It is Saturday and time to take time to celebrate people doing whatever they can to make a difference in our world.

Today, I am honouring those things that make us laugh — and the importance of laughter in our world.

Laughter makes a difference!

Make sure you take time to laugh today!

And actors like John Cleese and Dr. Madan Kataria who started a laughter movement in India and now holds laughter yoga meditations in prisons in Mumbia are helping to change the world…. one laugh at a time!

They are heroes!

Okay — and anyone who has the courage to do “Poo Chi” yoga – and make people laugh — is a hero too!

Looking North

It was a perfect spring afternoon. Warm temperatures. Warm sun. Warm breeze gently blowing.

Ellie was in heaven. Her friend Donata was coming with us. An assured source of lots of pets and ear rubbings always makes Ellie happy.

I was happy too. Ellie decided to do her business right beside the garbage can at the head of the trail. No need to carry a full bag along of doggie fertilizer, or leave it at the edge of a trail to remember to pick up — as long as we took the same route back.

Except. Ellie decided to go again.

I decided to bag it and leave the bag at the side of the trail for collection on our return.

And we set off into the gorgeous spring afternoon. X-country. Along the ridge. Down the escarpment into the valley. Along the river. Back up to the ridge, always following the river’s south by southwest meanders.

We stepped over fallen logs and around muddy pools. We brushed aside branches and side-stepped rocks. The river glistened in the afternoon sun and whenever possible, Ellie splashed about, her enthusiasm for life contagious.

I collected heart rocks and garbage, stuffing both into the deep pockets of the jacket I wore tied around my waist. Ellie picked up sticks. Tossed them in the air. Dropped them at my feet, begging me to toss them into the river. I obliged. She swam after them. Returning to shake. Drop. Plead all over again.

Happy Pooch!

We walked and played by the river for over an hour and then, the afternoon waning, we turned around to head back. I had a meeting at 3 and Donata had a client booked for a massage.

On the walk back, I stopped to pick up the bag I’d left by the trail but it was gone.

“It must have been the woman with the two dogs who was sitting on the bench at the beginning of our hike,” I told Donata. “I think she’s the one who left the blue bag just down the trail. It’s gone and so is Ellie’s.”

An unexpected gift from a stranger and the afternoon turns even sunnier.

“People are nice,” Donata said.

And I agree.

People are nice.

People make a difference.

So does sunshine, spring days and a walk with friends — of the two and four-legged kind!

I was just pulling up to the corner to turn onto the main road when it almost happened. Traffic was heavy and I was looking left when a man in an SUV cut across three lanes of traffic to turn the corner from the main road onto the side street. Directly into my lane. He was moving fast. I slammed on my brakes.  The driver in the car in the approaching lane on the main road slammed on his brakes.The SUV swerved to miss me and sped away into the distance of my rear view mirror. I sat for a moment breathing deeply. My hands shaking on the wheel. The other driver honked his horn angrily and carried on his way.

A near miss. Over in a flash and a honk of a horn.

Waiting for a break in traffic, I recomposed myself. Thoughts of ‘what an a** flit through my mind. I breathed deeply. Why are there so many stupid people in the world? I wondered.

Stop.

There are no stupid people in the world Louise. There are people who, for whatever reason, do stupid things. But they themselves are not stupid. It’s their actions that are questionable.

Bless him. Forgive me.

Ellie and I went to the park and I shook off the tendrils of  the near miss in the soft spring breezes caressing my skin. We hiked along a trail at the top of the river valley, dry prairie grasses waving in the breeze. Two young boys on bicycles rode up behind us. I stepped aside, called Ellie to my side and they passed. “Thanks!” they called out as they rode away.

I took photos of the two crocus blossoming. The river flowing. Ellie rolled in mud. We traipsed down to the river to clean her off.

