Teen Deck Kindness Cards Provide Bully Prevention Activities

Many of the Boom Boom! Teen Deck acts of kindness cards were designed with the topic of bullying in mind and with the hope that they could help end this continuing problem by preventing it in the first place. Most of us have seen bullying portrayed in films or on TV with a “kids will be kids” mentality or as a “rite of passage” that we all must endure, but anyone who’s been the target of bullying or witnessed it firsthand, knows that those images and experiences tend to make light of a very real form of anxiety for kids.

If you’ve ever been bullied, you may recall the dread you felt on the way to school, the depression, loneliness, low self-esteem, or physical illness you might have battled. The torment bullying victims feel makes it hard for them to focus in the classroom, adding a substantial challenge to learning, as well as taking away from the joy of childhood, which should be a happy, carefree time.

Never Too Young For Acts of Kindness Lessons

Many educators have found that using Boom Boom! Cards as a voluntary classroom activity focused on kindness renders the best results because the kids are authentically engaged when they chose to take part on their own. By starting with kindness lessons early on, there’s a better chance students will preserve and enhance their positive character traits as they grow-up. You can kick off the class collaborative kind acts by letting students choose the charity that will receive 10 % of the cards’ purchase price. Keep us updated on your progress so we can work to spread the awareness, and the solutions you discover.

Right now we’re happily following the posts from students in Aurora, CO who have been proud to showcase their success. They’ve completed a bunch of cards; here are just a couple examples:

Leave a note telling someone why the world is a better place with them in it…
http://boomboomcards.com/card/299/7173 – Teen Deck Card # 3

Thank the custodians for always keeping the school clean…
http://boomboomcards.com/card/318/7133 – Teen Deck Card # 21

Ask someone who is alone to join you…
http://boomboomcards.com/card/314/7118 – Teen Deck Card # 18

Bullying Prevention Programs Help the Cause

It seems that the possibilities of how the cards can be used by those Agents of Altruism in education are immeasurable. With dedication and teamwork, not only can we give children the courage to stop bullying, but also to prevent them from becoming a bully.

We’re more than happy to collaborate with you to create a bullying prevention program or plan for your school, so reach out with your questions. Let’s get started right away!

Tweet your thoughts and ideas @boomboomcards, or post on our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/boomboomcards.

Together we can make a difference! Thank you, and BOOM BOOM!

Let the count-up commence! We’ve got some extra energy around here lately because every time we turn around a new act of kindness post appears, bringing us ever closer to reaching the milestone of 5,000 act of kindness posts.

While we can vividly recall the very first one, it is a bit more difficult to wrap our heads around the notion that the 5000th post is actually just around the corner. We’re thrilled and want to express how very grateful we are to all of the members of the Boom Boom! Revolution who have helped it get this far.

If you’ve ever contemplated the idea of becoming a revolutionary yourself, now is an ideal time. Go ahead, uncover your innate altruism, and be part of changing the world with this passionate community of Boom Boomers!

One Act of Kindness Turns to Many Acts of Kindness

It’s hard to believe that it was just 2006 when the Boom Boom! Revolution was simply our shared idealist vision…a vision that turned out to be ‘not so simple.’ Still, we ventured forward, and our intentional acts of kindness cards were ready to go in the early part of 2007. The website creation followed in 2008 and officially launched in February of 2009.

Now, as we near this landmark, our belief is reaffirmed that what starts off as one act of kindness can grow exponentially. The 5000th Boom Boom! mark translates to 2,000 acts of kindness per year over the 2 ½ years since the introduction of http://boomboomcards.com. That’s approximately 39 kind acts a week, and who knows how many since the inception of the original cards!

We built this company on the hope to inspire an uprising of guerilla goodness, and are glad to see our efforts seem to be making a difference.

So, keep it up Agents! Continue to play and pass your Boom Boom! kindness cards, and help grow the uprising of guerilla goodness to 5,000 and beyond! We promise to sustain the vitality and innovation on our side as well. Together, we’re doing something that’s never been done before: creating a platform for kindness. Thank you for being a part of it!

