A Letter For You: January

To my readers, my community, friends, family, the world and our Universe -

I honestly don't have the words to express how grateful I am for the inspiration you have given me. Looking back over the course of this month and especially back to Well Wishes For a New Year, there were times when I felt the goal of producing a daily blog post was too much. January has proven those thoughts very wrong as I have been inspired again and again, at exactly the right times and have repeatedly found myself in exactly the right places. It is very humbling to feel that Grateful Brand is steadily earning a sense of belonging and the opportunity to evolve while inspiring more and more people along the way.  

To continue this evolution I want to share more of you. My stories, experiences and thought processes are limited upon considering that there's a world beyond my home, Los Angeles. So, I am asking you to share your thoughts with me. Share your stories. Tell me what's happening in your state or in your country that you are grateful for. Whether you're a poet, a photographer, film maker or song writer; it does not matter. If you are grateful for something, please share your perspective. I certainly look forward to your contributions enriching Grateful Brand.

This experience thus far has been one of the most fulfilling of my entire life and as we head into February, I hope the wealth of inspiration continues to flood my senses and GratefulBrand@gmail.com.

Here's to another happy and healthy month of kindness and gratitude.

Much love,

Dane

Grateful Brand
gratefulbrand@gmail.com

I Challenge You...

Carpe Diem!

Most people recognize this Latin phrase from famed poet, Horace. It translates to 'Seize the day.'  Though small, it is a very powerful motivator which is why I, like so many before me, have pondered its meaning and influence.

I want you to consider another phrase:

Quisque sed Diem!

In English this translates to 'earn the day.' This particular Latin phrase doesn't roll off the tongue quite as easily but the meaning is just as powerful.

'Seize the day' is a very singularly limiting command. It is instructing you to go forth and conquer, to overcome obstacles, to achieve your goals and so forth. 'Earn the day' opens the door to a broader spectrum of possibility and the involvement of other people in your quest to earn.

There are an endless number of ways in which you can set forth to earn the day, but I challenge you and encourage you to challenge others to cast your sails on a mission of kindness. Put a little extra effort into the kindness you already exude and perhaps even go out of your way to help someone else today and throughout this week.

In doing so, you are not just helping someone, you are helping yourself and the world by facilitating the energy of kindness and gratitude. This positive energy will reverberate through you, those you help and those around you who witness your example. These waves of positivity will not dissipate as long as you continue your mission of kindness. I promise, your efforts will inspire.

Go forth and earn the day! 

Timing and Gratitude

Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor. - Hesiod, Greek didactic poet (~800 BC)

When is it time to be grateful?

It would be easy for me to write a finger wagging paragraph on why you need to be grateful right now and always, but I do not believe that gratitude is something that anyone can force upon another nor do I think it is appropriate to do so. This applies to forcing any belief on another because you assume to know what's best for them better than they themselves do.

I speak of gratitude because I know and live the benefits of being grateful day to day but for others, gratitude is simply not a core influence. There is nothing wrong with this and I do not believe that varying degrees of being grateful simultaneously determine whether or not you're a good person. 

I believe that gratitude is an enhancement to the quality of life we can potentially live and that of the world around us. I think of it, as applied to myself, in two ways: as a metaphorical brand, as if I have been permanently labeled 'grateful' and as a gyroscope of sorts; an inner mechanism or balancing force keeping me allied with that which is important to me. This includes a desire of wanting to be aligned with all that is good in the Universe.

If you've ever gazed through a telescope at planets and stars millions of light years away, you'll begin to appreciate how small we really are and how insignificant our existence is. In the grand scheme of the Universe, time is a concept that, as far as human beings know, only serves us, on our planet. Whether you believe in a divine or otherwise influence or not, it is very hard to argue the validity of whether or not everything that happens in our lives happens for a reason.

I opt for playing it safe. I am grateful now and for all that has yet to come, if only for the opportunity to be present, regardless of circumstance. Because of this, my life is enhanced. In a way, I feel a sense of being prepared.

For others, gratitude comes in the wake of something monumental. It could be good, it could be bad. I cannot be precise, but odds do exist that there will come a time when you will wish you had been grateful for a time long gone when you had or experienced much less or much more.

If I were to answer my initial question from a personal standpoint, I would say that there really is no designated time to be grateful. I want to be aligned with the Universe which, to my understanding, is infinite and thus, so is my gratitude.

