The Tug On Your Heart Moves Your Wallet To Action

     I attended a great fundraising gala last night for the Zoom Group in Louisville, KY. The Zoom Group provides enrichment services and employment for adults with developmental disabilities in the Louisville area.  The event was full of food tasting, silent auction items, music, fun, and an incredible live auction to finish it out.  Now, we all know during a fundraising event, the whole idea is to contribute to the cause.  What made it amazing was there were more than a handful of people who had no hesitation in throwing in anywhere from $50-$2,500 at a time!!!  The $2,500 amounts go for an annual dance, $1,800 goes for a Smart board, $400 goes for chairs, $50 for outings to local attractions.  The purpose was clear for the amount.  It was a no-brainer to give.  I'm positive anyone who gave any amount that night felt like a million bucks walking out with being able to contribute to an organization with purpose.
   
    I have the distinct pleasure and honor of working with other groups around the community on fundraising events.  It never ceases to amazing and delight me how much people are willing to give to something that has a great purpose in the world.  And not just for a non-profit organization, but for those unique projects that could spark a movement in a community that grows beyond wildest imaginations.  I'm working with one of those projects right now!!!

     A dear friend of mine, Kathryn Furrow, is a local "girl" that I admire.  Her life story is amazing by itself, but when I discovered all that she has accomplished realizing she is in MY "backyard" blows my mind!  Her passion is working in the creative community - actors, artists - helping them have well-balanced lives and careers through her service and podcast that reaches 50,000 listeners, Acting For Your Life.  She herself is a distinguished actress, singer, and writer.  She has written a story that has been 20 years in the making.  She is FILMING that story HERE - LOCALLY.  ALL OF IT. I can't get more all-caps than that.  She and her business partner, Herschel Zahnd, own FYL Entertainment.  It's a full-service acting/production/training business.  They are doing all the amazing stuff normally done elsewhere - right here.  Check out the Breath of Heaven movie site to learn all the details of the movie.  

    Here's the thing. The more I realize all they are accomplishing with this movie, the more I realize what this means for New Albany, Louisville, and all of Kentuckiana.  They are leading the way.  Bringing international exposure through film is an accomplishment that will open the doors for more locals to bring their creativity to life!  How awesome is that!  PLUS, I LOVE the history aspect.  It's a period piece.  They are using sites like New Albany's Culbertson Mansion, and streets of Old Louisville to create the environment. They are being intentional in this!  To me, this movie and the creative forces behind it is PURPOSE.  It's more than just a movie, this could be a movement for a whole new wave of creativity in the Kentuckiana area.  If you agree with all this - give $1, or more - go to http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/breath-of-heaven--2 to get this kicked off in style!  AND Kathryn will give a shout-out on her podcast as well as facebook.  Please share, too!!!

Look Inside Another's Heart

     At church this morning Pastor Michael talked about Greenville Christian Church being a church on a mission.  Part of that message included the teaching from Jesus recorded in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Pastor Michael posed a question, "What are the treasures in heaven?"  He went on to share that people hardly ever say they can't wait to drive that old Ford Pinto they had in high school, but rather they talk about the people they can't wait to see again. The treasure in heaven is people.  So how do you store up your treasures in heaven?  Building relationships.  

     This is what I've been actively doing for years now.  In the business realm it's commonly referred to as networking.  It's easier to start business relationships that way - give it a business label.  But the concept is the same - build relationship with others.  

     I came across this great video from a hospital that show's a glimpse as to what is going on inside someone's heart and mind.  Watch it - and then think about those moments when you are at a ballgame, work, or church.  Picture the tags next to people of all the things that could be going on.  There's some common bonds there.  Reach out.  Have conversation.  Don't be afraid to let down your own guard to show your tag.  The world is made stronger through  passion for others and life.

Negativity Isn't Acceptable

Recent events have encouraged me to really analyze my words, thinking, and actions.  I've discovered a hidden rule that negativity isn't acceptable.  Let me try to explain.

Even though we as a society see all kinds of negative moments through the news media, reality shows, soap operas, action movies, political campaigns, etc., negativity is not the element that fuels our inner values.  The desire for something BETTER is.  If that desire is attacked, we want to fight for it.  Examples are

• fighting for a cure for cancer because we desire a healthy long life,
• fighting against the abuse of children because we desire a world where children can be kids in a safe environment,
• fighting for whatever, because we want it to be better.

I had posted a comment on my facebook personal page this week about how I was feeling during a lunch with an individual who was not a prospective client, but was driving me crazy because my business partner and I were not treated as valuable.  My posting was received in the manner it was sent by many of my friends; however, one began to voice her opposite opinion in a harsh way.  She considered me unprofessional among other things.  I took the time to do an honest gut check.

This was not the only recent example of my "negative" approach being unacceptable.  The other was a moment of expressing frustration, it was received as something deeper going on in my life that needed to be addressed. No.  I was simply frustrated in that moment.  But the result was if I continued to show moments of frustration, I would no longer asked to be involved.  I took the time to do an honest gut check.

What I've experienced is negativity is not acceptable.  Now.  I am generally a positive person.  I can motivate others to change perspective to get out of their own "stinkin' thinkin.'"  And I can have patience and cordial tolerance in any situation.  But every once in awhile, I show my flawed human side and it comes out in one of two ways, negative on myself, or negative on others. I believe we all do that.  

My personal gut checks took me back to a time when a boss told me, "You will not be successful if you show emotion."  (This coming from the same man that would scream obscenities at every football/basketball game that he watched in the office.) Still.  That message left an impression.  

I am still in the middle of gut check weekend.  What is coming from it is that I KNOW who I am, what I stand for, where I'm going, and why I do it.  NO ONE is going to change that for me.  

So in the future when I post something that has a hint of negativity, receive it as if it's a "what not to" kind of thing.  Like "What Not To Wear."  Fighting the negative to find the positive.  Because for all my will power to put nothing out there but positive messages, there will be that every once in awhile to let you know I'm just as flawed as the next person.  Even Wonder Woman has her bad days.