365Things.org Because 365 Things better is a whole lot of better.

My dog ate through my wall. Seven months old. Cute as hell. I went to the diner for breakfast Saturday morning. An hour and a half later, I came home to a white-nosed black lab. The damage is pretty bad. I know he was just looking for attention. So I blame myself. I promised him I was going to take him for a run a few times a week. Good for both of us, really. I was going to start on Friday, but one thing led to another, and, well, tomorrow’s another day, right?

Well, Saturday was another day. Just not the one I had expected. So we went for a run. Almost twenty blocks, one way, from 44th Street down to 26th Street. We walked back. He’s a better runner than I am. (Do dogs have knees?)

On our way down, we passed that group of protesters chanting about China’s actions in Tibet. They have been protesting for months, in the same spot, on 43rd Street, along the West Side Highway, police on hand, an older Asian man yelling into a bullhorn, which hardly seemed necessary, as they are pretty loud anyway. Honestly, I am sympathetic to them and their cause, truly, but I found the noise, in a language I didn’t understand, irritating after a while. So I tuned them out.

On our walk back, though, they weren’t yelling “Stop China Now. Free Prisoners In Tibet.” They were all turned around, chanting, almost singing, in what felt immediately like a religious or ritualistic way. Text, my dog, and I stopped. I didn’t feel right about not respecting whatever ceremony was taking place.

But here’s the thing. The cops were there. Laughing, slumped over the metal-piping fence. As the ceremony came to a close, just a few minutes later, I looked at the police. Navy uniforms, some with bright yellow polo shirts, stamped “Community Affairs” on the back. So, I thought, these are representatives of New York’s Finest, charged with engaging the community? Simply put: They didn’t care enough. They didn’t give a damn. They weren’t sensitive enough to recognize the difference between a loud, albeit orderly protest, and a symbolic ceremony. To them, it was just another hour on the job. Their arrogance, their lack of respect and lack of interest in hearing the needs of others, was deafening.

I realized, this is how revolutions start. One group feels so passionately about an issue. And their representatives, their government, stands by, arrogant, disinterested, slumped over a fence.

And then I realized I was equally at fault. I hadn’t listened. I hadn’t cared enough. I hadn’t given a damn. And I had to pay the price. The signs had been there. His following me around the apartment. His desperate attempts to play with other dogs on the street. I knew my dog needed more exercise. More attention. More “father-son” time. But I ignored the immediacy of his need. I put our run off until the next day. I made his needs less important than they actually were. So he found another way to communicate his needs. He acted out. And got to eat some tasty sheetrock in the bargain. Sure, he had to face my disapproval when I got home. But in the mean time, he got to enjoy some fun.

So, today’s 365Things.org suggestion? Give A Damn. Listen to the needs of others, however faint they may be said. Look at the people you surround yourself with. Open yourself up. Make a change in how you go about your day. Hear them. Listen to what they’re really saying. Then, respond. Let them know that you give a damn.

Last week, I watched our president speak to reporters, answering their questions as he stood at the podium in the White House press briefing room. A reporter reminded the president that he had been “surprised” in February when told gas was approaching $4.00 a gallon. The president’s response to gas prices was “Where are they now?” It is unfortunate that the president of our country does not know the price of a gallon of gas.

The president went on to say,

“people can figure out whether they need to drive more or less, they can balance their own checkbooks,” and then, “The American people are plenty capable and plenty smart people, and they’ll make adjustments to their own pocketbooks.” 

The following day I read an article about an electric company shutting off power to 47,000 families and businesses in Colorado because they can’t pay their electric bills. It shook me that tens of thousands of people won’t be able to live properly, in their homes, during the dead heat of summer, while our president is suggesting “there’s some easy steps people can take. You know, if they’re not in their home, they don’t keep their air conditioning running. I mean, there’s a lot of things people can do.”

Yes, Mr. President, people who can afford to pay the most basic of necessities, their electric bill, can choose to turn off their air conditioning when they’re not home. But what about those 47,000 others? What about all the people across this country who can’t afford to pay their electric bills? What happens to them?

I started 365things.org to help people make a difference in their lives and in the lives of others. And I thought, I need to find a way to make a difference for one person. So, today, as 365things.org gets up and running, I am offering to pay the electric bill for one person, one family, who cannot live in their home because they have no electricity. It’s a small gesture, but one that I hope will help someone, and will perhaps inspire others to find ways to improve the lives of their neighbors.