So, for me, there is no timing. I am infinitely grateful.

Nature's Details: Look Closely

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.
- Anne Frank

What's a Family Supposed to Look Like?

A few weeks ago, I was walking through the tourists on Hollywood Blvd when something rather unusual happened.

A mother and father gave their young daughter a dollar and instructed her to give the dollar to a homeless woman leaning against a wall roughly five feet away from where they were standing. The little girl hesitated shyly as children do when interacting with strangers, but the parents encouraged her forward and praised her for doing such a good thing. I thought to myself, "Great job, Mom and Dad! Way to teach good character at a young age!"

Since then I have encountered various opinions of what a family is supposed to look like.

Personally, I believe that no one has the right to tell anyone else that the composition of their family is incorrect as long as everyone is healthy and loved. Your beliefs may tell you that your way and your way only is the correct way, but the love of a parent is universal.

I've heard that obese people should not be allowed to be parents, that single mothers were not adequate, that single fathers were incapable, that having two moms or two dads was morally wrong and a criminal disservice to any child, that adopting out of your race was foolish, that being raised by your grandparents or a grandparent was deficient, that having an excessive number of children was irresponsible and that practicing polygamists should be rounded up and jailed.

Love, above anything else, makes a family. As long as a child is happy, healthy and being taught principles of respect, honesty, fairness, responsibility, compassion, gratitude, friendship, peace, maturity and even faith, it should not matter who the teacher is, what they look like or who their partner is or if they are single.

Throughout American history, politics and religion have served to protect a standard of what a family is supposed to look like but this is changing and will continue to change.

I am grateful for anyone that has it in their heart to provide a loving home. Be it to your biological children or to those you've adopted.

The 10th Anniversary of the Global Fund

Today, Grateful Brand is exceptionally grateful to help celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Global Fund. The following is taken directly from the Global Fund's website:


The substantial increase in resources dedicated to health through development assistance and other sources in the last eight years is changing the trajectory of AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, as well as other health problems in low- and middle-income countries.

Much more remains to be done, but there are signs of a dramatic turnaround in the fight against these devastating diseases. New HIV infections are declining in many of the countries most affected by the epidemic. More and more countries are in a position to target the elimination of malaria from their territories. The world is on course to halve TB mortality by 2015 in comparison with 1990.

Since its inception in 2002, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has been a major engine driving this remarkable progress.

Soon after its founding, the Global Fund became the main multilateral funder in global health. It channels two-thirds of the international financing provided to fight TB and malaria, and a fifth of the international financing against AIDS. It also funds health systems strengthening, as inadequate health systems are one of the main obstacles to scaling up interventions to secure better health outcomes for HIV, TB and malaria.

Programs supported by the Global Fund have made an increasingly significant contribution to the international targets for key services such as the provision of lifesaving antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV, TB treatment under DOTS and insecticide-treated nets to prevent the transmission of malaria.

The Global Fund closely tracks the results flowing from its direct investments in 150 countries. These are available by disease, country and region in the Grant Portfolio, and summarized in the annual results report. The report also summarizes the results and signs of impact of the national programs the Global Fund supports.

In light of this huge milestone, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to donate another $750,000,000 to ensure the continued success of the Global Fund. While this sum is exceptionally generous, we must not forget that we all can make a difference in the lives of others suffering from these infectious diseases and ailments of poverty. It begins with just one of these...

Enjoy this video and continue to celebrate the occasion by encouraging the continued support of the Global Fund.

Get Off The Pipe Already!

I took this picture and the last of this post in August of 2011 while on a road trip with two of my best friends. We drove from Santa Monica, California to Bozeman, Montana and back. It was by far one of the greatest adventures of my life.

Last night, Barack Obama gave his highly anticipated State of the Union address and placed emphasis on continuing the pursuit of developing clean energy and reducing our dependence on petroleum, which I applauded. 

Now, pay attention. The extent of my environmental advocacy encompasses picking up litter from a few beaches, driving a Smart Car, recycling my news papers, cans and bottles and simply appreciating nature. I do not have time to stomp the steps of Congress nor climb a tree in protest of what I feel are bad environmental practices.

That road trip was very special to me though. The landscapes left me in awe and very much inspired. In light of a proposed oil pipeline to be built from Canada through the United States, I felt very disappointed in those elected leaders who have championed this project.

