Everyday Heroes

The Lesson of Leaning In.

I’ve always loved this image of American author, Helen Keller and film icon, Charlie Chaplin – taken when the two met for the very first time.

And, how wonderful that this moment was so lovingly preserved.

Born to a family of rather modest means—from an early age, Keller seemed destined for far greater things. A precocious child, she learned to speak at just 6 months of age. And, among her first words? That irrepressible question, ‘why.’

Those around her, marveled at this seemingly endless source of curiosity and wonder. Until sadly, when – at just two years of age – she succumbed to a devastating illness; an illness which would soon strike her blind, deaf and mute.

I’ve often wondered what it might be like to live without the ‘crutch’ of our senses. Would our ‘sight’ become more keen in a world where the ‘colors’ were stripped away?

Look at how intensely he’s ‘listening in’ – leaning forward into the full depths of their shared experience.

How wonderful it might be to experience our world in much the same way – with a profound gratitude for those often overlooked and much subtler details. To ‘see’ in such a way that causes our world to come alive. And, with each new breath, a reminder of life’s living glory.

In spite of her adversity – or rather, perhaps as a result of her adversity – Keller became one of the 20th century’s leading humanitarians, as well as, co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union.

And so, on this day, my hope is that we may all take a moment to appreciate her lesson of ‘leaning in.’

Everyday Hero, Sir Nicholas Winton.

[blockquote source=”Andy Andrews”]“You have been created in order that you might make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world.”[/blockquote]

It’s not often that you hear of a story so delightful, that it makes your heart swell with the warmth of compassion’s reach.

During WWII, Sir Nicholas Winton, a British stockbroker, selflessly risked his life to rescue 669 mostly Jewish children from the Nazi-occupied Czechoclovakia.

On 15 November 1938, 5 days after the devastation of Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, in Germany and Austria, a delegation of British Jewish and Quaker leaders appealed in person to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Neville Chamberlain. Among other measures, they requested that the British government permit the temporary admission of unaccompanied Jewish children, without their parents.

The operation, later dubbed “Czech Kindertransport” was responsible for saving the lives of over 10,000 predominantly Jewish children – most of whom had lost their families to the horrors of the Holocaust.

It is only through the actions of individuals like Nicholas Winton, that we may begin to advance humanity’s vision.

In the 50 years following this incredible rescue mission, Nicholas struggled to deal with the guilt and sadness over the loss of those he wasn’t able to rescue.

Eventually, his wife discovered a scrapbook, list of names, and journals documenting his rescue operation, and she convinced him to go public with his story, leading to his appearance of the BBC show.

While appearing on the show, unbeknownst to him, he received an amazing surprise when the host revealed that 80 of the audience members surrounding him were saved during the rescue operation. And today, there are roughly 6,000 people around the world today who owe Winton their lives.

Today, Winton is 105 years old, has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and was even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

The touching video of Winton’s surprise on the BBC program has spread all over the Internet recently and is a reminder of just how many people have gone unrecognized for doing heroic things in the course of history.

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

[pullquote align=”left” background=”on”]The news came on the wings of a wind, reluctant to carry its burden. – Maya Angelou[/pullquote]

I remember the very first time I heard her speak – the soulfulness of her voice resonating through me in a manner I had not ever experienced. In one simple breath – my dears, she pulled back my veil.

And, her words…they cast a life altering spell.

“I know why the caged bird sings…”

And, in those few short words – I knew what it meant for a spirit to be free; to dip “his wings in the orange sun rays and dare to claim the sky.”

As she so eloquently stated, everyone has gone to bed one night feeling the pain of loss, of fear…of suffering. And yet, ‘each of us has awakened arisen. Somehow made our ablution, seen other human beings, and said, “Morning, how are you?”

It is the most indelible part of our human soul, and that which joins these oft’ barren threads of humanity. It instills within us our deepest desire, the desire to rise again.

This is the essence of the human will; and this is, the magnificence of the divine.

And, this will – it grows with every newly opened bud, every mottled leaf; it meets us by the meadow’s brook, and when the winds stirs the mighty trees.

My dears, it is the human will that begs our freedom.

[blockquote source=”Maya Angelou”]The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom[/blockquote]

Indeed, Ms. Angelou ~ I, too, know why the caged bird sings. And, through your delicate words this bird has found its wings.

