Check out this amazing performance created by Playing for Change! It features street musicians from around the world all playing the same song, “Stand By Me.”
Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around The World from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.
Below is an amazing story that I received from my sister illustrating true KINDNESS and that one KIND act inspires another:
Sack Lunches
I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. ‘I’m glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,’ I thought. Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. ‘Where are you headed?’ I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. ‘Petawawa. We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Afghanistan.
After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time… As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. ‘No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks. I’ll wait till we get to base.’ His friend agreed.I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch.
I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. ‘Take a lunch to all those soldiers.’ She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. ‘My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.’ Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, ‘Which do you like best – beef or chicken?’ ‘Chicken,’ I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. ‘This is your thanks.’
After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. ‘I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.’ He handed me twenty-five dollars. Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, ‘I want to shake your hand.’ Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain’s hand. With a booming voice he said, ‘I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.’ I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.
Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm. When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars! Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. ‘It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.’
Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little… A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to ‘ Canada’ for an amount of ‘up to and including my life.’
That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.’
The fierce entrepreneurial spirit that founded KIND, really shines true in this segment from Entrepreneur Magazine. In this video, Daniel does a great job capturing KIND’s spirit and vision and we are so proud to call him our CEO! Check it out here:
Innovator – Kind Snacks from OC Creative Media on Vimeo.
by Adeena Schlussel
Like this West Village sign says, “If we all do one random act of kindness daily, we just might set the world in the right direction.” What a great reminder to see when walking down the street. Thank you Natalie for sharing this great picture with us!
A recent New York Times Magazine cover article promoted many self starters working to fill voids in the developing world who embody the old slogan “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” By quoting stories of D.I.Y. volunteerism (as in, Do It Yourself), Nicholas Kristof makes it clear that a passionate and determined individual holds tremendous power. Although Kristof reveals that many of the self starters who set out to do good, run into many obstacles along the way, and although he the large possibility of failure in tackling the world’s largest problems, the reason this article is so inspiring is because it presents the possibilities that exist for those with a open heart and creative mind. This article is really worth a read; the philosophy that one person can change the world through KINDNESS, is exactly what we believe in here at KIND.
Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, redacted by Adeena Schlussel
For years, Forbes has published a list of billionaires that reflects the cult of money we live in. We lionize wealth. Why? Wealth accumulation is only a means to an end. What are you going to do with that money should matter to society much more. Why is it that so many people forget that? At least partly it’s because our society glorifies financial success, and ranking it is relatively easier as you are dealing with a very easy measure: money accumulated.
It would be far more interesting, though, if a publication or organization measured and praised the social impact of the greatest contributors to civilization. For example, Mohammad Yunus from Grameen Bank, who is nowhere to be seen on the Forbes list, would rank quite high because of the enormous impact he has had on society. Bill Gates would too, given how much of his wealth he has given out and in such methodic ways to try to impact society.
My friend Martin Varsavsky forwarded me a list published by BusinessWeek that is a useful start – ranking the most generous philanthropists within the Forbes 400 list.
What we need now is to take it to the next level, asking a trusted third party to develop a way to take donations into contribution as the BusinessWeek list does, but to not stop there. To add a measurement for the way the money is given out, whether there is a social innovation or model that helps advance society in the process. For example, the Skoll Foundation is among those responsible for supporting social entrepreneurship and making it “cool.” So it’s not just the enormous amount it has invested (donated) into the space, but also the way it has gone about doing it. That counts more than just writing a check, assuming the process and the platform are well thought out and innovative. And even if someone doesn’t donate money, but they create models to benefit humanity, whether through better health systems like Paul Farmer, or through the many innovations that social entrepreneurs from India and South East Asia (including several impressive ones selected by the Schwab Foundation) have introduced to truly impact their countries.
Celebrities also have a currency – fame, and the power to use it effectively. So here again, we could turn blind worship of celebrities into appreciation for those that, rather than paying the dues their publicist asked them to, sincerely engage in ways that are sustained and impactful. George Clooney comes to mind, but there are dozens others who truly dedicate themselves to make this a better world.
If Fast-Company Magazine or TIME Magazine could create a formula that is sufficiently consistent, transparent, and simple while robust, it could become the basis for others to start rallying around and quoting and praising those truly worthy of adulation.
People that truly want to change the world do not do it for the sake of a popularity contest. Changing the world is not easy, so if you just want to be popular in today’s society there are shortcuts to think you can get there. So this list is not intended to impact those people. For that there is education – helping people find purpose in their lives.
But for our society as a whole, which is so obsessed with Hollywood celebrities, political power, and financial wealth, a credible list that focused peoples’ attention on the contributions people are making to society could help start changing the discourse.