Over the past weekend a man whom I deeply respect asserted that "anyone who says there isn't enough wind is a liar, anyone who says there isn't enough sunlight is a liar and anyone who says there aren't enough waves and currents in the ocean is a liar."  All of these sources of energy are within our grasp in vast abundance, not to mention all of the other sources of fuel such as natural gas that can be harnessed with less environmental consequence.   

This is a picture of an oil pipeline in Alaska. I'm sure that to whom ever is profiting from it, it's a beautiful sight. But do we absolutely need it? Does America lack the ingenuity to sit back and devise effective if not better alternatives?

This continues to explain a lot, year after year. As long as oil companies continue to profit so handsomely, some of those profits will always end up in the pockets of politicians.

As it stands right now, President Obama and the majority of Democrats oppose the development of the newly proposed pipeline and the Republican response to this opposition has accused Democrats of being un-American and pro-poverty. 

No big surprise that Congress is divided, but I am grateful for the opposition to this pipeline. Yes, its development would create jobs, etc. But I believe there are just some things worth preserving; worth being above.

I don't want to see an oil pipe on my next road trip. Call me selfish, call me a hippy, pro-poverty or un-American. I don't care. I believe we can do better for this country and for its people.

Gratitude According to Louie Schwartzberg

Louie Schwartzsberg is a brilliant man. This video beautifully captures the importance of being grateful and even if you've already seen it, the impact never wanes. I have been watching it at least three times a week since I discovered it and I continue to take away a renewed sense of appreciation.

What ever you happen to believe in or not believe in, do not let divisiveness prevent you from appreciating this message. This is for everyone.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 

Incredible Inspiration: A Grateful Will

Meet Will.

In August of 2011, Will was living a normal life; happy, healthy and eager to experience each day, whatever may come. However, Summer would give way to Autumn, and life for Will would change forever.

I asked Will's permission to write about him in Grateful Brand but I feel that his story as captured in his own blog, The Grateful Will, is far more moving and powerful.

The Grateful Will details his battle with a devastating infection that ultimately leaves him without limbs. His unfortunate reality is not easy to adsorb, but the blog also captures the spirit of a man who, in the midst of a challenge far greater than most could stand to imagine, finds happiness and resilience through the power of being grateful.

The following is Will's Story taken directly from The Grateful Will, composed by a dear and dedicated friend, Tom. Share Will's story and follow his progress. Let him continue to inspire you.

September 20, 2011

On the morning of Friday, September 2, Will walked into the Deaconess Hospital in Bozeman, Montana, having experienced increasingly severe pain in his upper right leg through the week. He was admitted to the hospital with suspected appendicitis. Within hours, appendicitis was ruled out, and Will's condition rapidly deteriorated. By evening, due to critically low blood pressure, Will's kidney and lung function had essentially failed, and other major organs were faring little better. Will was placed on life support before nightfall. Dr. Robert Schoene, critical care physician at Deaconess, recognized Will's condition as sepsis, with an unknown root cause. Dr. Schoene knew that Will would require dialysis to have any chance of survival, and arranged to have Will moved to the St. Vincent Hospital in Billings, Montana; the move was accomplished on Saturday. The medical team at St. Vincent supported Will's core functions while the root cause of his condition remained a mystery. Diligent care through the critical first days allowed Will's body to gain slight ground, and over the course of a few days, Will's heart, lung, and liver function slowly improved.

On Tuesday afternoon, a breakthrough occurred when Group A Strep bacteria were cultured from a sample taken from Will's leg in Bozeman. With this information, Will's condition was provisionally diagnosed as a Group A Strep Toxic Shock Syndrome, enabling a targeted treatment regime. However, a terrible component of Will's infection was a condition known as necrotizing fasciitis, which had visibly caused extensive tissue damage, especially in Will's arms and legs. The team in Billings saw that a larger medical facility would be necessary to deal with this situation, and so in the wee morning hours of Wednesday, September 7, Will was transported to the University Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. Under the care of Dr. Jeffrey Saffle and his team at the Burn Trauma ICU, Will's general organ functions continued to improve, to the degree that he was able to breathe on his own on Monday, September 12. By this time, Will was groggy but conscious, and he was able to communicate and understand his condition.