In the meantime, we’ll be contemplating whom the 5000th Boom Boom! poster will be, and when the post will grace the pages of http://boomboomcards.com!

Come to think of it… Will it be you?

Share in our excitement by connecting with us on Twitter, http://twitter.com/#!/boomboomcards, or Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/boomboomcards.

We’re looking forward to sharing this moment with all of our fans and followers, especially our one-of-a-kind Agents of Altruism!

Thank you, and

Really? Health Benefits of Kindness? Says Who?

Examples are documented everywhere!

Medical experts have conducted studies to prove and evaluate the health benefits of kindness. Some of the after effects of an act of kindness can include a rush of euphoria, then a long period of calm, resulting in an elevated emotional condition and feelings of self-worth.

We recently read an account proclaiming that people who took time to volunteer in their community had fewer ailments and a longer life span than neighbors who did not. Another study focused on volunteers in their golden years. Seniors showed improved physical functioning after performing an act of kindness, such as reading to students or helping children with their reading skills.

Health benefits can even pass on to those who witness others performing acts of kindness. For example, one study noted a surge in immune system function after individuals watched a film about Mother Teresa.

An Act of Kindness Improves Health, Says Us!

A perfect act of kindness example was recently tweeted by Joy Keys, a member of Boom Boom! Revolution:

“Jul 15, 1:49pm -@joykeys: Just bought two people I didn’t know ice cream at Dairy Queen @boomboomcards.”

“Jul 15, 5:40pm – @joykeys: I felt pretty high after. Like all is well in the world. Put a smile on two people’s faces :-)”

With the simple purchase of ice cream Joy implemented the kindness idea on Boom Boom! Card #10 in the Original Deck, “Unexpectedly pick up the tab, even if it’s not a special occasion.” She gave herself a little dose of kindness therapy by playing Boom Boom!’s kindness cards, and shared the “natural medicine” of smiling, which we all know is highly contagious! But did you know that smiling also reduces stress, boosts the immune system, and lowers blood pressure? Yeah, we were happy to hear that too!

Don’t Believe the Experts? Or Us?

Well then, the only thing left to do is conduct your own study on the health benefits of kindness.

Study #1: Simply perform an act of kindness and record your feelings (post your story in the Boom Boom! community too!). You can observe the reaction of the receiver and try to take note of any individuals who observe the event as well.

OR

Study #2: Go bigger and gather teams of ‘do-gooders’ to execute acts on Boom Boom!’s kindness cards within the group; record the results and compare.

Whatever your preferred “scientific method,” please share your producers, findings and results! Tweet at us: @boomboomcards, and post on our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/boomboomcards.

Cheers to good health, and Boom Boom!

A nine hour ride to LA in Rosie the Boom Boom! Bus. Ran out of gas en route (dorks!). Went to a taping of “The Ellen Show”. Drove all over LA filming season two footage for “Journey to Ellen”. Spent two days handing out Boom Boom! Cards to some awesome celebrities. Made another nine hour drive back home, complete with a 2:00 AM traffic stop by the CHP (and although we had talked to Erik Estrada earlier that day, sadly, it was not him). And, did we mention the tarantula? Well, that will have to wait for another time.

Anyway, check out Hélène & Mary Beth, just before the doors opened, gettin’ ready to spread some Boom Boom!.

C’mom…who could resist?

Connected Emmys Gift Suite 2009 Photo Album

Here are some awesome photo highlights of the fabulous two days we spent at Connected’s Emmys Gift Lounge. It was hot. And we’re not talking degrees. Although it was almost a hundred both days, so, okay, maybe we are talking degrees. In any case, it was a pile of fun! We met some awesome people…from newcomers on the Hollywood scene, to familiar faces from some of the most beloved TV shows and movies of all time.

