Awesome Stories 294

/ November 12, 2016

This week Awesome Stories brings you joy, the You Matter Marathon, silly photos and conscious communication.

Awaken Joyjoy, kids, Awesome Stories

How to Awaken Joy in Kids sounds like a great book for teaching kids (and adults) how to cultivate more joy in their lives. The practices are rooted in science, meditation and experience. I like the idea of teaching kids about meditation, gratitude, compassion and embracing challenge from an early age. I didn’t discover these kind of ideas until well into my 30s. Children’s minds are much easier to change or create good habits while they’re still young and fairly open. Most of us become more and more set in our patterns as we age. The authors believe that sharing mindfulness and social-emotional practices are vital not only to the next generation but to the well-being of our planet. As someone who didn’t learn these skills when I was growing up, I whole-heartedly agree!

 

You Matter Marathon

Cheryl Rice is on a mission to touch as many lives as possible with a simple card that says “You Matter”. I liked the idea so much that I ordered a batch of cards to participate. And now I’m noticing that I don’t have the energy/ ambition to reach out to people to give them away. The idea is to approach people and give the card directly as a form of acknowledging and connecting them. Cheryl started with friends and family, then expanded the practice to strangers. She found the process so powerful that she decided to create the You Matter Marathon. The goal is to give out 10,000 cards in November. They already have 14,000 people from 50 countries participating. You Matter to me. Thanks for reading and connecting here on my blog.

Silly PhotosComedy Photo Contest, Awesome Stories

I think we might need a little more humor and fun right now. Here is a collection of photos designed to put a smile on your face from the Comedy Wildlife Photography Award finalists. Which is your favorite? Mine is the smiling frog.

Conscious Communication 

I don’t usually share my own posts here in Awesome Stories, but this post called Conscious Communication-2 seems timely given the level of divisiveness in our country and the way we are communicating with each other. As a friend pointed out, mostly we talk over each other, rather than actually listening with an intent to understand and find common ground. Let’s speak with kindness, compassion and respect to everyone, even those who are communicating in fearful or hateful ways. They need our love a lot more than they need our judgment. Let’s please use conscious communication and seek first to understand so that we might find common values and ideas to unite us in moving forward as a country.

To peace, love, and kindness.

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32 thoughts on “Awesome Stories 294”

  2. Hi Brad! Love the post and the animal pictures really cracked me up! I couldn’t pick a favorite they are all so funny! 😀 thank you so much for the laughs! XO!

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  4. Gorgeous silly photo! And I heartily agree – teaching children those vital skills of accessing positive states like joy, compassion and the positive sides of challenge is both fun and often easy, because as you say, they are naturally open. Looks like a beautiful book. Thank you – YOU MATTER, your posts matter…you’re awesome!!! Love and blessings, Harula xxx

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  7. Hard to choose a favourite from these mood-lifting photos Brad, but I think it has to be the ‘dancing’ bear. You’re right that it would be great for children to learn those joyful habits from a young age – so many young people have mental health problems perhaps this is one way to support them.

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  11. Would that we all could find the JOY in life and be as the CHILD again dear Brad.. And I agree with you we need more fun, laughter and silliness right now… The human race has become far too serious and is allowing itself to be swept along in anger.. And thank you for sharing Conscious Communication with us Brad.. We have lost the art of ‘Listening’ as it seems the world likes sound of our own voices.. And has forgotten the art to communicate with each other on a sensible level.. ❤

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