Video interview below.

British Columbia, Persons With AIDS Society hosted today’s (September 20th, 2009) fundraiser WALK through historic Stanley Park for the last time. Next year, as they work with the Vancouver Parks Board, the plan anticipates a more publicly visible location closer to the city’s Westend neighbourhood where more of the public will be able to see and participate fully.

This move comes about as the need to raise awareness in Vancouver increases, particularly as the HIV/AIDS issue continues to grow, not only in the gay community, or drug-user community, but also within the “mainstream” heterosexual community. As Glyn Townson, Chair of the BCPWA states, “The virus doesn’t care about your sexual orientation, it is only looking for a host.”

After encountering the event already underway today down at Stanley Park this afternoon, I recorded a video interview with BCPWA Chair, Glyn Townson, to share on the Live in The Westend (Vancouver) community website. You can view the post there, watch the video, join the community and make comments, as well as add your own voice to the cause of increasing public awareness. Included with the post is the BC Persons With AIDS Society media release containing more information and detail.

Donations are still being accepted: To make a donation, please visit the AIDS WALK for LIFE Vancouver website.

BC Persons With AIDS Society
The British Columbia Persons With AIDS Society (BCPWA Society) is dedicated to empowering persons living with HIV disease and AIDS through mutual support and collective action. It is Western Canada’s largest AIDS organization with a membership of more than 4,600 HIV-positive individuals.

There I was hovering over a busy ant-hill when thought I heard something. I leaned in a little closer to see what it was. You won’t believe it, but I’ll share it anyway.

“Do you suppose there is any rhyme or reason to any of this?” Dweedle-Ant posed.

“He He He! Of course, Mant! Of course! Just take a look at that cute little heiny and tell me that ain’t no reason. That’s a reason!” bellowed and guffawed Sext-Ant.

“Sure, if all that matters to you is thorax and antennae, Perv!” stated Iman-Ant. “Of course there is a point to it all, Dweedle-Ant.”

“Each and every one of us is a piece of a larger whole. The whole is the colony. While a colony can continue without us, it is no longer the same colony. The whole keeps changing, and yet, it depends upon us for its own existence. It is the nature of Life. Before the flower came the bud, before the bud came the stem, before the stem-the roots, before the roots-the seed, and after all is said and done, all that was the flower is returned to multiple seeds. These seeds varying in the sum totality of the experiences in the journey of the flower’s life.”

“So, you see, we don’t know and experience the future now. We pour ourselves into the now, knowing that a future self that is the sum of everything before (self-included), and aspires to even greater, will have more of the answers than we have now,” finished Iman-Ant.

Sext-Ant yawns and exhales, “Well you mucks can do whatever you want, or believe whatever you want. Me? I’m just going for more T & A, baby, T & A!” And sauntered off with a howl that dwindled to a chuckle.

Wow! They’re not much different than us, eh?

How can we change the world?

This is such a big question upon so many people’s minds as they look around them to a world with so many issues that seem apparent to each particular individual. Note it is issues that seem apparent to each particular individual, as the experience of one reflects issues important to the individual. Each of us has a sense of heart-driven desire to see a positive outcome occur for our pet-world-issues, or causes. Does the enormity of the issues cause your heart to pause?

You can make a difference. We can all make a difference. It is so much easier when we can see where and how.

One Man Can, One Woman Can

Getting the changes we’d like to see happen in the world meet resistance as politics, cultures, and business appear to create blockades to creating change. When Princess Di passed, millions bought flowers, crowded streets, and lamented her loss and the lesser impact for change that represented.

And yet, were each of these millions to pick up one actionable item, to donate rather than buy flowers, the impact of these millions would have dramatically impacted the causes Princess Di pursued. The little things we can do, do make a difference.

How to Get Volunteers

Many organizations seeking to create positive change are often challenged to find the support in their communities. Getting volunteers out is a job that also requires financial and human resources, along with creative ideas to reach out and find the hearts that beat.

We the People create change, have power, as the old adage “United we stand, divided we fall” reminds us. Amassing ourselves to support our causes with real intent…. well, imagine the impact.

TimeRaiser: A Vision Whose Time has Come

First noted is the Vision of TimeRaiser:

Our vision for the Timeraiser is to make it the most memorable, engaging and impactful civic engagement program in the country.

Our hope is that, in a few years, thousands of Canadians will be able to trace their engagement in their community back to the Timeraiser. We want to plant the seeds of life-long civic involvement.

From 2008 through 2010, we will host 16 Timeraisers across the country, that generate 250,000 volunteer hours, engage 5,000 Canadians in the charitable sector, invest over $300,000 in the careers of emerging artists and enable the valuable work of hundreds of nonprofits.