The best part? No matter the age of the star, the genre in which they performed or their “status”, they loved Boom Boom! Cards, one and all. You could see that they thought we were on to something and, truth be told, we think we are too. Boom Boom!

James Kyson Lee from “Heroes”

He was pretty impressed! Told us, “This is one of the better products I’ve seen at these things.” Thanks James! Boom Boom!

Michael Rady from the new “Melrose Place”.

Not only is this guy adorable, he was amazingly kind and down to earth. He loved the cards…and we loved him!

Colin Egglesfield from the new “Melrose Place”.

Great guy! He thought the whole idea was pretty cool.

Mary Beth with Angela Cartwright from “The Sound of Music” & TVs original “Lost in Space”.

Okay, so this is one of MB’s childhood idols, she played Brigitta in “The Sound of Music”, which is one of MB’s favorite movies. Watching it with over and over with her family as a child is one of MB’s great childhood memories. This was a cool moment.

Alexander Gould from “Weeds”.

Loved this kid! He was thoughtful, articulate and couldn’t wait to play his cards.

Mark Feuerstein from “Royal Pains” & “The Hustler”.

Such a nice man. Truly enjoyed his energy.

Brittany Curran from “Men of a Certain Age” with Ray Romano. This young woman has a very promising career ahead of her! She was great.

Danielle Petty in soon to be released movie, “Dead Air”. A truly genuine human being who spent almost twenty minutes talking with us! She was just fabulous.

Joel Gretsch from the newest version of the TV show “V”. He was a super cool guy with a great attitude.

David Henrie from “Wizards of Waverly Place” was way into the cards! He had all kinds of questions and was truly interested in what we were doing. Think he even said something like, “This is sick”, which we’re pretty sure is a good thing.

Dawn Wells from “Gilligans Island”. Yes, folks of a certain age, the real Mary Ann. How cool is that?

Dulé Hill from “West Wing” and, currently, “Psych” with his beautiful wife, Nicole.

Talk about cool. These two were not only cool, but genuinely nice and had only great things to say about the cards.

MB, from “Journey to Ellen”, with none other than THE Ed Asner. What else can you say? He’s an icon. From, “Mary Tyler Moore” to voicing the character Carl in Pixar’s “UP”, he’s practically a living legend.

And, he was as kind and fabulous as you’d think he would be. After hearing about what we were trying to do with Boom Boom! Cards, Mr. Asner (yes, that’s what we called him…just couldn’t say “Ed”) said, “Commendable work ladies.” Boom Boom!

Eric Martsolf from the soap ,”Days of our Lives”, was excited to bring these back to his wife because he new she’d love them. He said they’d do them together. How cute!

Jason Gray-Stanford from “Monk” was funny and very kind. He was so excited about the cards he took two packs!

Jay McCarroll, Season 1 winner of “Project Runway”. Now this guy was HILARIOUS and EXACTLY what you saw on the show. We had a great time yuckin’ it up with him.

Joe Mantegna from “Criminal Minds” is just one class act all around. Enjoyed meeting him.

Kathryn Newton from “Gary Unmarried” was adorable. She was so sweet and super excited to get her cards. Another young woman with a great career ahead of her.

Kristina Guerrero from “E! News” took some extra time with us, which was nice. She was certainly intrigued.

Kyle Kaplan & Nick Braun from “10 Things I Hate About You”. What a couple of characters! Loved them and their energy. They thought the cards were pretty, “Dope”.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner of “Cosby Show” fame has a new comedy TV show out this fall called “Sherri”.

Cannot say enough about this amazing guy. He was present, thoughtful, interested and, best of all, with his mom! After meeting Pam, it was easy to see why Malcolm was so dang awesome.

Nicole Anderson from new TV series “Jonas”. What a doll! Such a nice person and really excited about her cards.

Niecy Nash, correspondent for “The Insider” and host of “Clean House” on Style TV.

What a personality! She said she was going to take the cards and Boom Boom! everyone she knew. You go, Niecy!

