The Opportunity To Do More

There is a saying . . .

"There are no traffic jams when you go the extra mile."

While I do not know who coined this saying, it is remarkably true when applied to most aspects of our lives. When we extend ourselves beyond expectation, we are transcending simply doing the correct or just thing by making a figurative statement that you are willing and able to do more than what is necessary.

Be it at your job, within your relationships, school, being charitable or in your home, when life presents us with the opportunity to do more, most people decline, opting for meeting expectations or rather doing just enough to get by. The idea of doing more is often too much, requiring too much energy and too much time. But what if we considered the idea of doing more as an opportunity that has been granted, perhaps even gifted to us? Again, there are no traffic jams when you go the extra mile. Sure, there may be more effort demanded of you initially, but the end result will undoubtedly be better than you could have ever imagined doing only what was expected.

Life does not demand that we go above and beyond in all that we do, but when we do, the reward is great. When we succumb to just getting by, life has a way of perpetuating your status of just getting by. So, consider doing more and be grateful for the opportunity and ability. You may not see the reward today, but your future will be grateful you did.

Gratitude Heals: Inspiration from Joan Buchman, Fibromyalgia patient

The following passage is taken from an article written by Joan Buchman who has been coping with Fibromyalgia, a condition that is characterized by excruciating pain in your muscles and pressure points on the body.

Her words are truly inspiring and a sincere testament to the power of Gratitude.


Learning the Power of Gratitude

Janette taught me to treasure what I have right now. Gratitude means appreciating what you have and making the most from that. So I began to express in my journal appreciation for people in my life and my life as it was. That led to feelings of gratitude for the lessons I had been learning about myself because of my illness. I had learned that moving as fast as I could, doing as much as possible, was not making me happy. I was not taking any time to nurture my physical, mental or emotional needs. I believe that my body was shouting at me to slow down and savor life.

I think I would have learned about gratitude on my own by writing the Gratitude Journal for that entire year. But Janette, as a shining example of experiencing gratitude during a crisis, gave me a crash course in finding gratitude in my life. From Janette's model of living her last days with grace and appreciation of everything she had right then, I learned that I can live a happy and peaceful life with my chronic illness.

In fact, I would even say I am grateful for FMS, for without it, I would not have been forced to take a close look at how I was living. My life today is not the life I had imagined, but, looking back, I realize that I was not on a track for happiness and peace. Because of FMS, I have had the opportunity to find out what is really important for me to live a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Gratitude is not about "looking at the bright side" or denying the realities of life. Gratitude goes much deeper than that. It's about learning from a situation, taking the good to help deal with other challenges in the future. It's about finding out that you have more power over your life than you previously imagined. You can stop being a victim of your circumstances and reach out to the joy in living. If you open your heart to the good in your life, gratitude becomes as much a part of your life as breathing.

So I continue to write in my Gratitude Journal. Only now, I do it in my head, every minute of every day. I do not limit myself to five lines.

The gift I gave myself that Christmas of the Gratitude Journal changed my life. After struggling with FMS for years, searching for answers and cures, I was finally able to reach a level of acceptance that has dramatically improved my quality of life. I am better at pacing my activities, listening to my body and have more patience with myself and others. I have found joy at every turn, from appreciating the beauty of nature to improved relationships with family and friends.

I still have muscle pain and fatigue. Those symptom levels remain fairly constant. But that journal opened the door to unconditional happiness with the hand I was dealt. I can look beyond the pain and fatigue and look forward to each day and the joy it will bring. And it all started with a book I saw at a bookstore amid the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping.

The full article can be found at this link. I highly recommend it.

The Healing Power of Gratitude

Thoughts from the Cheap Seats

A man is very apt to complain of the ingratitude of those who have risen far above him.
- Samuel Johnson

Society at large and various media outlets make a point of targeting those who have more, holding them to a higher standard and pointing out flaws in character or behavior for the sake of making conversation. The truth is, it simply is not fair to presume that because someone has more, that they are by default prone to being ungrateful.