The improvement in Will's alertness and core functions, on the positive side, was matched by increasing concern about the viability of his limbs as time went by. Over the first days in Salt Lake City, Will's wounds to his extremities essentially declared themselves to be unrecoverable. On Tuesday, September 13, Will underwent surgery to amputate his left and right legs below the knees. And, yesterday, Monday, September 19, following several days of superb consciousness and more-or-less steady core function progress, Will underwent surgery to amputate his left arm just above the elbow, and his right arm at mid-forearm. Will is now recuperating from this surgery, and I am hopeful that his condition will continue to generally improve. Next steps include multiple skin grafts to heal areas of dead skin--likely to occur within 10 days or so--and beyond that, physical therapy, perhaps starting in 2 to 3 weeks. Also, Will's kidney function remains basically zero, and he continues to require dialysis to survive. We are not yet out of the woods, though we are much closer to their edge than we were two weeks ago. Will's continued physical improvement is a testament to his fundamental fitness, strength, and youth (in concert with the wisdom and outstanding practice of western medical science).

The insult that Will's body has endured over the course of this infection and its aftermath has been extraordinary. More extraordinary, though, has been Will's own emotional and intellectual response. Will is facing his situation with courage and passion. He is gathering strength from outside of himself, to be sure, from the world-class care he is receiving from the team here, from the presence of friends and family, and from the expressions of love and support from people who cannot be here in person. However, Will is also gathering strength from his superlatively rich and deep knowledge of art, music, poetry, film, and literature. Will's skills of recall, textual analysis, and synthesis are helping to save his life, in that they are supporting his positive attitude in the face of indescribable horror. From Shakespeare's 18th Sonnet, to Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, to RoboCop and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Will is triangulating his position against many cultural benchmarks of tragedy and redemption, and is finding that he wants to live, to teach, to be, to love. I am in awe of Will's profound grace as he faces his life's supreme test.

Will's reaction is creating a positive feedback. His attitude has endeared him to the care team, so they in turn are not just caring for him as a patient, but as a person. Knowing that Will remains strong in spirit gives me energy to also remain strong, so that I can continue to support him. Yet Will's condition remains fragile, and he needs rest as surely as he needs support from friends and family. The work that Will's body is doing to heal is grueling; the physical and psychological hurdles he has to clear constantly are formidable; the routine of the ICU is punishing. Please continue to send Will your best wishes, as they are helping him to persevere.
I feel that there is more to write, but I must return to Will's bedside. Know that your good energy is supporting him, and me, so keep that energy flowing.


Thank you.

- Tom L.


Continue following Will at - http://thegratefulwill.blogspot.com/

Nature's Details

Gardens and flowers have a way of bringing people together, drawing them from their homes.
- Clare Ansberry

A Shameful Denial of Marriage

In 1958, Mildred and Richard Loving of Virginia, married in Washington D.C. because it was illegal for them to marry in their home state and 14 others. Why?

Because Richard was white and Mildred was black.

Upon returning home they were both arrested and sentenced to one year in prison which would have been suspended if they left the state. 

In 1965 Life Magazine sent Grey Villet to the Loving's home to take these pictures.

In 1967 the Federal Government abolished all laws that prohibited interracial marriage. Why?

Because love does not discriminate.

At the time of their marriage, bigoted people justified the illegality of their union by claiming that it was unnatural, a sin against God's will and akin to a man lying with a beast.

Religion was used as a divisive tool to deny this beautiful example of a loving, committed couple based solely upon their appearance.  

I am grateful for the Lovings because I to am the product of racial mixing. My grandparents and great grandparents strayed from social norms and married on the basis of who they loved, not who they were supposed to be with.

You would think that we would be beyond such absurdity, but we are not. Today, millions of people are standing firmly upon their religious platforms, vehemently denying other people the right to marry. Between the opposing sides, billions of dollars have been spent on this battle. Billions!

One side wants to be treated fairly, the other side is protecting sanctity. Ironically, Virginia was protecting sanctity as well back in 1958 when they arrested Mr. and Mrs. Loving, but judging by these pictures, I would assert that their love and commitment to each other and their children was no less than that of any white couple.

I am grateful for Mildred and Richard Loving. Hate and fear discriminate. Not love.

I would like to thank Sarah B. Weir, Yahoo! Blogger: "Tender Photos Unearthed from a Turbulent Time"