RJ Mitte from “Breaking Bad” & Nikki Soohoo from the new movie “The Lovely Bones”, Starring Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon & Stanley Tucci.

How cute are these two? Answer? Boom Boom! Cute.

John Salley is tall. Really, reallly tall.

From the Pistons, to the Bulls to the Lakers, he is among the NBA’s great players and has played on some of the greatest teams. He was as cool and nice as he was tall. We were really honored to have him pose with the cards…we found out later he doesn’t always do that. Sweet.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Breakfast with Buddha and 1000 Days in Tuscany.

Both were food for the soul.

- Carolyn Hill

Omnivore’s Dilemma

- @kellymaynash via twitter

The Richest Kids in America, One-Minute Millionaire & Cracking the Millionaire Code (and, as always, Think & Grow Rich).

- Honorée Corpron Corder

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon!!!

Best book I have read all year and can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

- Bryden Derber

How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer

Detailed and fascinating look at the processes your brain goes through down to the chemical reactions, the origins of and how evolution has affected these, etc. Highly recommended.

- David Scott

The Christopher Paolini books (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr)

They were my most enjoyable reading this summer. I still can’t get over the fact that he was 16 when he wrote the first book. That whole fantasy genre is usually not my cup of tea, but these are pretty good books. No food for the soul here, just regular old entertainment. :)

- Jeremy Couchman

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Well worth a read.

- @philkirby (via twitter)

Omnivore’s Dilemma:A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan.

It has really made me think about where my food comes from and what food I want to put in my body. Very eye-opening.

- Becky Heater-Emmons

Sarah’s Key.

I highly recommend it–a wonderfully done novel about WWII (told half in the current day and half as a historical novel).

- Heather Felsch

Five Finger Fiction by Brooks Sigler

- @Hippiechick68 (via Twitter)

What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis

- @AtYourLibrary (via Twitter)

I loved Sarah’s Key as well! Amazing book. I also enjoyed  Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink, can’t wait to read his other one, Drive. Plus, my usual summer book that I read every summer: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I tweak my mission statement every summer!

- Lphs Link Crew

The Book Thief

- Meredith Proost Johnson

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

An intellectual Dracula story. Lots of history and intrigue.

- Hélène Scott

I had a Kurt Vonnegut kinda summer. Loved Player Piano.

- Mary Thompson

Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston.

A gritty, ugly, antihero story about bad fortune and dark choices. Brilliant author, and I am devouring the rest of his works.

- Colin Killmer

I read It’s Superman by Tom De Haven

The novel takes place in the time period of Superman’s creation (1930s) – very cool look at Clark Kent/Superman/Luthor et al in that framework.

- Eric Stettmeier

The Power of Kindness, by Piero Ferrucci:

It’s a good, timely reminder that being kind will likely save us from ourselves.

- Karen Price

Time Traveler’s Wife, also liked Sarah’s Key

- Kjell Rowe

House of Spirits. Don’t know how I missed it earlier in life. It was a beautifully written story about family, love, loss, and a little bit of magic.

- Nora Bowers

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles-Adventures in the World of Chinese Food
very funny

- Megan Barrington

Nine Lives by Dan Baum.

This is an incredible story of the lives of nine New Orleanians beginning in 1965 and running through Katrina and its aftermath. Reads like great fiction. Teachers will love the story of the amazing Wilbert Rawlins Jr.–band teacher, hero, inspiration.

- John Alongi

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation by MT Anderson, author of Feed. Great read! An interesting twist and focus on race in a Revolutionary War story.

- Abbey Levine

The Help. Really enjoyed it.

