Daily Good...

Inspiration of the Day:In the '60s, perhaps the most remarkable change agents were the civil rights workers and antiwar protesters. Today the most remarkable young people are the social entrepreneurs, those who see a problem in society and roll up their sleeves to address it in new ways. Take Andrew Klaber, a 26-year-old playing hooky from Harvard Business School, who is an example of the social entrepreneur. He spent the summer after his sophomore year in college in Thailand and was aghast to see teenage girls being forced into prostitution after their parents had died of AIDS. So he started Orphans Against AIDS, which pays school-related expenses for hundreds of children who have been orphaned or otherwise affected by AIDS in poor countries. This NY Times article reflects on the growing numbers of young people finding creating ways to serve the world. [ more ]

Be The Change:Try applying "social entrepreneurship" to a problem you are aware of, no matter how small or large, transformative or minor.

Meditation...

Deep within me is a solid core of calm and peace. Don’t let people or outside events determine your peace of mind.


I fill myself with love, and my love overflows to others. Only in community, only in relationships, only in service…can we truly understand the all-encompassing energy of love.

Body and Spirit....for December

New this month: Body and Spirit

It is all to easy during the holiday season to get caught up in the whirl of parties, presents, and food. It is so important to keep in mind that the season of Christmas is divinely inspired. Do you feel like you have become spiritually disconnected? Are you focusing on wants and desires? On the other had have you become an all out Scrooge? Try to balance giving and receiving, think not only about materials possessions but food for your soul. It's easy to forget to keep it nourished. One way to keep in balance and reconnect spiritually is through Meditation, it can help you read you body's signals, and feel where you are out of whack. Give it a try. Click the picture for a 2 minute stress escape.

Audio Meditations for rejuvenating the body

AudioMeditations for Finding Inner Peace

Meditations for Finding Inner Peace

Mindfulness Meditation

December Ambitions: Earth Friendly Ideas

I often times save the comics to use as wrapping paper, but my sweetie can always come up with cool ways to wrap things that I would have never thought of. One of my last gifts was wrapped in aluminum foil, he explained that he didn’t know where I kept the stash of wrapping paper….it was really beautiful and thoughtful…melting my heart.
Top 10 Green Gift Wrap Ideas http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/Top-10-Green-Gift-Wrap-Ideas.html

December Ambitions: Service of Others

Do you want to buy a gift that can help someone in need? Well at ksl.com they are selling these beautiful 2009 KSL Live 5 Weather /Pictureline Calendar’s. From the stunning snowcapped Wasatch Mountains to the Red Rocks of Southern Utah, you and your family will enjoy these remarkable photos captured by local photographers every day of the year. These magnificent photos were submitted to KSL for the Pictureline Photo Contest. Winners were selected by the viewers of KSL 5 and the users of KSL.com.(Dimensions: 12"x12" closed - 12"x24" open)
ALL Proceeds from the sale of this calendar go to Primary Children's Medical Center. They are 14.95 and the price includes shipping. Everyone needs a calendar and what a better way to help a child in need, and their families.

December Ambitions: Home

One thing I can’t stand during the holiday season is not having my gift wrapping supplies gathered, organized, and accessible. So this year I searched the web for tips and advice on how to keep it together.
One super tip I learned was to color coordinate gifts, that way when it’s time to visit a certain family you’ll know which presents to grab. Example: our family would be silver, my husbands green, and my family is red. Or just use a certain pattern for each group of people.
One site I found to be of use is found if you click to picture…you’ll find great advice on how to organize your wrapping paper needs.

December Ambitions: Couple

Be Friends… Love is perhaps our most powerful emotion, and the need to be in a loving relationship may be one of the strongest needs we have. Being in an intimate relationship makes us feel connected, not only to our partner, but also to the world at large. When our hearts are filled with love, we feel profoundly content and satisfied. We become more patient, more empathetic, kinder, gentler. To read the rest click the following link…. http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/8WaystoStrengthenYourRelationship.html

This month focus on the first way… Be Friends...Any healthy relationship must be based on a solid underlying friendship. Remember to treat your partner with the same kindness, respect, and appreciation as you would a close friend. Support, listen to, and laugh with each other. Don't allow yourselves to be rude or disrespectful.

December Ambitions: Family

Celebrate Past and Future
Connections: Families; Schools (Language Arts).
What You Need: Notebook or scrapbook; pen/pencil; paper bag marked with each person's name and decorated; slips of paper; ribbon.
Doing It:
The first day of the calendar year, New Year's Day, has been celebrated since ancient times. Many different calendars are followed throughout the world. The one we generally use is based on the calendar in which Julius Caesar designated January 1 as the first day of the year. People celebrate with parties, parades, sporting events, family gatherings, a round of "Auld Lang Syne," food, and resolutions. New Year's is a time to remember the old year, and celebrate and make plans for the upcoming year. Janus (from which January comes) is a Roman god portrayed with two faces. One face looks backward at the old year, and the other face looks forward at the New Year.
To remember the old year, start a keepsake notebook or scrapbook that contains annual family highlights. On New Year's Day each year, each member of your family should write down the highlights of the past year for them. Include information like your age, what grade you're in or job you're doing, favorite song, favorite movie, favorite book, favorite TV show, best moment of the year, worst moment of the year, biggest surprise, most important thing learned. Read last year's highlights as you record this year's highlights.
Now think forward to the year ahead. What resolutions would you like to make? Resolutions are decisions to break bad habits or start good ones. Maybe you want to stop biting your fingernails or start reading for 20 minutes every day. Too many big resolutions all at once can be overwhelming. It's not likely you'll stick with them. Instead, try a month-by-month approach. On slips of paper, each person writes out twelve resolutions they would like to implement over the next year. Roll up each slip of paper and secure it with a piece of ribbon. Put the resolutions into a decorated bag with your name on it. Once a month, perhaps during a family meeting, put your hand into your bag to pull out a resolution. Then, for the next month, focus on making that resolution happen.
http://www.legacyproject.org/holidaykit/part2/hd2.2.html#anchor2.2cpaf
For a huge list of different activities visit…http://www.legacyproject.org/activities/activities.html#historyanchor

December Ambitions: Personal

Marelisa inspired me with 12 Superb Ways to Be Happier. I loved her suggestion to “let go of the idea that happiness equals consumption.” Amen! http://abundance-blog.marelisa-online.com/2008/10/22/12-superb-ways-to-be-happier/
This site will help to make goals for 2009…
http://www.avani-mehta.com/2008/10/30/2009-personal-goals/
This site helps leads you in the directions of focusing to achieve these goals…http://zenhabits.net/2008/10/laser-sharp-focus-get-more-done/#more-1607

Handprint Tree...

Here's a great idea for a Christmas tree from your child or grandchild's handprints.

Materials: colored paper or board,decorations,glue,scissors

Directions
Trace a child's hand on green paper. You will need 8 or 9 handprints for the tree branches.
Cut out a star for the top of the tree, and a trunk.
Glue the trunk on the bottom of the page. Then glue the hand prints to create the tree.
Add the star at the top of the tree.
Decorate the tree using anything you have on hand (paint, bits of colored paper, tinsel, ribbon sequins)
Hints:
Fold the paper so that you are cutting out 2 or four hand prints at one time.
Try arranging the prints to create the tree before you start gluing.

This is so easy and so fun. Enjoy!

http://www.creativekidsathome.com/activities/activity_77.shtml