By Ella Wheeler Wilcox There are two kinds of people on earth to-day; Just two kinds of people, no more, I say. Not the sinner and saint, for it’s well understood, … Continue reading Which Are You? Lumberjack or Cargo?

By Ella Wheeler Wilcox There are two kinds of people on earth to-day; Just two kinds of people, no more, I say. Not the sinner and saint, for it’s well understood, … Continue reading Which Are You? Lumberjack or Cargo?
No one falls asleep in Jeffrey Wright’s high school physics class. Happy, crazy, and unpredictable are the words students use at Louisville High School to describe their teacher. Exploding pumpkins, … Continue reading Exploding Pumpkins, Cinder Blocks to the Chest, and a Few Life Lessons to Boot.
Kids live from the heart; they have a beautiful way of standing up for themselves in an admirably selfish manner, and then turning around and making genuine and grand gestures for others.
This story is a pure demonstration of the latter, and frankly it’s crazy that gratitude flows so intensely from a little man who’s got so little going for him. Then there’s Emma, the eight-year-old with courage that far outpaces adults, who boldly pours herself into someone else when they need it. She’s truly a little role model to the rest of us.
Levi has found a supportive and caring friend in Emma at school where she walks him to…
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The quirky practices of making someones day might involve smokes, tuna, and chocolate.
Elderly transportation used to be a complete racket in Hong Kong. You had to hire freight taxis that typically transported machinery to transport your elderly parent in a wheelchair, and they’d charge … Continue reading Serving up Dignity and Joy — Delivered to your Wheelchair
“What the hell, I am not 52.” Hass grumbles. “Haha OMG!” I tap tap tap his arm to make him look at my results, “It said I look 32! I’m a fan, I’m typically pegged for 15 — 18 on a good day.” Emotions are high in the office as everyone gets their results back. Some are gleefully gloating while others are scoffing, rolling their eyes and objecting. The Microsoft application took the office by storm and was a sticky conversation piece for days on end.
Interesting to watch this phenomena in my little microcosm, which is like a Petridish version of what must have happened in the big old world. How old.net was contagious across social media and hit my Twitter trend board. Then there was this Canadian organization the Toronto Covenant House with an ingenious idea; leverage the popularity of this app is use it to tell a powerful story – one of homelessness. They uploaded pictures of Torontonian homeless, to predict their age. Then they blew these pictures up, shared that persons story of how they got to the street, and then revealed their REAL age. Microsoft says 45….he’s really 22. “Nothing steals youth like the street,” reads one caption.
Art director designs homeless people’s signs to make em’ POP and make us take note.
“Have you ever seen the Ted Talk ‘The Shared Experience of Absurdity‘?” I ask Mario as we sit in the Santa Barbara airport waiting for our flight. “No I haven’t…” he says shaking his head. “Oh my gosh!!!” My eyes light up, I whip out my iPhone, and swipe to the Ted App. “We’ve got 20 minutes so we’ve got to watch this -it’s my absolute favorite!” We huddle together over my small screen and laugh and grin as Charlie Todd makes a case for why we should make time to play as adults, and do things that create small, surprising, and delightful moments for others.
Revisiting that energizing talk put me in a thoughtful mood. I realized, that’s exactly the kind of impact I want to have in my life and in my career. How can I create unforgettable experiences that surprise and delight? How can I disrupt your routine and make you witness something extraordinary? What can I create that sparks genuine human connection between people? (more…)