuse deserve protection--regardless of their ethnicity, immigration status or sexual orientation. Let your congress-person know you want the Violence Against Women Act passed!

Violence and Abuse is not gender specific.
Violence and Abuse is not culturally specific.
Violence and Abuse is not to be tolerated.

Because the VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) has language regarding same-sex partners, illegal immigrant escapers from abuse, and empowering American-Indian tribal authorities to prosecute abuses alleged to have happened on their reservations, it has become a "hot-item".

Homelessness, Family Well-Being & Youth Empowered for Success @sfcla

This is @sfcla's logo.
I've borrowed it from their site

Respect.  Non-judgmentalism (one of the few -isms I support! ::grin:: )  Helping each person create their full potential.

These are things that I look for.  In my actions and words towards others.  In their actions and words towards me.  And in organizations I feel you need to know about.

If you haven't met them, I want you to take a moment and read St. Francis Center's "About Us" web page.  Then go take a look at their Services page.  "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." -- Saint Francis of Assisi

On the twitter stream, you can find them at:

https://twitter.com/#!/sfcla

This is their FaceBook page:

http://www.facebook.com/sfcla

8 Simple Things You Can Do To #MakeADifference in the world, today.

In no specific order:

1)  Go smile at someone.  Anyone.  In fact ... do something drastic:  smile at EVERYone you see or think about today.


2)  Spread this thought:  "Nothing is so contagious as an example.  We never do great good or great evil without bringing about more of the same on the part of others."  Francois de La Rochefaucauld


3)  Peruse Kickstarter.com -- just look, you don't have to give anything.  Read about the many ways to Fund & Follow Creativity!



4)  Go spend some time exploring JustCoz.org; pick a cause to donate a tweet a day.



5)  Consider this possibility:  "An entirely new system of thought is needed, a system based on attention to people, and not primarily attention to goods ..."   E. F. Schumacher



6)  Re-read Desiderata.  Ponder it.  Here's a few links to get you started: http://www.fleurdelis.com/desiderata.htm or  http://strider333.blogspot.com/2005/10/desirada.html or read what I find to be an interesting set of thoughts on it: http://www.fleurdelis.com/desidera.htm


7)  Add your Vote today and once a day until the 28th of March here: http://www.youtube.com/nonprofitvideoawards?x=us_showcase_4653_50 to help my street peers and to give a chance to bring Robert's story to @YouTube's homepage by having it win a DoGooder award! 



8)  Breathe.

8a) Now ... take that a step further, whenever you are in a state of tension, anger or distress of any kind today, especially when you are kept waiting ... breathe and focus for a few moments only on your breathing.  The sound or silence of it.  The inbreath.  The exhale.  The slowness or fastness of it.  How many complete breaths you participate in during one minute.

Then return to whatever it is you are doing along with your breathing, letting your breath subside once again into the rhythm of your day.