And to make this platform truly inspiring and accessible to high school students and not just people already in a position of influence, a supplemental list could be created that would track the CREATIVITY AND MAGNIFICATIONAL IMPACT of just one simple action or relatively modest behavioral change within every person’s reach. The power of the internet can be the great equalizer. With Do The KIND Thing, the KIND Movement is trying to inspire unexpected acts of kindness that are the most KINDTASTIC – truly transformative and impactful. Ideally we can start putting a spotlight on how “the average citizen” can make a far-greater-than-average contribution to their community. It would be great if society could find effective platforms to praise those who step out of their zones of comfort to make others a bit better off, to show how a 15-year old can change the world, one idea at a time.
by Adeena Schlussel on behalf of Daniel Lubetzky
Thanks to a great article by Stuart Elliot, KIND gained New York Time’s fame yesterday. Check it out to learn more about the KIND movement, our unique business model, and Daniel’s unbounded energy to surprise complete strangers with random acts of KINDness!
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.
-Mother Teresa
by Adeena Schlussel on behalf of Daniel Lubetzky
Nick Kristof writes about Psychologist Jonathan Haidt of University of Virginia illustrates in his book, “The Happiness Hypothesis” that happiness is correlated with acts of kindness and that “altruism carries its own rewards”. One study showed that when researched encouraged their subjects to imagine giving charity, the part of the brain associated with eating or sexual pleasure lit up.
As we made our way from London to Madrid to escape the volcanic ash clouds and fly back to the US last month (see twitter journey report starting here, and see pictures here), and drawing from experiences when setting up PeaceWorks ventures and traveling through undeveloped parts of the globe, here are 10 tips for emergency travel:
1. Think Outside the Box: The irony of the volcanic eruption in Iceland is that while most of Europe was enveloped by the ashes – the one airport that continued working at full force was…in Iceland!
2. Research and Plan up front: Careful evaluation of options can save time down the road. Since getting a head start is of the essence during crises, try to parallel process – search on the web while on hold with airlines, ask family, friends or team members to research a particular leg of the trek or travel option. Paul and Allison researched ferries while Ian helped find car, and Adeena booked air reservations. Rely on network knowledge: Skoll entrepreneurs exchanged info via email. Search twitter, facebook, primary sources on web and news sites. Don’t assume one website is definitive. A lot of misinformation also abounds (see below).
3. Just Do It: don’t be paralyzed by options or by the possibility of a wrong decision. You lose much more from total inaction. Like in real life, you can be lucky, but you can also make your luck by just showing up. We feared the ferries and the trains would be so overbooked and we wouldn’t find a spot (because websites and news reports warned all were sold out). We showed up and they were 50% empty!
4. Prepare for Bad Scenarios: Write essential info like key contact #s or confirmations on paper – in case your pda or phone runs out of battery. Carry always essentials with you – such as a mini-first-aid-kit, even if just a couple of pills for each ailment. Carry emergency cash in some secret compartment. Some tissues or toilet paper in your back pocket…
5. Carry Alternative Electric/Web Connection Options: at a minimum this should mean a multi-purpose electric outlet converter; some car chargers can be life-savers and don’t add much space; an unlocked phone with refillable sim cards for the countries you visit can be very useful – not so much for outgoing calls because the rates are almost as exorbitant as if roaming from the US, but because they allow free incoming calls. A US phone with international service for back up is also critical. A wi-fi ready device is the minimum you need; an ethernet cable can be useful; a Verizon-type internet source from phone network can be handy.
6. Travel flexibly/lightly: A carry-on suitcase multiplies the flexibility for flight changes. Layers of clothes allow you to be comfortable in changing temperatures. A sweater for the plane can be very handy. Phone cos can change plan as you travel.
7. Nice to haves can make a difference: noise canceling headphones, extra pair of warm socks. Take off your shoes on long rides. Pack an Eye mask always – make all the fun you want, but when you are stuck at 6am traveling on car and sleepy, it is an awesome savior.
8. Charge Up When You Can – maximize your staying power – Juice up your computer and phone/pda whenever possible – you never know when you’ll be stuck without electricity. An extra battery is useful, and you should work on power-saving mode when traveling. Also rest your body well and sleep as much as possible before a long journey. Take a nice good shower and a healthy hearty meal before long travel.
9. Carry something to KIND others: Being able to give a little treat to strangers can make a big difference. I bring KIND bars with me, not just to snack for myself but as a way to give out to people stranded also, or to people that can give you a hand – at the checkout counter of an airline, etc.
10. Deploy Alliances – Traveling with someone is not just more pleasant; pairing up can help you coordinate – one watches bags while other searches for option, or one buys food while other gets tickets, and is more likely to yield support from others who won’t think you are a stalker; while most people can’t control the passport they carry, not all passports are created equal – and the ones from nations with most pre-cleared no-visa-requirement access can be huge assets. Develop a bond and loyalty with your preferred airline – loyalty programs come very handy in times of crisis – they set up emergency hotlines and will try to help their passengers find alt. routes. And get local tel #s from your airline so you are not calling long-distance (toll-free #s from abroad are treated as long-distance calls).
More ideas? Post them in comments…