Daniel Lubetzky

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!

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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.

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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…

Check out this very creative surprise for a Danish bus driver – it was part guerrilla promotion for the bus company, part fun for the voyagers, and part KINDING for the birthday of the targeted bus driver!

And the priestess spoke again and said:
Speak to us of Reason and Passion.

And he answered, saying:
Your soul is oftentimes a battlefield, upon
which your reason and your judgment wage
war against your passion and your appetite.

Would that I could be your peacemaker
in your soul, that I might turn the discord
and the rivalry of your elements into oneness and melody.

But how shall I, unless you yourselves be
also the peacemakers, nay, the lovers of all your elements?

Your reason and your passion are the rudder
and the sails of your seafaring soul.
If either your sails or your rudder be broken,
you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill
in mid-seas.

For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining;
and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns
to its own destruction.

Therefore let your soul exalt your reason to the height of passion,
that it may sing;
And let it direct your passion with reason,
that your passion may live through its own daily resurrection,
and like the phoenix rise above it own ashes.

I would have you consider your own judgement
and your appetite even as you would two
loved guests in your house.
Surely you wouldn’t honor one guest above the other;
for he who is more mindful of one loses
the love and the faith of both.

Among the hills, when you sit in the cool
shade of the white poplars, sharing the peace
and serenity of distant fields and meadows
then let your heart say in silence,
"God rests in reason".

And when the storm comes, and the mighty wind
shakes the forest, and thunder and lightning
proclaim the majesty of the sky, then let your heart
say in awe, "God moves in passion."

And since you are a breath in God’s sphere,
and a leaf in God’s forest, you too
should rest in reason and move in passion.

–Gibran Khalil Gibran, The Prophet, on Reason and Passion

(thanks to Uncle Jorge and Sioma Waisburd for sharing this)

Check out this awesome, short video created by KIND fans Iris and Sean, who are being featured as this month’s KINDAHOLIC. Thanks for being such great fans!
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It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others..

-Anonymous

I was surfing through TIME Magazine’s Top 10 Everything of 2009 list. While many of their choices seem random and uninspired at best, some gems hidden among their finds included their choice of Adam Lambert’s "Mad World" among their top songs. I read the lyrics several times, pasted below, and listened also to the original Tears for Fears performance (also below). 

When I was a kid in San Antonio, Texas, newly arrived from a sheltered upbringing in Mexico City, I enjoyed the song but didn’t relate to it – or understand why it resonated so much among American kids who "had it all." 

In Mexico City, in every corner on popular streets there was an indigent kid begging for alms and struggling to survive, so kids that had a home and a family didn’t generally question their lot.  Why then, would kids who could eat American cereals for breakfast and go to Malibu Grand Prix feel deprived? 

In retrospect, this song hits such a chord with the alienation and loss of meaning that many feel in modern society, primarily in the developed world.  Serious challenges of course are faced every day by struggling kids. But much of it also has to do with the framing of those challenges.  "How bad do I have it relative to the 30,000 children who literally starve to death every day?" 

The search for depth and meaning, and reaffirmation of our special fortune amidst so much wealth and excess, and of our role and duty to find our own way to make this a better world for others, are critical to the health and happiness of future generations.

In very real ways, thinking of others and kinding others (ie, doing conscious acts of kindness for others) gives us meaning and fulfillment.

Mad World lyrics
Songwriters: Orzabal, Roland;

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Goin’ nowhere, goin’ nowhere
Their tears are fillin’ up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dyin’
Are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
‘Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It’s a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
Children waitin’ for the day they feel good
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sits and listen, sits and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what’s my lesson?
Look right through me, look right through me
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dyin’
Are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
‘Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It’s a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dyin’
Are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
‘Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It’s a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world
A raunchy young world
Mad world
© ROLAND ORZABAL LIMITED;