Transforming Our World — Micro to Macro
Each seemingly small yet positive move forward in thought and action possesses true transforming power.
Building upon that with other such moments will significantly improve your overall life and the world around you.
"A defining human trait
is the capacity to be more skilled, more resilient, more nurturing, and more tolerant than we are at any given moment." (1)
What can each family do to foster a soulful center and prevent its absence’s negative ripple
effects in the world at large? All positive, potentially widespread change can begin with us when
we as individuals and families commit to the challenge. Personal accountability, truth and humility are
the key.
Nelson Mandela eloquently addresses this issue:
"… The first thing
is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself...Great peacemakers
are all people of integrity, of honesty, [of] humility." (2)
NOTE: There is a related Stephen R.
Covey quote in green type near the upper right corner of the following page: http://www.qualityoflifenews.com/id5.html
Howard Zinn on Hope
“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic.
It is based on the fact that history is not only a history of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage,
and kindness. And if we do act in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopia
in the future. The future is a succession of presents. And to live now as we think human
beings should live in defiance of all that is bad around us is itself is a marvelous victory.”
Famous Developmental Psychologist Urie Brofenbrenner on the Family
When a family unit functions well,
it is the most “elegantly designed social service system.”
"21 hours: Why a shorter working week can help us
all to flourish in the 21st century."
So compellingly asserts nef (the
new economics foundation) of the United Kingdom. Here is more of their innovative concept:
“Moving towards
much shorter hours of paid work offers a new route out of the multiple crises we face today. Many of us are consuming well
beyond our economic means and well beyond the limits of the natural environment, yet in ways that fail to improve our well-being
– and meanwhile many others suffer poverty and hunger…A ‘normal’ working week of 21 hours could help
to address a range of urgent, interlinked problems: overwork, unemployment, over-consumption, high carbon emissions, low well-being,
entrenched inequalities, and the lack of time to live sustainably, to care for each other, and simply to enjoy life.”
http://www.neweconomics.org/sites/neweconomics.org/files/21_Hours.pdf
Frank Outlaw On The Ripple Effects of Language
"Watch your thoughts; they become your words. Watch your words; they become your actions. Watch
your actions; they become your habits. Watch your habits; they become your character. Watch your character; it
becomes your destiny."
Benjamin Zander On Our Collective
Future
The conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra asserts: "The symphony orchestra
is the ultimate metaphor for our collective future: the aim of the orchestra is not to win, but to make sure every voice is
heard."
The Global Empathy Movement
The Empathic
Civilization by Jeremy Rifkin is "the first book to explore how empathetic consciousness restructures the ways
we
* organize our personal lives
* approach knowledge
* pursue science
and technology
* conduct commerce and governance
* orchestrate civil society
The development of this empathetic consciousness is essential to creating a future where we think and behave like the whole
world matters." Quoted from the Teach Empathy website
Get more information now and view a video lecture by Jeremy Rifkin.Link to the book:http://www.amazon.com/Empathic-Civilization-Global-Consciousness-Crisis/dp/1585427659
On a related topic, read about "The Top 10 Insights from the Science of a Meaningful Life in 2012."
Do You Burn Fires in Your Fireplace as Responsibly as You Could Be?
For example, if you choose to use Duraflame firelogs instead of traditional firewood,
here's what you'll accomplish:
* Save trees, since no trees are cut down to produce Duraflame firelogs, and
they're made with 100% recycled/renewable resources
* Over a 3-4 hour period, 80% less fine particulate matter
up your chimney and into the air
* 75% less carbon monoxide
* 90% less hazardous air pollutants
* 70% less greenhouse gas emissions than gas fireplaces or gas logs
You'll significantly help the
environment plus the many individuals with respiratory problems in your area.
For more information:
http://www.duraflame.com
AIR POLLUTION & ASTHMA
 An excellent online resource is the website
for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: http://www.aaaai.org/(1) Joann Ellison Rodgers, Psychology Today article,
November/December 2006 issue, page 74.
(2) Nelson Mandela as quoted on the Oprah Winfrey website.