Why am I doing this? I’m doing this because I want people to know that, even though they can’t rely on their president to understand their needs, even though life is tough right now, someone cares about them. For me, it’s a question of personal responsibility, and the importance of leadership and setting an example. I hope this will inspire others to look around and make a difference in someone else’s iife.

And, honestly, I’m doing this because I want you to come to 365Things.org, to find ideas that make your life work better, to find ideas that make your world a better place. I want you to come here every day, and invite your friends, make new ones, and together, in small ways, one day, one small action at a time, make your world a better place. Because 365 things better is a whole lot of better.

Now, I recognize that many people who cannot pay their electric bill may not be able to access 365Things.org. But if you’re reading this, obviously you can. And you may know of someone in need of assistance. So, it’s OK for you to tell me their story too. I hope you’ll help them reach me. Which, essentially is what 365Things.org is about: taking a small step to make the world, your world, a better place.

So, if you cannot afford to pay your electric bill, if you’ve got a “final disconnect” notice stamped to your bill, if your electricity has been shut off or your electric company is threatening to shut off your electric bill, here’s what I want you to do:

• Register here at 365Things.org, so you can use the comments section. I hope you’ll also signup to receive email updates, too!

• Briefly tell me your circumstances in the comments section below. You don’t have to use your real name, but you do need to tell me your story by August 14, 2008.

• On August 16, 2008, I will choose which person’s bill to pay, based on the circumstances you write in the comments section below. I want as many people as possible, but especially our president, to understand what it is like to not be able to pay your electric bill. Tell me the impact it has had on you and your family.

• I will pay the bill for one person or family (one residence) up to $250.

• Later, I will ask the person or family I choose to mail me a copy of their electric bill, which I will pay directly.

You may also enjoy reading Steve Olson’s “11 Ways to Build an Extraordinary Life“, which, in part, inspired me to take this step.

Feel free to email me directly, with any thoughts or comments about 365Things.org.

America. We’ve had 232 years of independence. 232 years of freedom from tyranny and oppression. And yet, we are all still subjects of our own inner tyrannical, oppressing thought processes, habits, and addictions.

Six months ago this week, like many of you, I set my goals for the year. How are you doing with yours? I confess, I’ve missed several. I still go to sleep too late. I’ve gotten better at, but haven’t gotten control over my late night eating habits. (The makers of Häagen-Dazs are happy with me, however!) But perhaps the one area that I have made the most progress in is the most important: re-examining, and getting control over my limiting beliefs.

We all have them. The “I’m not good enough,” “I’m not strong enough,” “What would people think if I…” thought processes that inhibit us, stop us from growing, oppress us from realizing our full potential and from becoming the person we truly wish to be.

How many times a day do you secretly think, “I can’t do that.”? “I wouldn’t be able to do that.”? “I wish I could do that.” I guarantee you, more times than you are even aware. And it’s limiting your success and happiness. For me, it was called fear. Fear of being the person I want to be. I’m still afraid at times. I think many of us are. Author Marianne Williamson, in her 1992 book, wrote, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” I think of that often. Because I know that I succeed at most things I try. So the question becomes, why not try more things?

So, here’s your first activity from 365Things.org: Make a list of the five things you would most like to do or be. Off the top of your head. No right or wrong answers. Make them as fun as you’d like.

Now, find a place to post your list. On your desk. On your computer desktop. On your refrigerator. In your daily planner. And post it here, at 365 Things.org. Promise yourself you’ll look at the list at least once a week. Daily, upon waking would be best. But find a time that you can look at the list and remind yourself of the person you’d like to become. The things you’d like to do. And then promise yourself you will take a shot at each of them. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish, if you just believe. And declare your personal independence from what, or from whom, is keeping you from reaching your goals.

Achieve your goal with the perfect buddy. Visit Comotivate.

Technorati Tags:
Fears, Habits, Goals

Hurricane Dolly, cell phone cancer, housing sales fall to 10-year lows, recession, illegal immigration, stock market tumbles. These are just some of the headlines the news media choose to focus on today, and to repeat, over and over again throughout the day. It can really get you down. That soundtrack you hear as you turn on CNN, or listen to your local news station, can really do a number on your psyche. And it adds up. But here’s the real bad news: the impact of these stories is cumulative, and by the end of the day, the “news” has done a number on you.

