And sometimes it’s a work of heart provided by a human, like this:

Although seemingly different, I believe both of these masterpieces have similar origins. In fact, I believe they come from the exact same place…the place where the very best of us resides. These pictures celebrate and demonstrate the potential of what we can be and communicate the exact same message: whether it’s Mother Nature or a human being, there is greatness in everything and everyone.

Sometimes we uncover this greatness on our own and sometimes it takes a little  inspiration to help us see it. But, make no mistake, it’s there. Our challenge is to recognize it when it shows up. Let’s face it, it’s easy to see greatness in these examples, I mean, what’s not to admire? But greatness comes in all varieties, whether it’s in the form of a simple, every day sunrise or in the gesture of someone offering an umbrella to another in the rain. Both are great.

Think about if for a second… the sun comes up every day. That alone is great. Someone helps someone out every single day. Also great. But we forget how truly great these things are because they seem ordinary, common place. We’re used to them. So, my theory is that every once in a while we get a reminder, like these here, to help us recognize both the stunning and the every day greatness that exists around us. But that’s not all.

More than that, I think examples like these have a much higher purpose. Their purpose is to inspire us to recognize and uncover our own, unique greatness.

Not every sunrise looks like this. But every once in a while the light shines through the clouds in such a way as to illuminate everything around it, casting so strong a radiant blaze that everything touched by this light has no choice but to respond. Whether it’s the glowing stately rock perched on the ocean cliff or the smallest grain of sand shimmering in the light, both are inspired by the sun, to be more.

The same holds true for us. If we choose to, we can reflect the greatness of people like this man who has decided to dedicate his life to serving others because he “just wants to help”. There is a light that shines from within people like this and, like the grain of sand shimmering in the glow of the sun, we can be inspired by the light emanating from this man to do more and to be more. Does this mean we follow his lead, cast off the life we know to support a particular cause? Absolutely not. It just means we have the opportunity to reflect the greatness seen here and find our own unique version of it. Because it’s in every one of us.

You're Perfect.

Now, I am not sure why he decided to make the sign. Or why he spent his morning greeting commuters with it. Or why he was so dang happy. All I know is he brought a smile and created joy for every single person that passed him. People were honking, waving at him and yelling things like, “Thanks” and “So are you!”

You might be thinking, “Aww, that’s nice.” Which would make sense and it’s probably what I should have been thinking. But it’s not. When I first saw him, my immediate reaction was one of guilt, like “Sheesh, I suck.”

I mean this guy obviously got up this morning and thought, very intentionally, “What can I do to make people happy today?” I didn’t think anything like that. Not even close. I thought things like, “Where’s my coffee?” and “Man, I hate working out,” and “Okay, okay cat…I’ll feed you. Hush!” Not once, not even for one second, did I think about how I could enhance someone else’s life experience (the cat doesn’t count). Boy. I felt like a jerk.

But then I realized, I am not alone here. It’s the rare person who wakes up and wonders what they are going to do today to make someone else’s day better. And it makes perfect sense why…life doesn’t really lend itself to that; most days it’s just about trying to get done what needs to get done. And if that happens, victory! It’s hard to think about everyone, all the time when you need to take care of what’ s happeing for you. I get it. Boy, do I get it.

So, what’s the answer?

I don’t know.

All I know is that it’s easy to get mired in the day to day and hard to find the time to break out of the, “Go, go, go” mentality. But, maybe, just maybe, all it takes is one singular moment of intention. Just that one thought, at any time of the day, “What can I do to make someone’s day a bit better.” Notice I said “a bit”, because it’s not about changing someone’s life (although great if you do) or that sweeping grand gesture. Sometimes it’s about the littlest thing. A simple thing. A note. A kind word. A gesture of appreciation. A sign. That’s all it takes.

And that’s when I came to the conclusion that the guy with the sign did, indeed, make my day. His intent wasn’t to make me feel guilty. His intent was to make me smile. It was a simple gesture and it did its job…and then some. Because it got me to think about how I can create that experience for even just one other person each day.

So tomorrow I am going to ask myself that question (hopefully I’ll remember). It might not be first thing when I get up in the morning, but at some point throughout the day I’ll do it. And then I’m going to see what happens.

So, for those of you who just arrived on the planet, I am sorry to tell you that Michael Jackson has died.

Now, I am reluctant to confess this, and I don’t really like admitting it in public, but here goes: I am not and never was a Michael Jackson fan.