If you're curious to know all
the ways in which having an "Eco-Mind" is more socially responsible and might just save the world, visit this
other page on our website:
http://www.qualityoflifenews.com/id6.html
NOTE: Text for the 'Transforming' section above is excerpted from the book: "Inspirations for Thriving
in Our Troubled World." See the Products page of this website for more information.
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DID
YOU KNOW?
*
"It is easy to choose between right and wrong. But to choose the greater of two goods or the lesser of
two evils...those are the choices of our life." —
From the 2006 film "Fanaa" (from India)
* "We are all agents of transfiguration.
Go forth and transform your personal relationships, your community, your world, so it becomes hospitable to joy, to justice,
to freedom, to peace."
—
Desmond Tutu, March 6, 2011
Strategic
Consumer Activism Made Simple
If you have always wanted to use products
that you're sure have positive health, environmental, and social impacts, there is now a way.
University
of California at Berkeley and its expert partners have developed a revolutionary consumer tool known as GoodGuide.
You can check out their website at www.goodguide.com.
If you're unable to make the significant time commitment to research and actually locate
highly-rated products, consider having us do the job for you. Just click on the link below to find out all the details
about how we can make your consumer activism—and caring for your family on a new level—a whole lot simpler.
More information about "Personalized Healthy & Eco Products Reports" here: www.qualityoflifenews.com/id9.html
There are also socially responsible ways in which you can ensure that the gifts
you select like chocolate, flowers, and jewelry are not linked to exploitation: http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/dont-be-stupid-cupid-how-to-show-your-love-responsibly
Easy Steps You Can Take Today to Combat Sexism
As quoted from the commited group at MissRepresentation.org:
1. Tell 5 people
about the film and share the trailer: http://bit.ly/MissRepTrailer
2. Parents—watch TV and films with your children. Raise questions like “What if that character
had been a girl instead?”
3. Remember your actions influence others. Mothers, aunts and loved ones—don’t
downgrade or judge yourself by your looks. Fathers, uncles and loved ones—treat women around you with respect. Remember
children in your life are watching and learning from you.
4. Use your consumer power. Stop buying tabloid magazines
and watching shows that degrade women. Go see movies that are written and directed by women (especially on opening weekend
to boost the box office ratings). Avoid products that resort to sexism in their advertising.
5. Mentor others!
It’s as easy as taking a young woman to lunch. Start by having open and honest conversations with a young person in
your life.
You are now dialed into a national movement to stand up to sexism and challenge the media's limiting
portrayals of gender. Together we will make a huge impact on contemporary society.
For more information, visit
www.MissRepresentation.org. If you'd like to go straight to the statistics behind this critical issue,
click here: www.MissRepresentation.org/resources/
Modern Abolitionist Movement Currently Building
There are some 27 million slaves in the world today, more than in any other time in human
history. Find out about the documentary film CALL+RESPONSE, and what you can do to help.
* Sex slaves
(a startling number under age 10)
* Labor slaves
* Child soldiers* Child slaves
www.callandresponse.com
"Justice is what love looks like in public." — Cornel West
"Changing a life begins with a single step."
— Blake Mycoskie, Founder of TOMS Shoes
I am ashamed
to say that I didn't know that most children in developing countries grow up barefoot. The fact that they have no shoes results
in many negative impacts, not the least of which is their exposure to soil-transmitted parasites which are the leading
cause of disease and often amputation in many countries.
The TOMS Shoes company donates one pair of new shoes
for every pair purchased. As of January 2010, TOMS Shoes has supplied 400,000 pairs of shoes to needy children
around the world.
"Conscious capitalism" and social change at its best: http://www.tomsshoes.com/content.asp?tid=227
Organ & Tissue Donation
FACT:
"Your
organ donation could save the lives of eight people, and your tissue donation could enhance the lives of another 50 people."
— www.DonateLifeCalifornia.org
Three of our family members are registered future organ and tissue donors. Do consider
the gift of donation yourself today.
For more information about becoming an organ
and tissue donor: http://OrganDonor.gov/
A transplant resources website: http://www.surgicaltechnologist.net/resources/surgical-information-transplant-resources/
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"I wanted you to know that as someone putting together some
resources on organ transplants, your page was really helpful. Thanks!"
— Melinda M., emailed comment
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