Thank you, from my heart, my dear ~ and thank you, once again. I am so very grateful to have known the gift of your spirit.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

The free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wings
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with fearful trill
of the things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
~ Maya Angelou

Video: The  Many Inspirations of Dr. Maya Angelou

His Day is Done – A touching tribute to Nelson Mandela.

Still I rise – A gift of spirit.

Frank Ostaseski – The Zen Hopsice Center.

[blockquote source=”Frank Ostaseski”]”There comes a point in our lives, as you know so well, (when) we stop and turn towards our pain. And that becomes the ground for compassion.”[/blockquote]

I once attended a lecture given by Zen Hospice founder, and beloved Buddhist teacher, Frank Ostaseski.

I remember it was a beautiful spring day, the air was crisp and the auditorium filled with the softened smiles of compassion’s greatest energy.There was a sense of shared humanity, of unity and togetherness – much like the inviting warmth of a cherished family home.

Walking in, I looked to the faces in the crowd. There was such a calmness about them, a serene acceptance, if you will.

I couldn’t have felt more welcomed, and yet, ironically…I felt so terribly disconnected.

And yet I, felt so terribly disconnected.

I watched as this tall, slender man took the stage. His eyes radiated a kindness unlike any I had ever known before.

“The eyes of a dying patient, they’re the clearest mirrors I’ve ever looked into. And, in their gaze – there is no place to hide,” he began.

In those few short words I realized the source of my own unsettledness. These beautiful faces that surrounded me, were both students and patients. Some gravely ill, and others, now recovering – but all, sharing the same sense of unity.

Illness has great power over us – capturing both body and spirit in a seemingly endless tug of war. It humbles us, chipping away at our toughened exteriors and revealing the rawness and frailty of our most human soul.

This was the beginning of my own illness. And, i was desperate to find the resting spot within such a godawful mess.

I had read about Frank’s work many years ago. He was at the forefront of the AIDS epidemic, serving as caregiver to those the hospitals turned away. I remember reading his story with great care. I can’t explain, but there was something in his words which inexplicably drew me nearer.

Little did I know the impact these words would soon mean to me.

I had come to the lecture that day, I suppose – in search of relief. It’s not always easy navigating the greater of life’s changes. There are no cheat sheets, nor any instruction books – we must learn by way of our doing.

But, change of this magnitude forces an intimacy with ourselves and others. In our darkness, we must find our way through with careful step and hands to the ‘wall.’

I was so very moved by his lecture. I stopped looking at my illness, and began to look into it. Suddenly, the path seemed fuller – stumbling blocks became cherished lessons, and darkness the means to amplify the light.

I want to share with you the precepts he provided on that day, a short list of the lessons learned from the dying. As he said, so many times over and again, “The dying were my greatest teachers.

I do hope you’ll post this one to the walls, my dears ~ as a reminder, that the life we live is the one we have chosen.

Thank you, my dearest Frank ~ for sharing this gift of living. As the saying goes, ‘we are all here to walk each other home.’

1. Welcome everything; push away nothing. That doesn’t mean we have to like everything that comes, rather we must be willing to meet it. And, in order to do so – we must find something within ourselves, that is capable of this type of welcoming.

2. Bring your whole self to the experience. We often feel it is our strengths that will serve us best. But, in weakness we find a common ‘meeting place.’ When we bring our whole self to the experience, we offer a space for community to grow.

3. Don’t wait.  Waiting is full of expectation. In waiting for the next moment to arrive, we miss this one right here. This has become, perhaps, my most powerful intention – that I would begin to live each moment freed of the burden of outcome.

4. Find a place of rest right in the middle of things. We often think that rest will come once all the other tasks have fallen away. But, there’s always something else on the plate – always something to fill our time and seize our attention. Rest brings our awareness home again.

5. Cultivate ‘don’t know’ mind. That is to say, that we should cultivate a mind that is full of awe and wonder, one that engages fully in this experience of life. “Can we really be that curious about your next breath? Or is it boring? It’s boring because that’s the attitude you’re bringing to it.”

 

In Losing Our World We Sometimes Gain Everything.

“The quieter you become, the more you can hear. ” ― Baba Ram Das

I heard a most beautiful story the other day, about a young woman who in a twist of life’s tragic loss discovered her very own awakening.

She was a professional runner, training sometimes up to 11 hours per day…but, never once finding the joy she so desperately wished to feel.