Gasp!

I know, I know. It’s some kind of crime to even utter such blasphemy, but nonetheless it’s true. I’ve got nothing against the guy; I recognize he was a talented and innovative force in the pop world; I just didn’t like his music all that much. Think what you will about me. I just hope we can still be friends.

At this point, I do feel compelled to admit that I was (and am) a huge fan of the Jackson 5 as a whole. There was hardly a prepubescent girl alive back in the day that wasn’t. Along with the Osmonds, Partridge Family and Bay City Rollers (okay you young’uns…google that last one for a good laugh).

Now even though I wasn’t a huge fan (ok, not a fan at all), there is no doubt that he was an historic and iconic figure in both the music world and in our society. His death was undoubtedly a significant event, as evidenced by the fact that in the days after his death I was inundated with his music. And that’s when I was reminded that there was at least one reason to like Michael Jackson post Jackson 5 days: Man in the Mirror.

That song is more than music. It’s a battle cry. It’s a declaration. It’s an oath. And, as the song implies, it’s something we all need to do. Hold that mirror up and ask yourself: how do I look? And I am not talking about your hair.

I think a lot of times people feel that in order to make a change in the world you have to do something of enormous proportion. Execute some grand gesture. Or have lots of money. Or be famous. And I think that thought stops people from doing anything at all. We get hung up because we don’t feel powerful enough. We look in the mirror we think things like, “What can I do that matters?” or “I’m just one person, what difference can I make?” or “Where do I even start?”

All good questions.

And Michael Jackson gave us a good answer: If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.

To change what’s happening in the world, we have to start at the source: us. And not the collective “us”, rather the individuals that make up the “us”. Afterall, if each individual in the “us” were to change, the collective “us” would have no choice but to follow.

Michael also says, “I’m gonna make a change, for once in my life,” and, as much as I love this song, I disagree with this line. It’s not about making a change for once in your life, it’s about making a change everyday. Nothing huge, nothing major, just a small, thoughtful change. But here’s the kicker, we have to decide to make that change, everyday. It’s too fleeting (and easy) to say, “From now on I am going to be different,” and move on with life and hope the change sticks. It’s quite another thing to make the statement, “Today, I am going to be different” and make it a daily conscious choice.

Whoa. That’s a lot of work.

Yes, it is.

But I think we’re up for it.

We can’t depend on the rich, the famous, or those with resources to create a better world.  It’s what we’ve been doing and it hasn’t really worked out all that great so far. YOU can be the reason the world is different.

Now THAT is power.

And yes, you, me, your neighbor, your kids, your best friend, the guy reading the paper on the bus, we all have it. We can look in the mirror and instead of hopelessly asking, “What can I do?” we can start saying, “What can I do?” And take even the smallest step toward making the world a better place by looking at yourself and making that change. Whatever that change is. Only you know.

And, no. We are not going to wake up tomorrow and have a world free of starving children. Or war. Or injustice. But you will wake up tomorrow knowing that we’re at least a fraction of an inch closer and you are the reason.  Good job.

We gotta get it right while we got the time.

]]> http://blog.boomboomcards.com/2009/08/checkin-my-look-in-the-mirror/feed/ 3 http://blog.boomboomcards.com/2009/03/mbs-blog-lessons-from-a-youtube-video/ http://blog.boomboomcards.com/2009/03/mbs-blog-lessons-from-a-youtube-video/#comments Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:39:37 +0000 MB http://blog.boomboomcards.com/?p=651 Before you read this, watch the video below. Seriously. It will be just 2 minutes and 9 seconds out of your life and, I guarantee, you’ll smile for longer than that after you watch it. Plus, the rest of this blog won’t make sense if you don’t. This was caught on the Jumbotron at a Celtics game a couple of weeks ago (lucky for all of us).

How great is this kid? I simply cannot get enough of him. I have watched this more times than I can count and I laugh and smile every time I see it. I send it to everyone I know. I think it’s profound.

So last week, when I told yet another person about it and made them watch it (which they did reluctantly), and they seemed unmoved and actually asked why I was so passionate about it, I have to say, it gave me pause. First, because I was stunned that this person was unresponsive to something I considered so clearly significant and, second, because while I had been pushing this video on everyone I knew, I never thought for one second about the reason why. I guess I felt its value and appeal were obvious. And yet, when I was asked to actually articulate my reasons for loving it, I could not. At least not immediately. As I am prone to do, I thought a lot about it and have since come to this conclusion:

This video is a testament to human potential.