- PJ Moore

]]> http://blog.boomboomcards.com/2009/09/boom-boom-books-to-read-and-enjoy/feed/ 0 http://blog.boomboomcards.com/2009/08/fans-friends-and-followers/ http://blog.boomboomcards.com/2009/08/fans-friends-and-followers/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:53:03 +0000 MB http://blog.boomboomcards.com/?p=1044

The language being used in internet social networking has been captivating me lately. It’s not so much a fascination with how easily we can all communicate with one another. Nor is it the intrigue of finding like-minded, like-hearted people with whom to connect. If either of those concepts were even slightly interesting to me, I would be considered old school since it is the way of the world today. And while I am definitely old school in the sense that I love face to face communication (I’ve never even been a huge user of phones except for necessity), I have become somewhat enamored by the variety of ways that social media is connecting us. Even more interesting is the enticing language that folks who established these social media waves use to make us feel like we belong. And isn’t that all any of us really want out of life, is to belong?

Fans? Yeah, right. Who truly is my fan? OK, I have at least one fan. My mom. I feel like it’s a pretty safe bet to say, even publicly. Other than Mom, I know I’d be pushing it to call anyone else a fan of mine. Fans, by definition, are fanatical. My mom is fanatical about me and my life. Well, actually, if I really think about it, maybe she’s not so much a fan as much as just she has to like me…and I think she has to like me A LOT in order to eligible for Mom of the Year Award. I am sitting here trying to decide if I am truly a fan of anything. Oh, heck yes I am! I am a fan of good food and good drink. I am completely fanatical about eating good food and drinking good drinks. Bad food and drink actually quite pisses me off. Other than that? Fortunately, I am fairly fond of exercising so that makes my being a fan of food and drink manageable. But even then, a fan? I don’t think so. I like it when the Giants (SF) win, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan. I like to surf, but fanatically? Nope. Sub 50 degree water or too many people keep me out of the water. On Facebook I am a fan of Boom Boom! Cards and, besides food and drink, that is probably the one thing that, when I start talking about, my heart beats a little faster and I have been known to spit (just a bit) as my excitement spills out.

Friends? Nothing better than a good friend. My mom used to say to me, “Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver, the other one gold.” I haven’t kept an inordinate number of old friends, but I do have a few that I cherish (you know who you are). And I have a few new ones also, although as most people would probably concur, the older I get the more difficult it is to make new friends. But here is where the internet can come to the rescue. All I have to do is click “confirm” and I have a new friend. Wow. Oh, if it were only this easy in life. Wouldn’t it be cool if, as you meet someone, you could hold up a sign that says, “confirm” or “ignore” and they would know instantly whether this friendship was going anywhere. It would make things so much easier. Internet “friends” are really close. I mean, I know if some of my friends are deciding what to eat for dinner, where to go on vacation and that they have added a new member to the family (animal or human). What cool stuff to know about someone who I rarely even talk to. I am a sentimentalist and love my friends. But I want to sit and have a glass of wine and talk in phrases or sentences that might be longer than 140 characters sometimes. Still, I have discovered some very cool things about folks who are my internet friends and I have reconnected with some old friends with whom I had lost contact. And I am beginning to think that the world is actually more like 3 degrees, not 6 degrees of separation.

Followers? Now that’s something I could get behind (pun totally intended). Who doesn’t want to be followed? That means you actually have something worth listening to or watching. Following means that there is some sense of leading, and who doesn’t want to be considered a leader? Since I was young I have been told that I am a natural leader so I am totally stoked that I finally have a place that easily gives me followers. I have to do virtually nothing but create an account and I get followers. How awesome is that? I have had the privilege for all of my adult life to stand in front of groups of people and speak my thoughts. As a high school teacher, most of the time I wondered if anyone was listening. And, now, as a national trainer, I am afraid that most people are. There is nothing more uncomfortable than being conscious of people listening to and watching me and making the decision whether to follow what I say or not. If I think about it too much, I kind of freak out. So, I just continue to talk about the good stuff that I fully believe in and let folks decide whether they want to follow or not. But it is not about following me or even my ideas. It is more about following what they know to be true in that moment as well as in their heart of hearts. I know that I have followed some folks in my life that I should have run from and there are some others whom I should have followed and I simply ignored. There has to be something in between following and ignoring…hmmmm…maybe we could just be friends and then eventually grow to become fans of each other.