On our way back up the hill towards the car a young man came skateboarding around the curve in the trail. His smile was huge and I laughed to witness the pure joy of his ride. He stopped several meters in front of us, stood up off the skateboard on which he’d been sitting to ride down the hill, picked it up and started the climb back up the hill.

When I rounded the bend he was standing, skateboard primed for the next run down, halfway to the top of the hill. He had spiked purple and black hair. A silver ring through his nose. Large black ear spacers. Tight, stovepipe jeans hung low. A ‘scenster’ as my daughters would call him (at least I think that’s the term).

He smiled as I approached. Went to move his skateboard and helnet off the paved path.

“It’s okay,” I said. “We can walk around.”

Hearing me speak to him, Ellie, ever hopeful of attention, pulled on her leash to say hello. He pet her. She squirmed in delight. He laughed. She squirmed more.

“Aren’t you scared going down that hill?” I asked.

He laughed. “Yeah! It’s great!”

Oh to welcome fear with such enthusiasm.

Ellie and I continued up the hill a bit. Turned to watch the young man get ready for his next ride.

“Is there anyone behind you?” he asked the woman walking some distance behind me.

“Not that I noticed,” she replied.

And with a smile and a wave, helmet back on his head, he crouched low on his board. Bent at the waist, hands behind his back like a speed skater, he took off down the hill. Just watching him was exhilarating. His body was poetry in motion. His joy palpable and contagious.

Sure. I could judge him for his choices. Think him stupid for taking such a risk (it is a steep hill). He was old enough to make his choices. And he was incredibly competent on his board. And watching him was pure delight.

He made a difference.

In his infectious delight of time and space and simply being alive, he made a difference and I am grateful for his reminder to get out and take risks. Have fun!

And I am reminded of the man in the car. He made a poor choice. Took an unncessary risk. Fortunately, the other drivers were paying attention and nothing untoward happened. Time to shake it off and let it go.

Bless him. Forgive me.

I met with a coaching client yesterday. A co-worker had told her about my work with her when she was getting ready for a keynote presentation and had suggested we connect.

We did and in giving, I received.

When I left our session I felt enlivened, on purpose, focused and energized. And she was feeling confident about her capacity to create the next steps in her presentation. We meet again next week to move it forward — and I feel excited about what she’s doing, and creating and my capacity to provide insight on her journey towards her presentation. A win/win for both of us!

And I learned something very important.

Making a difference is easiest when I feel ‘on purpose’. When I am using my gifts to create better, I feel better!

Yesterday I put the final touches on a course I’ve created called, Write Your Heart Out! A poetic guide to falling into love with you, your life and everyone in it.

The course consists of 21 Practices that deepen your creative expression of who you are in the world.  Writing this course has made a difference in my life. It has clearly demonstrated how when I put my attention on something it grows stronger in my life — It’s not just the fact that putting my focus on creating the course resulted in a finished product yesterday. It also means my understanding of Love and my belief in myself, as well as my understanding of my purpose in the world is stronger.

I started to create the course after realizing how powerful the process of writing my beloved a poem a day was in my life and our relationship. One lesson lead to the next and there I was yesterday, with 21 lessons completed, photos inserted and a finished product in my hands. Now the work of getting the course ‘out there’ begins.  And yes, I am plugging it here!  My very first official plug of Write Your Heart Out!

Which is also something I’ve learned that makes a difference in my life too — believing in the work I do, what I create and its place in the world.

Within me is that inner voice that believed ‘the world will come to me’ which sometimes translates itself into believing — the world owes me, now get over here and make my life happen.

The Universe doesn’t work like that. True. The Universe is always there. Always present. The Universe is on my side. It wants me, needs me, to succeed. And while the Universe is doing its job of being present, it’s my responsibility to turn up. To let the world know I’m here. I mean business. I am serious about being real, about being authentic and true and who I am. I am not playing small. I am not hiding my light. I am shining!

Shining is in all of us to do. Dimming our light shades our brilliance.  And when we are not sharing our brilliance, we are playing small — Life’s too short to play small.