I know. Lofty praise for something so arguably inane. I’ll explain.

If you watch this video again (and I recommend that you do), on your second viewing observe how, in this moment, almost every person there is exemplifying, to some degree, the very best of who we, as a human race, have the capacity to be.

For instance, in watching this video, you’ll notice that, while it definitely focuses on this kid, it is not just about this kid. Watch the people around him. They are happy he’s there. They are supporting him and genuinely thrilled to be a part of this blip on the joy radar. They might not get him or what he’s doing…but they don’t care. Most of the people he hugs, kisses or grabs hands with, are right there for him, laughing, smiling, adding to the experience and supporting him. In fact, it’s partly these folks that make this video so compelling. Those people feed him, cheer for him and let him know that they are there to both witness and revel in his elation.

Each of us should be so lucky as to have this kind of support in our lives, eh? Who among us couldn’t use a cheering section that stands solidly and enthusiastically behind us as we embark on that crazy thing we want to do? We all need those people who remain steadfast in their belief of who we are…even when they don’t understand, even when they aren’t quite sure if it will work, even when it might look like we are on the brink of failure. And, here’s the great part, if we do fail, these people are still there. Not only do we all need that in our lives, we also need to be that for others. The truth is we all have the potential to offer that kind of relentless dedication to those around us, but how often do we actually do it?

It takes a lot of effort to support someone. It often means we need to let go of what we want for them or what we thought was best. It might mean we have to do something we aren’t crazy about doing. It might mean we have to be willing to look silly or foolish. All of that can be hard. Sometimes it’s just easier to walk away and say, “You’re nuts. Come back when you’ve regained your sanity.” The potential for human beings to believe in and support each other is immense and, I believe, largely untapped. Sometimes we don’t need to understand, we just need to be there.

Here’s something else I noticed about this video, there is no doubt this guy is living his moment and reveling in it. He owns every move, every expression, every word. This is HIS time and he is not going to miss a single opportunity to grasp it. That’s cool. But, what’s cooler is that, if you really watch, while he is living his moment, he is also bringing everyone along with him! He is making sure this moment is not just about him. He is literally reaching out and asking others to join him in this experience because, well, it’s good. His enthusiasm, his joy, his obvious elation at hearing what we can only assume is his favorite song (at least I hope it is; I shudder to think what would happen if there’s another song he likes more than this) is contagious. And most people cannot resist grabbing their little piece and being a part of it.

Ultimately, life is best when shared and people are at their best when they feel they belong. It’s that simple. Bring people in. Include them. Allow them to be a part of your world. Be a part of theirs. As human beings we need it. We crave it. And, if we allow it, we are very, very good at it. It’s as fundamental as air. And, ultimately, like air, it is essential to the survival of our species. We HAVE to connect to each other.

Now, that’s not to say that there might be someone out there who wants to rain on our parade. Like the Dude in the Light Blue Shirt who literally shoos our performer away when he tries to engage him. Did you see it? It’s near the end and it happened so fast, you might have missed it, but it’s there. Did you see this kid’s reaction? He was absolutely unfazed. It’s as if the Dude in the Light Blue Shirt gave him the same response as everyone else. Not only did our young fan just keep dancing his dance, it also didn’t stop him from continuing to reach out and encourage others to join him. He did not let the Dude in the Light Blue Shirt make him feel stupid and he did not let the interaction change his behavior or belief in what he was doing. He kept on being him and doing what he knew was, at that moment, the right thing to do.

If we really want to, we can live our truth. And if we live our truth, nothing else matters. We have the potential to be as authentically us as we choose, regardless of what people think or say. And if we do, as our young fan proves, we can live in more joy than we thought possible. It’s when we let the “slings and arrows” of whatever tries to rain on our parade hit us, that we immediately cease to live to the potential we have and, thus, the world is diminished because it does not get the whole of us. It gets the version we are trying to create for everyone else. And that’s not going to cut it.

But here’s what will:

Be a genuine support for someone. Let someone support you. Connect with others. Live your truth. Be authentically you.

No matter what.

Boom Boom!