The rhythm of our lives creates the music of our days. Hmmmmm. I’m wondering if I’ve heard that somewhere before or if I’ve reached a new understanding of life…an epiphany so to speak…or at least a deep thought worth contemplating. I came to this idea on my run a couple mornings ago. It was a beautiful sunrise and I was slogging (that’s a slow jog for those of you who aren’t “runners”), listening to some awesome music and thoroughly enjoying the time. So the music was the music and the rhythm of my life was one that I had been missing during these weeks of heavy travel for work.

I know that I am a person of routine. I like to know when I’m supposed to be somewhere. I have tendencies to wear the same type of clothes. I would go to bed and get up at the same time each day if life allowed it. My list of routines is long. Not that I don’t like spontaneity, it’s just that I like to know when it’s coming (that’s meant to be funny, people). Change is something I do because I have to. In a life of routine, the rhythm is predictable and in turn, comfortable. But, it can also lead to monotony.

John Alston is a motivational speaker whom I heard speak 20 or so years ago when I first started teaching high school. He was a great speaker and my take away from him was about routine and rhythm. He said, as he made a square stepping movement, “You get up, go to work, come home, go to bed. You get up, go to work, come home, go to bed.” And he continued this repetitive movement and monotonous chant for some time until I could feel the rhythm of a life of monotony. Then, all he did was alter the pace of his speech pattern and put some life into his step, changing not the words or motions, but the rhythm of the words as well as the bounce of his steps. His message? We all have routines in our lives, but it is the rhythm, the beat, the tenor that we put to the routine that creates the music of our days.

I have two distinct routines in my life. One is my routine at home and the other is the routine of traveling for work. While the pace of each of these routines is dramatically different, they are still just routines. I get up, I go to work, I come home (aka my hotel room when I’m on the road) and go to bed. It is always my challenge to maintain the rhythm of my life to intentionally create the music of my day. Whether it is after a few hours sleep or a full eight hours, whether it is after being in front of 85 people at a conference or showing up for the six folks in our office, whether it is a time zone that my body’s not used to or one that I’ve lived in most of my life, the rhythm is in me, not outside of me. What is outside of me is merely a pace, the rate of movement , not the rhythm. Just like with the heart, the pace can change, but as long as there is always a beat, a rhythm, I am still alive.

It is in my heart, my body and my mind and it creates the rhythm, the music, of my day. Life is essentially one long routine from a big picture’s perspective, but within the routine, what song do I want to create and hear through my day? Within the steps of my routine how much bounce do I bring? I am my own instrument, band, orchestra for the days of my life. Today, my song? “Anything is Possible”, by Jonny Lang. There’s no video, just lyrics and the song; still, check it out.  It’ll make you smile.

]]> http://blog.boomboomcards.com/2009/05/chills-blog/feed/ 2 http://blog.boomboomcards.com/2009/03/692/ http://blog.boomboomcards.com/2009/03/692/#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:48:12 +0000 Chill http://blog.boomboomcards.com/?p=692

The great U2 lyrics… “But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for” have always moved me, but not today. Why? Because I have come to believe that, in life, we do actually find exactly what we’re looking for, we just might not be aware of it. If we want to find love, it is right there. If we want to find hatred, it is right there. If we want to find joy, it is right there. If we want to find energy, it is right there. What we look for is exactly what we find. If what you are finding is harsh, it is what you were looking for. If what you are finding is uplifting, it is what you were looking for. I have been doing quite a few Boom Boom! Cards lately and I am impressed by how they have changed what I see. Because my focus has been on good, I am seeing more of it…all around me. When I start feeling that the world is not good I believe that what I am doing, albeit unconsciously, is looking for and finding the bad.

I have become a firm believer in celebrating what is right with the world, rather than what’s wrong. Stop right now and look at your life, your world and find the things there are to celebrate. Yes, life is hard right now. Yes, we are facing some of the toughest times in recent history, and still there is goodness happening all around us…if we chose to see it. Instead of focusing on what we are losing or don’t have, what will happen if we notice what we do have or what we create in the absence of that which we had become accustomed to? Recognize what we do have and build on that.