Mile after mile she ran, chasing what was never once there – not in the smiles of the people she passed, or in the endlessness of ever-changing scenery…nor, in the any of those winding dusty trail.

It seems her whole world was consumed by routine – this routine of chasing her dream. It ended up nearly blinding her to the beauty of the life that she already had.

Until one day, in her mid-thirties she began suffering debilitating seizures. And, with such frequency and voracity that she soon lost all ability to speak, to move…to walk.

All of these things that are so often taken for granted, lost in the time-span of just a few short days.

In an effort to save her life, doctors performed what was then considered an innovative new surgery – a surgery that would remove the bulk portion of her right temporal lobe.

And, when she awoke…the seizures were gone; likewise, so was all that she once used to be.

The surgery, though successful, had damaged the portion of her brain responsible for short term memory. As a result, this active young woman found that she had to relearn the ‘basics’ once again.

Day after day, she returned to the physical therapy clinic – with the dream of running just one more race.

But, the doctors, they all felt her to be foolish – seeing only her limitations, and not the capacity of her heart.

And, when she began to run again (yes, can you believe it?) – something miraculous took form. Mile after mile, she took to those trials – in perfect form, and a pace that was unencumbered.

You see, because her brain had been so ‘damaged’ by the surgery – that mechanism to cause her to stop, was gone, too. That little voice to remind her that she was too tired…too weak…to this or that…was completely, and most perfectly silenced.

Since her brain surgery, she just simply runs – “uninhibited by the drudgery of time and distance, undeterred by an inability to remember exactly where she is going or how to get back.”

And now? She has become one of this world’s most elite ultra-marathoner, competing in races measuring over 100 miles. Last year, she won the Yukon Arctic Ultra 300 – being the first woman to complete the 430-mile version this year. In losing her memory, she was granted this most joyous gift – of everything always being new, once again.

And serving as the gateway to her own awakening.

It’s really is something magnificent to consider – this relationship between mind, body and spirit. And, the damage this chattering mind will do – if we don’t learn early on how to hush it.

There is great power, my dears, to that which we call spirit; and, all we ever really have to do it believe it.

 

An Officer and a Gentle Young Soul: Everyday Hero, Myles Eckert.

[pullquote align=”left” background=”on”]In your light, I learn how to love.                  – Rumi[/pullquote]

When 8-year-old Myles Eckert found a $20 bill in the parking lot of his favorite family restaurant, his first thought was to purchase a video game.

But then, his eyes locked onto another young man, a US Army soldier standing in full uniform. The soldier was Lt. Col. Frank Dailey, whose life was ‘forever changed’ by the kindness of this little boy.  He was there to have breakfast with his wife and family, just like any other day.

But what happened next is beyond anything anyone could have expected.

You see, just as Lt. Col. Dailey and his family were just being seated, young Myles was sitting one booth over and busy hatching his plan.

He had begged his mother for a pencil and scrap of paper, and with painstaking care…penned the following words:

[blockquote source=”Myles Eckert, a gold star kid.“]Dear Soldier — my dad was a soldier. He’s in heaven now,” the note said. “I found this 20 dollars in the parking lot when we got here. We like to pay it forward in my family. It’s your lucky day! Thank you for your service.[/blockquote]

Eckert’s father, Army Sgt. Andy Eckert, had been killed in Iraq when Myles was just a few weeks old. And to this day, the 8-year-old can only imagine what he might have been like.

“I imagine him as a really nice person and somebody that would be really fun,” he told CBS News.

When Myles finished his note, he folded it up and sent it with the $20 bill to the table of the unsuspecting soldier.

When asked his reason for sharing his newfound wealth, he answered simply, “Because, he’s a soldier and soldiers remind me of my Dad.”

Following their breakfast, Myles asked his mother if she might make a quick stop on the way home.

“He wanted to go see his dad,” said his mother Tiffany. And on this day, Myles wanted very much to go on his own – presumably, to share the story of his generosity with his dad.

When asked what he thought of the note, Dailey replied, “I look at it everyday” – and adding, that this young man’s gesture has given him a ‘lifetime of direction.”

Well done, little Myles – I think your daddy would be so very proud of you.

The Gift a Stranger Brings: Everyday Hero, Dobri Dobrev.