I have always had dreams of being a pop star. I am convinced that, given another chance at this life, I could be a household first name, you know, like Madonna or Cher. This assumes, though, that my mother would’ve been out of her “Little House on the Prairie” phase when naming me because “Mary Beth” just doesn’t quite have the singular name pop star ring. Nonetheless, pop stardom is my secret desire and has been most of my life.

However, now in my (holy crap) forties, that window has closed for me without even so much as a sliver of air to breath life into that dream. So, I settle for just listening to music, rather than creating it. I listen to all genres and love most of them. I believe the last fifteen years has produced some of the best music of our time. For all the controversy, Eminem has made some music that actually speaks to me. Going back a ways, so did Gun’s n Roses. It’d be a lie if I told you I didn’t have Neil Diamond on my iPod. Currently, Kanye intrigues me and I’m listening to him a bit. There’s also this new kid, Brett Dennen, who is a hippie soul trapped in the body of a vibrant, red headed twenty something. He produces cool folksy music and I insist that everyone I know checks him out. I am serious, I am religious about this guy, he’s pretty awesome.

Anyway, about five years ago I was driving in my car when I heard a song on the radio that knocked me out. Then, a few years later I heard another song that gave me the same reaction. Later, I found out both were done by the same artist. You might not know John Ondrasik by name, but you will undoubtedly recognize the band name under which he performs: Five For Fighting. His song 100 Years was my anthem for a while. It came out around the time my grandfather was dying (at the age of 84) and it just seemed so apropos. As he lay dying, I was wondering what Poppa was thinking about the 84 years he had spent on the planet. Had he done what he wanted? Had he accomplished enough? Was he happy with his legacy? This line of questioning, of course, brought me to this thought: Was I? Half my life down, half my life to go. Was I satisfied with how I’d used my time thus far?

I have always been a driven person with ridiculously vast and, at times, unrealistic vision. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you this is true; they will also most likely tell you that it makes them absolutely crazy. What they might be surprised to know, though, is that it makes me crazy, too. It’s a lot of pressure. And I suppose it’s because of this relentless drive I have, that the song resonated with me on a level that was nothing less than guttural. Was I doing enough? Was I using my time responsibly? It’s only 100 years. Holy crap. Time’s ticking…

So, for the last few years I have pondered those questions. That is, until I heard another John Ondrasik song called World, in which this question is posed:

“What kind of world do you want?”

(If you haven’t heard the song, or seen the video, I highly recommend taking a few minutes right now and checking it out.)

After I heard that song I found myself asking, “Are WE (capital WE) doing enough?”

And that question changed everything. I realized, this life is not so much about a vision for myself and what I can do for me, but more our collective vision for the world and what we can do to make that vision manifest.

Seriously. What kind of world do WE want? It’s a valid question. And no matter what you or I may think about the state of the world we currently have, it’s hard for me to believe someone would answer this question with: “Hey, I know! Let’s create a world of poverty, war, insolence and unfathomable inequity.” This might be a naïve opinion, and I am willing to accept that but, by and large, I genuinely believe that people want what’s good and right for themselves as well as what’s good and right for all; it’s just that sometimes the “what’s good for themselves” part gets in the way of “what’s good for all.” And then we lose sight of what it means to coexist.

“Build your army, choose your steeple…”

In the world we have created, this mode of thinking appears to be the priority. And, interestingly, it seems to have generated only more armies and more steeples fueling the belief that fighting for some sort of entitled righteousness is not only noble, but justifies imbalance and hatred.

What kind of world do YOU want? Yes, YOU. Think about it.

“Think anything.
Let’s start at the start.
Build a masterpiece.
History starts now.”

It ALL starts now. In fact, in the history of our species, there is no time other than NOW that anything has ever started. It all starts the instant we decide it should start. Why not decide it should start NOW?

“Printed on the box I see
‘ACME’s Build-a-World-To-Be’
Take a chance, grab a piece
Help me to believe it.”

What if it was just that simple? We’d get a box with some instructions, everyone does their part and voila! New Awesome World!

Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a Presto Magic Kit that could move us all forward and catalyze some type of new world order? Could there be such a thing?

Ok, probably not.

But, why not try?

Thus, Boom Boom! Cards. It’s not much, but it’s a step toward something. And the beginning of what we hope will be many more items of its kind. Products that serve to move our human race forward. Forward in connection. Forward in hope. Forward in creating the world we want.

Afterall…History starts now. ]]> http://blog.boomboomcards.com/2009/02/what-kind-of-world-do-you-want/feed/ 1