The expansion to other Canadian cities does not come at the expense of going deep in the communities we are already in. The Timeraiser will play the role of catalyst, bringing the emerging concepts of community development to the audience of volunteers and agencies that participate. Our experience shows that when given the right opportunity, people who get involved, stay involved.

Finally, we will be developing really cool strategies to leverage the involvement of professionals in the fields of Human Resources, Accounting, Organizational Design and Information Technology to elevate and expand the Timeraiser programming.

Second, visit the TimeRaiser website to learn more, and Vancouverites, be ready for more.

Getting involved your community isn’t always easy. That’s why VOLUNTEER VANCOUVER and FRAMEWORK FOUNDATION are proud build on the successful 2008 program to co-host the 2nd Vancouver Timeraiser. The Timeraiser has made it simple for Canadians in their twenties and thirties to find meaningful opportunities to fit their busy lifestyles. After successfully launching campaigns in six Canadian cities, the 2nd Annual VANCOUVER TIMERAISER will be held on Thursday September 24th at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown.

What Others Say

Volunteer Vancouver’s Chair states:

No other Vancouver event impresses the depth of impact and richness of innovation. If the arts inspire your heart, community engagement uplifts your soul, and camaraderie nourishes your being, then Timeraiser is where you need to be” says Chilwin Cheng – host of the 2008 Vancouver Timeraiser, Chair of Volunteer Vancouver’s Board of Directors and Principle/founder of Legal Process Solutions

Download 2009 Vancouver Timeraiser Press Release of August 26th, 2009 for more details.

Fortunate to visit an inspiring blog post today, the video is an incredible inspiration for anyone who is hitting a rough patch, and anyone who has a heart for humanity. I encourage you to first watch the video, then visit the blog-post and website to read more. I’m certain some of you might be inspired to lend a hand and information is there to show you how. Visit Teachers are Everywhere to find out more.

It’s a psychological disorder.

At first, I thought it was a form of extreme cynicism. I was really annoyed nowing that being cynical is, in a way, being highly aware that the world we have evolved in is quite senseless at times. Being cynical means using dark humour to put in our face that this world is a total mess!

Right from the get-go, I started to elaborate on my own theory about this brand new disease that I just discovered. I understood that we finally came across a subtle strategy to neutralize the informers. From now-on, the rebellious would be labeled as sick. I couldn’t be more uncomfortable with the idea.

That lead me to reflect upon the fact that I knew that a child presenting bad behaviours, acting-out, or even violent outbursts, was often a child refusing to endorse the dysfunctional dynamic of the family. Contrary to what we generally believe, the child who is acting-out in such a manner is the one who is healthy! He is simply resisting his toxic environment.

That reflection echoed my own theory. Moreso, labeling cynicism as a disease was, in fact, a confirmation that this world we live in is truely incomprehensible, revolting, and toxic in so many ways. Consequently, people with a general sense of lucidity would therefore be diagnosed and medicated. Wrong target, but easy and disruptive target, worth getting “out of the way.”

All these reflections upon the subject were getting me nowhere but straight to craziness! This is when I picked up a book about mental disorder and here’s what I found:

“Sinistrose: A mental disorder displayed by a victim of a car accident or workplace injury. The victim is totally convinced that he/she is incapable of any kind of work, and therefore refuses to recognize that he/she is cured. The person presenting this pathology is amplifying the harm done to him/her (often in good faith) and in doing so, is inhibiting his/her good-will.”

(((sigh)))

Translated by : The author

Edited by : Lee Down

After naming my business One Man Can many years ago, I would frequently hear the challenge from a woman: “What about a woman then?” Of course, this is when I reminded them that this was my business, and my mantra, the reason behind my passion, and would tell them a bit of my unbelievable story about the day this name took root. Never did it end in dispute, and I always acknowledged even so that woman do make all the difference.

Keeping this measure of the story simple, the simple acknowledgment of the woman’s gift of child-bearing is the reason we’re here; that and the milk of life at her bosom in our infancy, and from her heart throughout our lives.

One Man Can Welcomes Annie Veillette

Annie Veillette is a woman that does make all the difference along the path she walks. An avid artisan, passionate lover of the arts and fashion, a gifted thinker / writer, on the verge of multilingualism, and also setting herself apart as a gifted and challenging Life Coach, Veillette has collaborated on a number of projects and vice versa. Recently exposed to the translation of some of her writing, One Man Can opens the door to the idea of adding more voices and perspective for the audience.