[blockquote source=”John Holmes”]There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.[/blockquote]

Graciously shared from the Huffington Post, meet Dobri Dobrev – a 99 year-old man who knows the truest value in giving, is that which returns to one’s spirit.

He has been called a saint, a hermit…a man who is too foolish to accept money. But, to most he is referred to simply as the ‘divine stranger’…a man who gives so selflessly to others, that which are his greatest gifts of all…

His kindness and compassion.

If you’re traveling throughout Bulgaria, you might just say hello to dearest Dobri – who can be spotted from time to time throughout metropolitan streets in search of generous people to implement his cause.

“He is not afraid of cold and bad weather, does not worry that he will remain hungry. He is not angry at people indifferent to his work. The old man radiates kindness and meekness. He is ready to kiss a child’s hand with a smile, dropped a coin into his box , to talk about God with every passerby, to thank for the charity.”

[divider type=”thick”]

This 99-Year-Old Man Begs Every Day And Gives It All Away To Churches And Orphanages

The Huffington Post  | by  Eleanor Goldberg

To the unfamiliar passerby, Dobri Dobrev, 99, may come off as a haggard beggar who depends on the kindness of strangers to get by in life.

But, for the residents of Sofia, Bulgaria, Dobrev is nothing of the sort. Rather, the area’s fixture has been called a “saint” and a “divine stranger,” according to a website dedicated to Dobrev.

imgur, meet Dobri Dobrev

Dobrev lost most of his hearing during World War II, according to Yahoo News Canada. He lives more than 15 miles outside of Sofia, a distance he used to trek by foot, but he now relies on the bus, according to SaintDobry.com. He spends his days asking people for money, but he doesn’t keep a cent.

The generous guy lives off of his monthly pension of 80 euros (about $100) and gives all his donations to institutions that are most dear to him: churches and orphanages.

dobri
Photo credit: Laura / Panoramio

Last year, Reddit user Nullvoid123 wrote on the site that he has met Dobrev a number of times and that the beneficent man said he once “did a bad thing,” and is now trying to make up for his past transgressions by helping others.

Dobrev has made a number of generous donations throughout the years to churches, but one of his largest gifts was when he gave 35,700 lev (more than $24,000) to the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, according to a video released by the church. He has also been known to give money to orphanages to help them pay their utility bills.

“The good will is just and true. Everything in it is good,” Dobrev said in the film “Mite,” which was produced in 2000. “We must not lie, nor steal, nor commit adultery. We must love each other as God loves us.”

“My Dad Was Just a Barber.”

[blockquote source=”Jim Valvano”]
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.” [/blockquote]

I remember the very first memory with my father. We were standing alone at the edge of our new property line, looking out into a debris scattered field.

This was to be our new home, and an escape from the chaos of the ‘iron jungle.’ My father knew that the city streets were no place for an inquisitive little girl to come of age. As such, he and my dearest mother scraped together every single cent to make this dream a reality.

Their hope carried us through the many months of construction, and helped me to weather each and every ‘storm’ that has greeted me.

It was by far, the best gift I have ever received – teaching me quite early on this power of belief.

My dears, I wanted to share with you this most beautiful video from the organization Moments.org – a brilliant reminder that no one is ever beyond hope’s reach.

In this video, a young boy recalls the greatest lesson his father shared with him – that is, whatever someone used to be has nothing to do with what they can become.

Whether our outward appearance shows the wearings of life, or whether these regrets and disappointments are buried deep within…my dears, know this…

There is nothing that is ever fully beyond our reach.

So, on this day…may we all be inspired to see the potential in the people and world around us.

I promise you, if you’re willing to see it – my dears, there is a great magic everywhere.

Namaste, and much love on this day…

Sometimes the End Is the Beginning: Everyday Hero, Brian Acton.

[blockquote source=”Paulo Coelho”]Don’t give up. Remember, it’s always the last key on the key ring that opens the door.[/blockquote]

I don’t usually post these sorts of things, but…I have to say, I was quite moved by this story’s most brilliant, happy ending. And, knowing that there is always a case when someone out there may need just a little boost to their journey.

The story is about a young man, who was devastated when life pulled him away from his ‘dream job path.’ But, in spite of the pain of this nearly bone-crushing blow, this young man…continued on…undaunted.

His name was Brian Acton, who had just left his job as Vice President of Engineering at Yahoo, Inc. to pursue his life-long ambition. But, sadly when the social media giants heard of this plan, they turned him away – thinking him not too terribly suited.