Write Your Heart Out! is a labour of Love. It is up to me to continue expressing it. Which means — it’s up to me to ensure I have a marketing plan that will provide a path for getting it out into the world. It means ensuring I have materials put together that are compelling enough to inspire someone to put up their hand and buy the course. It means — getting real.

Making a difference means exactly that. I am real serious about being real in the world — in all facets of my being.

Right now, that means getting serious about what I do next with Write Your Heart Out! 

Watch me fly!

But first, watch this space for the details to come on how you can Write Your Heart Out!

I met with a group of “peace-a-fires”  last night (my term, not theirs). A small, eclectic group of individuals committed to creating a summer of peace here in the city, they welcomed me into their creative circle each person making room with grace and ease for the new comer. The passionate heart behind the creation of this group that intends to ignite ‘one million acts of peace’ over the next year — and the force behind this year’s ‘summer of peace’ is the amazing, Kerry Parsons.

I met Kerry through an online course I took a couple of years ago. From the virtual to the real world, we connected and I found myself in awe of her beautiful spirit. Along with her husband Howard, Kerry has been making a difference for years through their rebuilding after divorce courses and their spiritual directions initiatives.

A ‘summer of peace’ is just such a difference.

“Peace is possible”, said Kerry in the circle last night. And I agree.

Peace is possible. And it’s up to each of us to do whatever it takes to create it in our lives and in our world.

Seriously. If we can create space shuttles and deep-sea divers, we can create peace.

It just takes a dash of imagination, a dollop of commitment and a whole world of people focusing on the power of ‘make love. not war’.

Imagine!

Imagine a world where weapons are put down and arms are extended in loving embrace?

Imagine each of us committing to performing an act of peace a day for the next year.

Imagine if you told one person and they told another and another and another.

We could peace throughout the world.

We have the power to ‘give peace a chance’.

I don’t have a lot of details to share yet about the events that will be happening in the months to come — but they promise to be exciting, and peace-a-fying. I’m excited by the possibilities. I’m excited about doing one act of peace a day.

It’s a great way to make a difference.

Make love. Not war.

Create harmony. Not discord.

Extend friendship. Not hatred.

Hold forgiveness. Not grudges.

Embrace joy. Not anger.

Give hugs. Not cold-shoulders.

Be tolerant. Not judgmental.

Share compassion. Not criticism.

Be an agent of peace.

And above all, be the change you want to see in the world.

I’m excited to be part of the circle of peace as it widens out into our communities. I am excited to be a peace-a-fire, igniting harmony in a world of compassion.

Do you have any ideas you’d like to share on how to create a world of peace?

Is there an act of peace you can create today?

It’s another way to make a difference. Focus on peace and peace will arise.

Namaste.

A friend called me the other day to ask if I would meet with a friend of hers who is looking for some advice on writing a letting to someone. “She really wants to work for his company but English isn’t her first language,” she said. “Can you help?”

Of course, I replied.

The next day we met for coffee and the other woman explained the situation. “I know I can offer them really great services,” she tells me, “but a friend of a friend asked the woman who runs the office to look at my resume and she refused. I thought if I wrote a letter to the owner, I’d ask him for a job.”

“Do you know if they’re looking for your kind of service?” I asked her. “Looking at their brochure they don’t offer what you provide.”

“But wouldn’t it make sense that they do?” she queried. “What I do would definitely benefit their clients.”

I agreed but cautioned her. You don’t have enough information. You don’t know what they’re planning, what their build-out model for additional services is. It’s possible they already have a business plan that includes expansion into the areas you are suggesting, and are not yet there. You are an unknown. Asking them to consider adding you into the mix without understanding where they’re at in the big picture, is presumptuous. It’s important to first ask questions so that you understand their perspective — before offering them a solution to a problem they may already have identified and be working on resolving, or simply not believe its part of their core business practice, no matter how much sense it makes to you and me that adding services of the kind you provide would enhance their business model.