What does complaining achieve? What to we gain and what impact does complaining have on us and our lives? When we examine our present situations and compare them to those who have more, how does this exercise serve a greater good? Hopefully, those more fortunate examples inspire and lead with positivity, but if not, who are we to complain about their behavior?

The fruits of ingratitude will always be realized. This you can be sure of. We need not file a complaint to ensure that the ungrateful are served their just dues.

Benjamin Franklin wrote, "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do."

If life currently has you situated in the cheap seats, anyone can relate to not wanting to being where you presently are. You perhaps may be grateful to be where you are. But nothing is gained from searching for ingratitude in others. Seek only that which inspires you to do and be more, to move forward, to get better seats in the show called Life.

For When You Think the Adventure is Over

This grand old airstream trailer looked as though it had been neglected in a corner of its equally neglected culdesac for years, but seeing it ignited a desire for adventure. I just wanted to shine it up and take it on a road trip with my buddies. Surely some good times must have been had within its retro shell back when it was cared for and functional. Now, it sits, waiting for someone to come along with the vision and resources to bring it back to life or perhaps re-purpose it for something completely different.

There is something to be learned from this lonely airstream. That lesson is that the adventure has not ended. Yes, it is easy to assume that this trailer has seen its best days fade away into time and space but, it still exists.

Your life functions the same way. Life is an adventure. That adventure does not end or pause because you have children or because you accept a very demanding job or you lose a job or relationship. With every passing day the adventure evolves, if ever so slightly. Change is the only inevitable constant that exists. What we do with that change or how we respond to it, is solely up to us.

This airstream is inspiring. Yes, there will be times when we feel neglected or life seems to build barrier upon barrier around your ever shrinking, stagnant pond of recycled opportunity, but this to is part of the adventure that allows us to appreciate all the more, when our lives are polished and restored to either their former grandeur or something completely new and exciting that we would have never expected in a million years.

The adventure is not over until you are over. Be sure to make the most of it.

One Good Thing About Music . . .

"One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain." - Bob Marley

The power of music is immeasurable. Music can heal, sooth, inspire, console, revitalize, energize, uplift, anger, and much more. 

I was inspired to post this song from Bob Marley because I feel that music is making a resurgence in my life, transcending beyond being the pace keeper of my work day and the ambient sound of my home. I am so grateful for music and so many artist that have produced masterful works across numerous genres. What better way to express gratitude for music than through song? 

Stay tuned. 

Revelation vs. Revolution

Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.

- Carol Burnett

Carol Burnett was absolutely right when she said these words and they apply to all of us. But the challenge that most of us face is initiating change. 

Revelations happen all the time. These are the ideas, desires, wants, dreams, ambitions, and goals that flip our subconscious light switches and massage our gut instincts. Some fall by the wayside over time but others smolder in the recesses of our minds as nagging reminders of what could be in relation to what is. We all have those revelations that ignite excitement within us, but whatever happens to those revelations? Do you act upon them or do you allow them to retreat to safety? 

Well, my friend, you should take a good hard look in the mirror, because you are a revolutionist. You have within you the militant force of "I can" and "I will" and "Yes" that can force any of your revelations to the front line of possibility. Of course failure is a very real aspect of that possibility, but without starting your inner revolution, there is no possibility. You are stagnant.

For some, the idea of a revolution, leap of faith or overhaul of self and career is the last thing you want to endure. But no matter what station in life you are in, you must remember that it is your life. You are the only one who can make the change you want to see happen. Once you have made up your mind that you want nothing more than to venture down that path, help will gravitate to you, but you must initiate the journey and supply yourself with enough motivational fuel to finish along side those who have helped you or completely alone.

Start your revolution. Possibility is waiting.

So You've Made Your Bed

We have all heard the phrase, "you've made your bed, now lay in it." Essentially, you have created a situation that you may not necessarily want to be in, but circumstances make it exceptionally difficult to escape.

Well, whoever said you can't move your bed?