It’s important to remember that these “stories” are just small slices of life. They’re not your entire world. MSNBC doesn’t report on the phone call you got from an old friend. Brian Williams doesn’t mention you met a new neighbor, or got a pat on the back from a co-worker. NPR doesn’t broadcast that smile that you gave to a stranger made his day, and he, in turn, made someone else’s, thanks to you. These are the real stories of your life. They affect you just as much as the price of oil, and maybe more than a hurricane in a different part of the country. And they’re good news. Your good news.

It’s important to be a source of inspiration for yourself and for others. And so, here’s what you can do today to make things a little better:

• Just for today, don’t think about the price of gas. Or the stock market. Unless you’re the head of the New York Stock Exchange (and even then, no,) you have no ability to effect these issues. Use your thoughts wisely.

• As you catch yourself focusing in on those issues you can’t control, pick one thing, perhaps one person, in your life, that gives you joy. Substitute a thought about that person or thing, for a thought about the stock market, the price of gas, or the weather.

• And lastly, make a commitment to yourself that you will find a way to make that one thing that gives you joy, better.

Maybe that one thing is a neighbor who always says hello. How well do you know them? Do you even know their name? Do you use their name, or just mumble “hello” in the hallway, and then feel guilty. Go ahead, put yourself out there. Say hello to them, by name. It will feel good. And that feeling will last a lot longer than thinking about how much it’s going to cost to fill up your tank.

We live in a big world. But we also have the ability to control and improve the world we live in. And it all starts by making a choice.

Continuing this week’s theme of giving here at 365Things.org, I want to offer you the opportunity to consider helping someone you will never meet, never speak with, and never know. Someone who doesn’t even live in this country.

Now, before you leave… stop for a minute and think about the people who helped you when you were first getting started in life. Maybe your parents come to mind, or your high school english teacher, or maybe it’s your first boss. Whomever you are thinking about right now, think about this action as an opportunity to repay that debt, by helping someone else create some more.

What? Help someone by creating more debt? OK. Here’s the deal: The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize went to Muhammad Yunus, “for advancing economic and social opportunities for the poor, especially women, through their pioneering microcredit work.”. What is microcredit? Put simply, it is the giving of very small loans to people who might not be able to access funds from typical sources, to start a business and improve the way of life for them, their families, and their villages.

Kiva.org is an organization that does an excellent job of finding and matching needy entrepreneurs with folks like you and me. You can visit their website, find a loan candidate, sign up, and track that person’s progress as their business grows. And you are only one of a number of people who loan to one individual, so your risk is minimized. More importantly, you become part of something bigger. And you’ll feel good. Really good. You can start with an investment of just $25.

When I say very small loans, I mean very small. $850 could help a mother in Latin America start a small sewing business. $300 might be just what a young woman in Peru needs to help grow her citrus fruit business.

Now, remember, these are loans, not gifts. Which means, in all likelihood, your money is repaid, in full.

Kiva, started by husband and wife team Matt and Jessica Flannery in 2004, has an impressive track record, and displays its results right on the front page of their site. This week alone, Kiva’s lenders have made over 8000 loans, to the tune of over $635,000.

Personally, I made a loan to a woman in Guatemala to help her buy materials for her weaving business. And you know what? I feel pretty good about it.

The goal here at 365Things.org is to help you make you, your life, and your world, just a little bit better. Making things better doesn’t have to be hard, take time, or hurt. Here’s a list of things that you can do easily, will have an impact, and won’t cost you more than a minute, or a phone call.

• Support 50 non-profits every time you make a phone call. For 23 years, Working Assets has supported “peace, equality, human rights and the environment”. Some of the organizations you can help support by getting your mobile and long distance services through Working Assets, now Credo Mobile, include GLAAD: the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Doctors Without Borders, Media Matters for America, Greenpeace, and AlterNet.

• Give food, books, child healthcare, even mammograms by visiting The Hunger Site. You click, advertisers donate. My one click gave 1.1 cups of food to the hungry. Quick, easy, free.

• You probably use Google for your Internet searches. This week, to more boos than praise, Cuil (pronounced “cool”) launched. I give it a few weeks, based on all the feedback I’ve heard. But if you want your searches to count for more than Google collecting information on your habits, try Search Kindly. “Search Kindly lets you donate money for free just by using Google from this page instead of any other.” Basically, Search Kindly is an interface that shows ads before you make your search. Free, easy, impactful.

• Know you’re never going to use those frequent flyer miles that you’ve been collecting? Visit MileDonor and donate your unused or even soon-to-expire frequent flyer miles to charities like UNICEF, the American Red Cross, the US Olympic Team, OXFAM, AIDS Walk, or any one of over 100 other charities. You can also donate your miles to help injured service members and their families at Operation Hero Miles.