She agreed, though it wasn’t necessarily what she wanted to hear.

Helping a friend was easy. Speaking the truth, giving an answer that wasn’t specifically what was requested, not as easy.

But it was important.

To have supported something I didn’t believe was the appropriate path would have compromised my values. It would have meant I was offering something up that I didn’t believe in. Even if my advice was free — only telling someone what they wanted to hear would not have served anyone well.

Making a difference requires a commitment to doing the right thing. It means ‘turning up, paying attention, speaking the truth and staying unattached to the outcome.’

I loved this woman’s enthusiasm and desire to make a difference in the world. Sometimes, however, enthusiasm sweeps away our common sense and our ability to take one step at a time without leaping to conclusions that serve our purpose before serving others.

Making a difference is about affecting change in the world — based on what the world needs now, not what serves me best and then the world.

It can be challenging. I get where this woman was coming from — I’ve been there!

The lesson for me is — asking questions to understand what others (the world beyond my tunnel vision) need is the foundation of building trust in what I can do to make a difference in the world.

Jumping in just because I think I know what others need to do does not build trust, nor does it serve anyone else but me. And in the end, it doesn’t serve me that well either as I’ve not built the foundation to make a safe place for my difference to count.

It was a good lesson for me.

Helping a friend gave me an opportunity to help myself to important knowledge on what it means to make a difference.

.

I met Cassandra Chapman here, in the virtual world of blogging. She commented on a blog I wrote, I followed her to her blog, My Life is My Message, and was captivated and inspired by her commitment to make a difference in the world.

Cassandra lives her talk, everyday in every way. A staff member at ChildFund New Zealand, she spends her life working to make a difference in the lives of children around the world who have no one to speak up for, reach out to, or help them create change in their world. Cassandra inspires me and reminds me that we all have ‘something to give’ — and we must put our intentions into action to create change.

Cassandra is a self-confessed, ‘inspiration addict’. As she says on her blog, “to live is a verb”. Cassandra is living life being the change she wants to see in the world. Thank you Cassandra for sharing your inspiration here this morning.

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Everyone has something to give

By Cassandra Chapman

It is my belief that every person has something to give. And that whatever we can give, we should. Nobody is too small, too young, or too poor to make a difference.

Sure, some of us have more than others – more money, more time, more life experience, more patience, more natural optimism, more resources, more education, more whatever. But I think the power in giving is symbolic – often the power is not exactly in what is given, but in what it means to have been given to.

Let me share a story to illustrate.

The year was 2007 and I was living and working in an orphanage in El Salvador. I worked with around 450 children between the ages of 1 and 20 years old. Each young soul had suffered great loss. Many had suffered terrible indecencies. These children had nothing of their own – they relied solely on the kindness of others.

Once a year, in the month of their birthday, each child received a small gift of around $5. This precious gift was just for them and they were allowed to spend it on whatever their heart desired.

One day I accompanied some children for their birthday shopping spree. Each was so excited and eagerly filled up little goody bags of sweets and toys at the market.

After the shopping frenzy was over we were waiting in Santa Ana’s central plaza for the bus. As we waited a homeless man shuffled by and I struck up a conversation with him. His name was Epa and his story was very sad. As we spoke I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the children were watching me thoughtfully.

Just as we were leaving a small child approached Epa and offered up an apple from their shopping trip. Soon more children offered gifts – sweets, yoghurt, and other treats. Epa stood awestruck with tears streaming down his cheeks.

The gifts were small but, coming from children with so little, the message was powerful. The children’s kindness spoke clearly to Epa – “we are with you, brother”, their actions said.

I’ll never forget how proud I was of my young friends that day. I have known many generous and kind people who have done great things for the benefit of strangers. Yet, for me, this was the greatest act of kindness I ever witnessed.