Good thing for Brian, he didn’t give up so easily.

brian-acton-fb-job

Little did he know at the time, that the Universe had charted a far better pathway.

My dears, so much can happen in the span of just a few short years.

In spite of his setbacks, Brian went on to develop, and further refine his idea. And, in time, co-founded his very first corporation, “WhatsApp” – which became home to a brand new, and rather revolutionary messaging service.

At first, the social media ‘Megalodons’ barely feigned interest – and, resting on their laurels of having been ‘so very much bigger.’

Yet still, he persevered…soon becoming a force to be reckoned with.

“Almost five years ago we started WhatsApp with a simple mission: building a cool product used globally by everybody. Nothing else mattered to us.” 

And, just four years after having turned him away, Facebook finally conceded their loss…offering a record-breaking $19 billion USD for purchase of his service.

My dears, now that’s a story worth telling.

And, a most important reminder that sometimes what seems to be the end, is only just the beginning.

Namaste, and much love on this day, my dears…

 

This Dream That Still Remains.

[pullquote align=”left” background=”on”]Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others? – Martin Luther King, Jr.[/pullquote]

On April 3, 1963 a young pastor stood before all of the people of this nation to announce his declaration of a dream that would soon change this world. It would become the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation, and the turning point for the equal rights of all human beings.

[blockquote]”When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”[/blockquote]

And, as he stood there looking out onto the sea of dreams before him – he spoke the very words others were too fearful to share.

[blockquote]”This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”[/blockquote]

From the mountaintop he called, and from that mountaintop he cried,  “I have a dream…”

[blockquote]They told us we wouldn’t get here. And there were those who said that we would get here only over their dead bodies, but all the world today knows that we are here and we are standing before the forces of power in the state of Alabama saying, “We ain’t goin’ let nobody turn us around[/blockquote]

In the years following, he would dedicate the fullness of every one of his moments to this dream of equality for all.

And on March 25, 1965, he led thousands of ‘nonviolent crusaders’ in the completion of a 54-mile journey from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama – a march to serve as a ‘shining moment in the conscience of man,’ and a the culmination of a lengthy campaign to eliminate the to the completion of a 54-mile pilgrimage from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama – a city known as the “Cradle of the Confederacy.”. The march, which King described as “a shining moment in the conscience of man,” was the culmination of a three-month campaign to eliminate African American disenfranchisement in Alabama.

It was a triumph of the civil rights movement, serving as a catalyst to the passing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act – designed to enforce the voting rights guaranteed under the 14th and 15th amendments.

It also prohibited States from imposing voter qualifications, such as literacy tests and similar actions, to disenfranchise minorities.

All for the actions of one simple man, who allowed his personal will to displace all of Fear’s might.

[blockquote]”… So I stand before you this afternoon with the conviction that segregation is on its deathbed in Alabama, and the only thing uncertain about it is how costly the segregationists and Wallace will make the funeral.”[/blockquote]

And, to this day, we stand still in the brilliance of his light.

But, my dears…our dreams are merely a reflection of mankind’s truest potential.

Dr. King understood this – and with every word, every single thought and deed…he walked a path of peaceful non-violence.

He stood before the very men who opposed, and even hated him – to see the fear that raged on in the shadows of their soul.

[blockquote]We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience. And that will be a day not of the white man, not of the Black man. That will be the day of man as man….

I know you are asking today, “How long will it take?” Somebody’s asking, “How long will prejudice blind the visions of men, darken their understanding and drive bright-eyed wisdom from her sacred throne?” Somebody’s asking, “When will wounded justice, lying prostrate on the streets of Selma and Birmingham and communities all over the South, be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men?” Somebody’s asking, “When will the radiant star of hope be plunged against the nocturnal bosom of this lonely night, plucked from weary souls with chains of fear and the manacles of death? How long will justice be crucified, and truth bear it?”

I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long because “truth crushed to earth will rise again.” …

… His truth is marching on.[/blockquote]

It is these words that we must hold close to our hearts, to effect gracious action towards all human beings…and to offer our hope that compassion may soon prevail.

Isn’t it amazing that after half a century, his words are still as powerful today as they were when first spoken?

And, to serve as a much needed reminder that no mountain is ever too tall to scale.