I do not mean to imply that you should not address the problems you are facing, but try addressing them in a new way or in a new environment. Be bold, shed the weight of clutter and distraction. Give yourself room to breath and reflect with clarity on how you ended up where you are. Are you holding onto anything that may be hindering your progress? Perhaps your goals and dreams are ultimately not what is best for you. Perhaps eliminating pressure and stress is the answer. How can this be accomplished? Is the honest answer what you want or need to have happen?

Know that nothing is bad unless we think it is bad. The metaphor of a bed representing a typically bad situation when used in the context of the initial phrase is not very precise. A bed should be a place of peace, rest, calm and even passion, not bad circumstances.

If you have made a bed that you would rather not be in but cannot escape, change the way you think in relation to that bed. The spectrum of resolve and solution is only as broad as you are willing to think about. Circumnavigate. Stoop to conquer. Stoop even lower to conquer. Assess your needs in relation to what you have and what you are striving for.

There is a way, I promise you.

Heavy emotion may be what is tucking you in every night, but let logic help you rise every morning and slowly make strides away from that which chains you to that uncomfortable space.

I am Afraid of Saying "God"

Grateful Brand was created to encourage universal love, kindness and gratitude, not to endorse nor promote any religion. With that being said, as the creator of this blog, I am deeply inspired by my own personal spirituality and many love promoting figures of various faiths.

As the title of this post may incite, how can one be afraid of saying "God," especially one who claims to be rather in tune with many qualities that God supposedly embodies?

For centuries, men of self proclaimed devout faith have interpreted and enforced the abiding of precise criteria that, according to their interpretations, must be met to be loved in the eyes of God and to receive the affection of their communities.

While I do not approve of how the concept of sin is used to strangle good people into submission, as human beings, sin abounds, yet the degree of consequence for most of these sins is, in reality, quite benign. You need only repent your sin to receive love. Many faiths assert that their followers are loved unconditionally in spite of their sins. But what is one to do when an innate otherness forces them outside the parameters of the criteria of good men and women?

This is my predicament. As a gay man, I have struggled with faith for years. I have even gone through an extended period of not believing simply because atheism or being agnostic made sense. More importantly, not believing made it easy to simultaneously expel the variable of emotion that so often goes hand in hand with faith.

As I have matured, the scope of my beliefs and wants have evolved, which has resulted in me seeking out a belief system and medium for expressing what I feel. Gratitude has become the basis of this belief system and I attend a nondenominational church to express this gratitude to the Universe.

I have become comfortable with saying "the Universe" because the usage of "God" has been manipulated, skewed and bastardized to an alarming degree. Some of the most vehement proponents of Christianity seemingly hold the usage of "God" hostage, exploiting what should be synonymous with love for the purpose of hate. The Westboro Baptist Church and their website, www.godhatesfags.com, is an extreme example. But they are not the catalyst for my struggle with faith.

Friends, family and colleagues, in casual conversation, have all said that the presumed choice of being gay is wrong and a sin in the eyes of God, yet some of the same people have asserted that God created the Universe and everything in it in his image ... and God makes no misstates. So where does this leave me?

In America, I am free to live my life, though there are people who petition and vote for the limitation of my liberties in contrast to heterosexuals. Unfortunately, the world at large is much crueler. There are people whom I will never meet but would justify my death by saying, "it is God's will." This puts things into perspective. I am a good person who avoids uncomfortable conversation about faith for fear of rejection. Imagine being a good person but being subjected to the death penalty for falling in love.

I say, "the Universe," because no one will object to my open sexuality in association, and therefore I feel safe. My belief system is neutral and thus, I am comfortable. Conversations regarding my belief in the infinite power and possibility enveloped in the Universe never result in me defending myself nor being shamed or demeaned.

This neutrality also allows me to affirm and celebrate who I am. In 1855, the excentric poet, Walt Whitman, penned his most famous work, Song of Myself, in his book, Leaves of Grass. The first stanza of this poem reads, "I celebrate myself." I literally wear this quote as you will notice.