• If you’re going to use a credit card, why not get one that will support your favorite charity? The ASPCA, Humane Society, and World Wildlife Fund are three animal organizations that offer “affinity” credit cards, which will donate a portion of your purchases or balance to these charities. There are many other cards that support many different types of charities. Take a look at this Consumer Reports article, or contact your favorite charity directly.

Today’s thought is about the importance of common sense. I truly believe that 99% of the “news” out there is, at best, suspect, and at worst, crap. Here’s a great example: I came across an article today, entitled “Living on the wrong street could be making you fat.” And I thought, OK, that’s it! So, I did a quick Google search and found 645,000 results for “make you fat“. Here are a few of my favorites. I’ve included the links in case you want to explore some of these astonishing claims:

• Having a fat friend could make YOU overweight as well

• Computers make you fat

• Credit cards can make you fat

• How Your Skeleton Can Make You Fat

• Warning - theme parks make you fat

• Too much exercise can make you fat

Now, I know you don’t really believe any of these claims are true. They may have some bits of truth in them, but they are not true. And yet, they make it easier, don’t they? They remove responsibility and create opportunity to NOT make change, to NOT use your head, And to NOT take responsibility. After all, you’re not going to give up your friends, or move your home to lose weight, or stop using computers, or credit cards, to lose weight. You might skip a theme park visit or two, if you go at all, but I doubt you’ll wake up the next day, look at your scale and see you’ve lost weight. And I certainly hope you’re not going to stop exercising to lose weight!

So, there you have it. Ignore the headlines. Use your common sense. And maybe, make a few headlines of your own!

When I was a little boy, probably around nine or ten, I wanted to be a rock star. Really. Bobby Sherman was my idol. I don’t know exactly why, but the first occupational desire I had was to be a rock star. And I’m pretty sure I wanted to be a good one.

Over the past few days, we’ve heard the political news about John McCain making fun of Barack Obama’s rock star “celebrity” status, comparing him to Paris Hilton (who, um, isn’t a rock star, by the way) and suggesting that Obama is “elite”. (Full disclosure at this point, yes, I am an Obama supporter and I have donated money to his campaign.)

Obama, smartly, has responded by simply noting that McCain isn’t saying anything positive about himself. I agree, and I want to take this opportunity to point out a few things:

• There is nothing wrong with being a “rock star”. There is nothing wrong with being a “celebrity”. Literally, it means you are talented and pretty damn good at what you do. Figuratively, it means you are talented and pretty damn good at what you do. Either way, it’s a win. Bobby Sherman would, no doubt, agree.

• There is nothing wrong with being elite. Now, I don’t really think Obama is “elitist”. Yes, he is more intelligent, better educated, and better spoken, than the “average American”. But that doesn’t make him elite. But even if it did, elite, by definition, means, “a group of people considered to be the best in a particular society or category”.

Thanks for the compliments, Senator McCain. An elite celebrity rock star - well, that’s something I want to be - and so should you. We should all want to be talented and pretty damn good at what we do, and considered to be the best.

So, today, think about what you can do to become the best. Write down what that looks like to you. And then find a way to make it happen. Don’t you want that for your self? I do. And I’ve known that simple truth since I was nine.

It’s summer. Summer’s hot. Hot means more showers. More showers means more bathroom time. More bathroom time means more time the lights are on when you’re in the shower. And that’s when it hit me. In the shower. Like so many of those bright ideas we all get. Those bathroom lights, you know, the ones above the mirror - the ones that make you wonder if you secretly aren’t a Broadway star - well, they’re hot! I’ve got a row of eight (Manhattan bathrooms are pretty small; you probably have more) and once those suckers have been on for a few minutes, even though they’re only 40 watts each, it gets hot in there! In the middle of a sunny day, do I need a ton of round, 40 watt bulbs heating up in front of a wall-to-wall bathroom mirror, while I’m in the shower with my eyes closed so the shampoo (yes, bald men use shampoo!) doesn’t get in my eyes? No! Besides, who likes taking a shower in the hot, humid summer, only to step out into an “air-conditioned” bathroom that feels like an oven? You know, you towel down, and have to start all over again because you’re dripping with sweat. Yuck!

So, here’s today’s “365Thing”: Buy a dimmer. They’re cheap. They’re not hard to install (turn the switch in the fuse box off first!) and a dimmer will save you money and even make your showers a bit more romantic. Hmmm…. Maybe buying a dimmer is a bright idea after all!