I encourage you to get to know Annie and her world. Her gifted artwork is a treasure for many. Her love for the arts contributes enormously to exposing new talent. And her ability to coach people is a gift of life to many who are struggling to find their path and live their authentic truth.

Visit Annie’s Profile on CoachesXL to see more about her, and keep an eye out for her upcoming contributions to One Man Can Human Capital Development & Coaching site.

Along the seeker path, a strong desire builds to experience peace as a continual state. A common error often occurs, whereby the initiate seeks to choose their environment, thus beginning to shut out perceived negative energies from their experience in order to create more peace in their life. I won’t say this is wrong, it is a step along a path.

Along my own path, I was in the same place five years ago and struggled to engage with the world with my business, and control my environment at the same time. Rarely would the two meet. Something persistently irritated me. Part of this irritation came from a sense that I was missing something very important in what I needed to learn about being at peace and functioning in this world.

I’d like to say the understanding came easily and quickly, however that wasn’t the case for me. Instead, I experienced more hardships and obstacles than I can shake a stick at. Each event pushed me deeper into crisis with what I truly desired. It wasn’t till one day of complete surrender to the circumstances I had unwittingly created that I “Let Go” of trying to be in control and have all the answers. On that day, I agree to “Be With” and “Move Through” the events life brought my way.

This turning point was only a beginning. More resistance and perceived negativity persisted as I endured the challenges of being in a world that did not resonate with the experience of peace that I longed for. Along this journey, facing each obstacle and working through it, thus moving through it, and discovering a new perspective upon the power of choice, patience with the process of life, and seeing the ’silver-lining’ in experiences that otherwise be seen as negative, a deeper wisdom sets in as understanding and acceptance is gained.

The process of life has always contained conflict, internal and external. It shapes and moves things, both inside and out. It sheds the old and makes room for the new. It creates pain as wounds are lanced, and expresses joy at new-found freedom. The duality, contradictions, paradoxes, and enigmas of life are embraced as the whole, and we become more whole, now truly walking upon a path to be the change.

It’s okay to trip, get up, dust off, and start walking again.

Napoleon Hill audio shares the story of his first meeting with Andrew Carnegie and stories about his commission to write the Carnegie Success philosophy. During this time he interviewed a number of notable successful businessmen including Henry Ford. This video presentation shares some of the wisdom gained through his relationship with Andrew Carnegie and the writing of the Carnegie Success philosophy.

Deserted, alone, with nowhere to go, no place to call home because home is where the heart is, and even with the sea of people littering the cityscape, the silence of abandonment echoes deafeningly in me. Hunger for that connection starves rational thought, fed through years of abuse or neglect, and keeps the solution always just beyond the fingertips of my reality. I know it is there, if only I could reach out and grasp it.

Abandonment issues are troublesome haunts in people’s lives. How they are created is useful for each individual to understand; it helps move through the issues. Even without fully understanding their origins, it is still possible to move through abandonment issues. We often will never know what happened or why with some people in our history, and we need to satisfy ourselves in that knowledge.

Even by the measure of our own lives, we understand that people behave irrationally and very poorly at times. My life is rippled with choices, actions, and words said that defy explanation. Our goal, of course, is to improve upon ourselves each step of the way. Understanding that each generation has been influenced and socialized differently, we can accept their imperfections, and our own, as we all represent a rung in the ladder of progress for the human race, our family, and ourselves. Step-by-step.

Just because someone else failed, doesn’t make us the failure, or them a failure. The hardest thing in the world is to accept what is. Not trying to make it right, not becoming bitter just because we want to make it wrong. It just is what it is. People are people, I have my shortcomings, my family has shortcomings, and as far as I can tell, so do most people that I know. It doesn’t make any of us wrong. We’re doing life together, and in our insignificant ways, our individual journeys impacts the whole, and more-so when we’re connected.

Ongoing abandonment issues, from my studied perspective, resist change. At the very core comes a serious trust issue when confronted with letting-go and relating fully and completely with other people. The guard is up, the radar is (fine-tuned we think, but is) on maximum levels of sensitivity, and the archives are spewing all the old scenarios from the bad-memory-banks in order to prevent the same things from happening again. Nothing happens. Isolation continues. Abandonment is made more real.

God help me, I say in the face of such adversity. Existence requires purpose, purpose requires relationship, relationship inspires the best (and according to the level of relational health) in one another. Relationship can be friendships, spouse or partner, and others in communities we engage. Without any of these, walls cannot come down.