Being able to affirm ones sense of self worth and feeling balanced in mind, body and spirit is a wonderful sensation. But in spite of my affirmation, I am gripped by a lingering fear that pauses my confidence when wanting to live fully and boldly as a good person who wants to believe in God. Because of this fear, I have relegated myself to the Universe. Some might argue that they are one in the same but in my psyche, I have become accustomed to an alternative as a result of mankind stripping away my equality; denouncing my otherness as a flaw.

Recently, I was moved by the compassionate words of a brilliant man who was bold enough to voice the confidence I wish I had regarding his conviction. With ease and eloquence, Jordan Bach--writer, blogger, advocate, uncle and all around good guy--championed via Youtube that, "God loves gays." From a personal standpoint, I have wanted to believe and embrace this without ever having a second thought, but it has been so painfully difficult to ignore the hate that many faithful people cling to and use as weapons. Jordan wears an amazing shield. That shield is love.

I first saw Jordan's video on the Huffington Post and I was moved to tears because I knew that even though he and I may never meet and I may never have the opportunity to shake his hand and thank him for his poise and strength directly, I knew that he stood with me in solidarity, and for that I am exceedingly grateful.

A Letter For You: February

Hey there Readers,

Where did this month go!?

So many wonderful things have happened in February and the horizon is glowing. The saying, "time flies when you're having fun," is absolutely true. However, in transitioning from January to February, I found myself a little nervous. My goal is to post to Grateful Brand every day for a year unless I am simply unable to. Facing the rest of 2012, I wondered, "How am I going to continue this momentum? Where will I find enough inspiration to post every day?"

The answer I was searching for was obvious, but I am sharing it with you as well because we all can benefit from doing more of it.

Pay more attention.

If you are willing to pay greater attention to your surroundings, heighten your collective awareness and sharpen your senses, you will quickly realize that the Universe will provide you with the information or inspiration you seek. The worry stemming from my presumed inability to produce has given way to confidence because I trust that inspiration will present itself. I just have to be available to see it.

In other news, it's a Leap Year! This means there is one extra day in 2012. Today, February 29, is that day. Now that you are thinking in extras and surpluses, consider this: every day you wake up is an extra day. Celebrate yourself, celebrate life! Pursue those goals and dreams now! There will come a day when we all run out of extra days so make the most of today and every day henceforth, for we are not guaranteed our ration of time, let alone extra.

Keep a journal to collect your ideas and things that inspire you. Once you get into the habit, you will look back over what you have compiled and be very impressed with the positivity, the sources, your interests, wisdom, paths you should consider, etc.

Again, as always, I thank you for following me on this journey of gratitude and I thank you for sharing Grateful Brand with those you know.

Gratefully,

Dane

Be Love

Romance is wafting through the air.  Today is indeed the day when star crossed lovers make a concerted effort to celebrate their feelings for one another.

Seeing people feel new, special, utterly distracted with giddiness is beautiful.

I wish everyone the happiest of Valentines Days but I have a proposition for couples, singles, in betweens and otherwise.

Lets not approach this day from the perspective of needing to be in love to celebrate, but rather, let us all acknowledge this day as love. We all can be manifestations of love, caring about one another to a degree unseen before. Can you imagine the evolution of energy throughout the world? It would certainly make Valentines Day quite special for all.

There is a  movement steadily gaining momentum called Generosity Day. It is taking Valentines Day and making it more inclusive. The mission is to encourage everyone to give more; of themselves, their time, and their resources. Be helpful. Or simply cook a meal for a neighbor who you know is not as enthusiastic about the day, marketed specifically for lovers. Do something special for someone, whether you know them or not and encourage them to continue the trend.

We all can share in this day, making it special for everyone! Join me in being love.

This is a picture of two dear friends, in love, whom also are wonderful examples of what it means to be love as they both give of themselves. For example, they were kind enough to let me use this picture for Grateful Brand.

 

This song by Talib Kweli makes me smile. It's very fitting for this special day. I hope it inspires warm feelings or encourages you to scour through your playlists in search of great love songs.

