We all need a boost to our "feel good" vibes, especially during this particularly trying time in our history. We need real stories about how the human spirit triumphed and continues to triumph in the face of overwhelming odds. I know of two such stories.
The first is of a remarkable man named Nick Vujicic. Nick was born without arms or legs. An international motivational speaker and founder of the non-profit organization, Life Without Limbs, Nick is shown in this short video golfing, eating, swimming, and inspiring a group of school kids with his story. After watching Nick in action, you'll experience an enormous feeling of hope for all people and gratitude for your own life. Thank you Nick for sharing your story! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MslbhDZoniY
The second amazing person is Brad Cohen. When Brad was 6 yrs. old he started making strange noises and having body tics -- neither of which could he control. School was a nightmare for Brad as he was cruelly teased and punished for his behavior. At the age of 10, Brad was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, a neurological disorder that effects 200,000 Americans. Eventually Brad decides to become a teacher -- "the teacher he never had," but found no one would hire him. After being turned down by 24 schools, Brad is finally given a chance and goes on to win Georgia's First Class Teacher of the Year Award. You can watch Brad's inspirational true story (Hallmark's FRONT OF THE CLASS) on CBS, Sunday evening (Dec. 7, 2008) at 9 pm ET/PT. Or read his book Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had
http://www.amazon.com/Front-Class-Tourette-Syndrome-Teacher/dp/1889242241/ref=ed_oe_h
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
I love CBS Sunday Morning
I'm not much of a TV watcher. In fact, I'm more of a believer that too much television time, especially of a violent nature including our "news" programs, is very damaging to our psyche. And so is most of our advertising as it leads to a belief that our very health and happiness depends on their product. Without their product our lives are somehow less than what they should be.
Little by little this type of neediness for material goods and quick fixes, combined with a steady diet of negative news and television programs, brainwashes us into believing the world is a very bad place and everyone in it is out to get us in one way or another. We begin to believe that no one cares about anyone or anything, so our reasoning becomes guided more and more by a twisted "why should we care" attitude.
Of course we don't consciously realize that that's what's happening to us. The evidence seems so convincing. Our conversations are peppered with all the woes of the world and the nightly news confirms it. Even as I write about this stuff I feel myself become agitated and depressed. It seems just thinking about the Black Friday Wal-Mart stampede, or the economic crisis is enough to cause me real anger and sadness for what appears to be a genetic flaw in the human race as a whole -- that we stubbornly refuse to evolve into the magnificence of who we truly are and recognize this same magnificence in everyone we see.
It's so easy to fall into this debilitating trap. It's so easy to believe in this type of insane, fear-based reality.
But don't you do it.
In this season of giving, give yourself the gift of a peaceful heart and with peace comes sanity. Come to the realization that not everyone on the planet is bad, nor is your life bad in every way. Many, many more people do good in this world than those relatively few misguided people who bring hurt upon themselves and others. There is sanity is this world and there is much beauty everywhere if you're willing to see it.
And so finally I get to my point: Thank God for the sanity of CBS Sunday Morning--consistent stellar programming in every way. I always feel overwhelmingly good about the human race each time I watch it. Today's show honored the true spirit of Thanksgiving by offering the Sunday Morning version of what they called an "antidote" for the bombardment of negative news. In a three-part segment titled "The Good News," I learned of three extraordinary people determined to make a positive difference in this world. Here's the link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/09/sunday/main13562.shtml
By watching these stories I found myself smiling, my eyes brimming with tears of pride and new found hope for our planet, and a burning desire to do better myself in my own thoughts and actions. Watch CBS Sunday Morning.
Little by little this type of neediness for material goods and quick fixes, combined with a steady diet of negative news and television programs, brainwashes us into believing the world is a very bad place and everyone in it is out to get us in one way or another. We begin to believe that no one cares about anyone or anything, so our reasoning becomes guided more and more by a twisted "why should we care" attitude.
Of course we don't consciously realize that that's what's happening to us. The evidence seems so convincing. Our conversations are peppered with all the woes of the world and the nightly news confirms it. Even as I write about this stuff I feel myself become agitated and depressed. It seems just thinking about the Black Friday Wal-Mart stampede, or the economic crisis is enough to cause me real anger and sadness for what appears to be a genetic flaw in the human race as a whole -- that we stubbornly refuse to evolve into the magnificence of who we truly are and recognize this same magnificence in everyone we see.
It's so easy to fall into this debilitating trap. It's so easy to believe in this type of insane, fear-based reality.
But don't you do it.
In this season of giving, give yourself the gift of a peaceful heart and with peace comes sanity. Come to the realization that not everyone on the planet is bad, nor is your life bad in every way. Many, many more people do good in this world than those relatively few misguided people who bring hurt upon themselves and others. There is sanity is this world and there is much beauty everywhere if you're willing to see it.
And so finally I get to my point: Thank God for the sanity of CBS Sunday Morning--consistent stellar programming in every way. I always feel overwhelmingly good about the human race each time I watch it. Today's show honored the true spirit of Thanksgiving by offering the Sunday Morning version of what they called an "antidote" for the bombardment of negative news. In a three-part segment titled "The Good News," I learned of three extraordinary people determined to make a positive difference in this world. Here's the link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/09/sunday/main13562.shtml
By watching these stories I found myself smiling, my eyes brimming with tears of pride and new found hope for our planet, and a burning desire to do better myself in my own thoughts and actions. Watch CBS Sunday Morning.
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