Bringing down the house means knowing these walls are there. It means recognizing them when they come up. It means finding the courage to open up and expose yourself and the fears to experience the event anyway, regardless of the feared outcome. Without DOING IT, the new experiences that will prove otherwise cannot happen. Positive experiences need to happen to restore balance, faith, and trust in self and others. Only you have the key.

Unlock the gate, and start letting that wounded heart beat openly. Hold in check the fears, feel the pain and do it anyway. Let your pain serve to feed your courage. It is simply there to remind you that you are alive, that you are courageous, and that you are on the verge of a major breakthrough experience. Keep letting them in, over and over again.

We all make mistakes, and we all have misunderstandings. Allow this knowledge to serve as a balance-point to create openess even in moments when perceived injustices are occurring. Quite often, the abandonment history has tales that distort the perception of reality. This often leads the mind to believe something is happening that is not. It also hears and understands things based upon experiences of the listener, rather than the intention of the speaker. So allow this openess to communicate, ask questions, give second chances, and give the process time.

Step-by-step, abandonment and trust issues can be overcome, and the peaceful knowledge and comfort that comes from nurturing a garden of friendships blossoming over a lifetime, with death both physical and metaphorical as people come and go, and time passes along with the rhythm of nature’s heartbeat. It is all transient, and we always remain connected on that heart level. Now trust, and let go.

Being told who to be, what to do, how to act, what to wear, where to go….. STOP!!

I’m certain we all encounter spaces in our world experience where enough-is-enough.Whether you had parents telling you to be a doctor when you wanted to be a painter, or you are not fitting in because you are different, any one of us can relate a personal experience to being hemmed in. Instead, the expected behavior is required.

This experience that I live is my experience! It is not yours, hers, his, or anyone else. Just mine! I alone am responsible. The question now is whether or not you will choose to empower that in me?

An in-depth conversation included talking about the duality of the human experience. Both of us had observations of what we see in our life landscapes coincide. It lead to other side adventures of philosophy, business, relationships, and even parenting.

Parenting

Above is a rather extreme representation of the conversations inspiration. In fact, all I had done is introduced a memory of parenting two boys, and told the story of a time when they got caught swearing at school. I was still early/mid twenties at the time, and my memories of childhood crisp and clear.

Living in a strict environment, always under a thumb from generations of military influencing parenting, I always found myself having to survive. I have lied through my teeth to save my ass from a beating, and have run away for fear of one too. Running away from home didn’t compare to the number of times I ran home from the school bus to save my ass from further beatings.  Always being controlled.

Kids Are Learning

The art of life and growing up is one of constant learning. Many children, just as adults, learn and experience the world differently. Each child is an individual, has uniqueness, talent, and a way of feeling, interpreting, understanding, and experiencing life. Some will learn more by trial and error, the act of learning through doing, while others learn more by rote. Even others can be influenced by more than one learning style. Whatever the methods, the child needs room to make their mistakes as well.

Kids Caught Swearing at School

When I recounted the memory of the children caught swearing at school, I told how I took them aside to talk about reality. I would hope everyone understands that there are times, situations, and places that our budding adolescent children encounter moments of choice where it is easier to go with the flow than to say no. Before you panic, please understand that I talked to the kids about reality.

The Duality of Reality

We are every bit as shaped by our circumstances as we are by our choices. Yet the choices are the building blocks that move us to higher ground. Listen to me talking about higher ground all the time, and yet and still, I will talk of the ‘other side’. It is what lives in us, and it is also pure physics. Polarity is one reason that Life works, exists, functions, evolves, etc. For our personal journeys, we want to make good choices, and yet, so often along our life path a choice made will lead to a painful experience. We learn and grow from these experiences, both positive and negative.

It’s Not Wrong

I explained to the kids that I understood that they might feel the need to swear here and there when they’re hanging out with their school friends. It’s sort of ‘to be expected.’

Duality of Reality acknowledges this, and that reality does not judge right or wrong; we do. We socialize and educate in ways that place so many limits and conditions upon the limits, with who, how, what, when, where, and why. It becomes a confusing place, particularly as our society blends more and more differing cultural influences.

Let Them Learn

In explaining to the children that they may find themselves in situations where they have the freedom to swear, I clearly gave an example in my own communication skills. Having recently left the military, my language tended to find profanity far more convenient adjectives than finding the appropriate words. I told them the cost of this, through the inability to express more meaningfully and accurately.  If you have the choice, how would you like to be seen? How would you like to be?

Empowered Choice

Giving the kids my little self-example, and allowing them to exercise their own judgment, two things happened. First, we never again heard of any problem with them swearing at school or any other adult-supervised event. Second and most important, these kids did become more self-aware and self-empowered as to owning their own choices over following the crowd all the time.