So here’s the challenge: do a gratitude dance and get as many people around you to do it with you. What is a gratitude dance, you ask? Any movement that expresses gratitude; it’s that simple. Plus, it feels pretty dang good. Take a look at this video for inspiration.

Think you can do it? We believe in you and your ability to move yourself as well as the world. Get up, dance and see the greatness around you. Boom Boom!

One of the very valuable concepts, not to mention the sore muscles, I walked away with was to dedicate my actions. At the beginning of each session we would kneel/sit in a circle, start to breathe and just before we began, Sensei would ask us to dedicate our workout to someone. Someone that perhaps couldn’t workout or someone who we wanted to connect with for the next hour or someone that needed our energy. It was amazing to me how much more focused I could be just by dedicating my actions to someone. It gave me the opportunity to think about someone other than myself (and someone to think about in my pain and yes, sweat!) and in some moments it allowed me to push myself further. How interesting that I couldn’t do it for myself, but I could for someone else.

Since then, I have become more conscious of dedicating my actions in the world to someone else. When I reach a sweaty point (like getting up at 3:30am to fly across the country to do a training), I am able to better push through that moment when it is for someone rather than just my job. Or when I am having a tough conversation with someone and I want to remain fully present and compassionate, if I have dedicated the time to someone, I have a greater strength to go deeper.

Today, dedicate your day, your actions throughout the day, to someone. Notice how much more conscious you become as you stand with someone else in your heart, mind and spirit. Notice the strength, the joy and wealth of the moments that perhaps on any other day would just pass by unnoticed. Hold the position, feel the burn and most of all breathe.

Often, folks believe that changing the world is hard and while it is, it’s not as hard if we can just break it down. All we need is a game plan.

The first quarter game plan for changing the world: put my shoes on the court. In other words, I gotta show up but I can’t just show up gently, I must show up with full and absolute presence. I learned that just putting my shoes on the court without my body, soul and heart filling those shoes is just a waste of time and since time is one of the most valuable resources in fighting the guerilla warfare of goodness, I don’t want to waste time by just kind of showing up.

The second quarter game plan for changing the world: I must pay attention. If I don’t see, hear and at times even smell what is going on around me, I can’t move it forward. Simple example. How many times have you been walking in a door behind someone and the door slams in your face with no effort on the part of the person in front to hold it open for you? Am I truly looking and seeing those around me? Energy creates purpose so I have to think about the energy I am putting forth and realizing the purpose I am creating as a result. I have to see the trash on the ground so I can pick it up. I have to see the person walking by me so I can smile and say “Hi.” I have to notice the great customer service I am getting so I can say, “Thank you.” If I do not pay attention, I can do none of this. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” It’s not just my life I must examine but the life around me.

Halftime: Oh yeah, take a breath, regroup and take care for at least a moment. Get a motivational speech. Lace up the Chucks and let’s get at it again…

The third quarter game plan for changing the world: The best game plan usually needs adjustment in the second half. While a basketball game, and life, creates its own little rhythm, there is often a time when something happens that disrupts the rhythm. When the bump in the road comes, I cannot back off my efforts or give up on the original game plan. Adjustment does not mean throwing out the essence. I have to know my core values in order to not waver. Changing the world requires me to know what I believe and how I manifest those beliefs. For instance, I truly, truly believe that people want to do good. I live my life based on that. That is part of my game plan. That is something I may have to adjust to when it’s challenged, and I must come back to it to keep me on track.

The fourth quarter game plan for changing the world: Play til the final buzzer. Obvious, eh? The score doesn’t matter. Give, give, and give a little more. Coach always said that she shouldn’t know what the score is unless she looks at the scoreboard, not by our efforts. When I get a little (or a lot) tired, I find my friends with like mind, and gear up for the next game…this season doesn’t end.