A destitute orphan offering to share their one precious gift with a stranger in need. That is true generosity.

Remember, you may be small or young or poor or busy… yet there is something you can give. Today, think what you can give that someone else needs and give it away with all your heart. Perhaps you will touch a soul the way my children touched Epa’s that day. If you’re lucky the experience will touch your soul too.

– Cassandra Chapman, New Zealand

15 April 2012

It is Saturday morning, a day to celebrate (as we should every day of the week!) the heroes in our midst.

When I was working at the homeless shelter, I held a weekly session with Calgary Police Service (CPS) to talk about homelessness. These ‘Street Sensitivity’ sessions looked at the myths, the whys, hows, whats of what drove people to the streets, and what kept them there. These talks were always filled with heated conversation, each officer having their unique view of why, how, what, homelessness is all about. The officers were always forthcoming (they definitely weren’t shy about sharing their views!) and no matter their view, there was always one very clear and unifying denominator in our conversations — they were police officers to make a difference in our community and our world. They do what they do to be of service.

I came away from these conversations with a new appreciation for the exigencies of their calling, and an appreciation for the importance of seeking common ground. Every officer I met was willing to engage in the conversation — regardless of the distance between our perspectives, and in our engagement we discovered a mutual respect for our differences and our similarities. In exploring what connects us we shifted our perspectives from the distance between our positions to the relevance of our shared values, beliefs and principles in serving the people in our communities. I learned a great deal through these conversations and came away with a sense of awe for their commitment to making a difference in the world.

Men and women of the Calgary Police Service are heroes. 

We are having an election here in Alberta. Candidate signs have popped up on lawns throughout the city. Billboards extol the virtues of one party, one candidate over another. I was asked to run for one of the parties and declined. I know I do not have the commitment, the passion nor the energy to dedicate myself the way those running for public office must. No matter the person, the motivation is to be of service, to make a difference, to be part of the change required to continually renew our communities, our public well-being and our society.

Men and women running for office are heroes.

Every political campaign has a team of volunteers who dedicate countless hours and enormous amounts of energy to ensure their candidate has the best run at succeeding in their bid for office. It is often a thankless job, a job of menial tasks, of doing the small things to ensure they add up to big results. The passion, commitment and dedication of these volunteers never ceases to inspire me.

Campaign volunteers are heroes.

Street artists have powerful voices. Committed to expressing their vision and their art through passionately embracing their need to create, regardless of societal pressures to conform, they ‘dress-up’  dark corners and hidden places with vivid colour, wild visions and amazing perspectives. They teach us through their passion to always believe in ourselves, our dreams and our right to express. They teach us to set our imaginations free and see the world through different glasses, to shift our point of view and see the beauty and the pathos, along with the absurd, through eyes of wonder.

Street Artists are heroes.

And to prove it…

I found these photos of the Best Street Art of 2011 on StumbledUpon and was in awe. The artist’s names are not provided — I’m sharing a few of the photos below, to see them all, click HERE.

Okay men. Listen up.

The Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre (DI) serves approximately 8500 individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness every year. On any given day and night, including harm reduction (those just looking for a safe place to sleep off the night’s excesses or somewhere to rest during the day away from city streets and parks), day sleep numbers (people who need extra sleep due to a medical reason or working nights) and those housed in permanent housing, up to 1100 people will be housed daily by the DI.

90% of the people the DI serves are men. This percentage is not indicative of the general homeless population where approximately 25% (or higher depending upon who is included in the no.) are women. The lower percentage of women is due to several factors including the fact the DI only serves adults. Women with children and families in need of emergency shelter cannot use the DI. In addition, many of the issues women face in homelessness are exacerbated by their relationships with men (no offence guys but our relationships with you are often our problem!) and an environment where there are so many men is not always the most emotionally safe or supportive environment for women, particularly as fleeing violence is often a cause of episodic homelessness for women.

And here’s where men need to listen up — 10% of the clothing donations the DI receives are for…. women.

Which is why I am loading my car full of clothing C.C., my partner, cleared out of his closet and dresser drawers. From shirts to pants, underwear to socks, outerwear for all seasons, clean and in good repair men’s clothing is always in demand at the DI.

Cleaning out your wardrobe is a good thing!

Dropping it off at the DI, or any shelter in your area, is a good thing too!

It repurposes your old clothes.

It makes a difference.

When I got out of a relationship that was really, really bad (remember what I said about relationships with men being a problem?… I lived it — big time!), I had a suitcase full of men’s clothing. The man in question had been arrested and for my emotional and physical well-being, I was in ‘No Contact’ mode. I wanted his clothes and belongings out of my life and so, I cleaned and pressed everything and took it all down to an organization in North Vancouver where I was living at the time, and donated it to an agency that works with men who have been incarcerated or homeless in rebuilding their lives. It felt good to divert my anger into a positive direction — knowing his clothes would be helping someone get back on their feet was a bonus.

Yes, I understand you only wore that shirt and pants to your son’s baptism. I know they’re still in mint condition. But seriously? Your son is now twenty and well, let’s just say your waist is not as trim as it used to be…. And one thing about men’s fashion — it doesn’t go out of style as quickly as women’s. Those pants will still find a good body to wear them!

Cleaning out your wardrobe helps your psyche, clears out clutter and helps places like the DI serve those who are struggling to end homelessness in their lives.

And, it’s a simple and easy way to make a difference in the world.

Go ahead. Try it. I promise, you’ll feel better when your closets are clean and you know you’ve done something good for a stranger.

It was a year ago today that Bev Pettigrew contacted me after reading an article in the Calgary Herald about a homeless man whose dying wish was to be able to stay in the homeless shelter he’d called home for the past four years of his life. An online search led her to a video interview Mark Horvath of Invisible People did with the man.

And in that moment, a dream was reborn, that two brothers would reconnect and the family circle would be unbroken.

Larry Pettigrew hadn’t seen his 58 year old brother very often since he was 8 years old and their father had kicked him out of the family home. And there he was, on the front page of the city section of the Calgary Herald, and in video at Invisible People.

His wife, Bev, contacted the shelter where I worked and eventually, we connected on the phone. That call lead to the following Friday evening when Larry and his two sons arrived at the shelter to meet Terry for the first time since that fateful day of parting many years before. “I never gave up looking for him,” Larry told me as we rode the elevator to the fourth floor where he would meet his little brother, and embrace him and never let him go until six weeks later when Terry would succumb to the cancer that was eating away at his body.  Being in the military, Larry moved around a lot and as Bev would tell me later, “We always seemed to be one step behind him. We’d heard he was somewhere, try to locate him and he would have moved on.”

And then, his moving on lead him to a homeless shelter and from there back into the arms of the family who loved him.

I received an email from Bev this morning reminding me of that day one year ago when we had first spoken on the phone. Bev writes, “Today marks one year since we were in contact with you about Terry. The 7th of April was the day we read about Terry in the Calgary Herald and saw the interview with Mark Horvath. But  the work of getting through the red tape led us to you. We are so grateful for the love you gave Terry and shared with us. We have had such an amazing year …some good, some not so good. But one thing is for sure… we will be forever changed by the people we met through it all. Thank you and big hugs to you, Louise. May you continue to be an instrument of Peace and Love.”

My heart is touched and warmed by Bev and Larry’s words. My life is forever changed through knowing Terry and meeting them.

We all have the capacity to make a difference. We all have the capacity to move through compassion, caring, love to that place where we celebrate life, in all its many angles, all its multi-faceted hues. And we all have the ability to touch hearts.

May you touch many hearts today with gentle kisses of love and joy. May your heart be touched with tender grace.

Thank you Bev and Larry. Your words embrace my heart and I am broken open in love.

Namaste.