 

Love: The Inspiration

Valentines Day is tomorrow but Love is the theme of the week on Grateful Brand. Why dedicate an entire week to this grand feeling ... this flagrant emotion?

Because love is the greatest thing that humans have ever produced. Love is bigger and more important than all of us. Yet, love is simple.

Artist, poet and writer, Kahlil Gibran, once wrote, "Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses naught nor would it be possessed; for love is sufficient unto love."

His beautiful summation of what many societies stretch into complex thought and protocol reminds us of what love is and how it functions in its sincerest form.  

Whether you are acknowledging love with someone special or you are unattached, everyone can appreciate love's cultural influence over the human race. Some of the greatest literature and poetry have been written about love, some of the greatest songs ever sung have been sung about love and performances of endless variety have taken the stage inspired by love. Throughout history, men and women of incredible influence and power have utterly fumbled in the wake of falling in love. Every so often you hear of couples, together for most of their adult lives, dying within hours of one another, not wanting to be separated for a moment longer than necessary.   

Take note, love does not revolve solely around romance. There is the platonic love shared between dear friends, familial love, and what the Greeks referred to as 'agape love' meaning unconditional love.

For some, love that has been lost or perhaps never fully manifested, evolves into leaving salt on wounds. But step back and consider all that has been and has yet to be inspired by love. I, myself, am unattached and have been for what feels like a long time, but seeing people in love display affection for one another makes me smile. I do not envy nor covet what they have between the two of them because love for me may one day be different. It may not emulate or reflect what I witness in others. I simply admire what they are sharing with one another at that point in time and take away inspiration from their humanity.

Let love into your life in what ever form it happens to occur. Exude love in return. You and the world will be grateful you did.

Nature's Details: Color Pop

 After sleeping through a hundred million centuries we have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with color, bountiful with life. Within decades we must close our eyes again. Isn't it a noble, an enlightened way of spending our brief time in the sun, to work at understanding the universe and how we have come to wake up in it? This is how I answer when I am asked -- as I am surprisingly often -- why I bother to get up in the mornings.
- Richard Dawkins

 

 

 

 

The Importance of Attitude

Attitude is the fulcrum upon which lasting success and happiness are leveraged. Kindness and gratitude are universally appreciated thus making a positive attitude rooted in these virtues exceptionally beneficial to any individual but also to those within your proximity.

This passage from Charles Swindoll has been inspiring me and reminding me of the importance of a positive attitude since I was very young. I am grateful for his words and do my best to live by them every day. I hope they do the same for you.

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skills. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes."

Grateful Meditation

 Meditation is the tongue of the soul and the language of our spirit. - Jeremy Taylor

The power of meditation has been touted for centuries across many different cultures as a proven method for finding inner peace, relaxation, easing stress, and so on.

In my own experience, I have valued meditation for its powers of facilitating introspection. There is something to be said for tuning out the world, worry, responsibility and focusing solely on finding peace and balance within yourself. 

This is where I am challenged. I can never completely shut down all of my cylinders. My mental engine, in spite of my best efforts, will only allow me a few minutes at best of what I consider unpolluted clarity. But I have found a way to use this urge to continually process thoughts to my advantage. 

Grateful Meditation is something I do about twice a week. Typical with most mediation, I sit alone in a quiet space, relax my posture and breath deeply. My goal is not to clear my mind, but rather to fill it with thoughts and images of what I am grateful for. For thirty minutes at a time, I deliberately flood my mind with nothing but positivity. This focused thinking combined with the stillness and serenity of traditional meditation literally jolts my emotional fortitude and gives me a tremendous sense of comfort and security in light of whatever uncertainties I may be facing. It functions as a nutrient to my will power, allowing me to stave off negativity more efficiently and with an enlightened sense of logic. 

In truth, the experience was incredibly humbling the first time I approached grateful meditation seriously. I realized very quickly that there was more to be grateful for than I could process in thirty minutes. I was also reminded again and again of my various travels where I encountered people who subsisted--gratefully--on a fraction of a percent of what I require to maintain my home and life. 

If you open yourself to the power of grateful meditation, your life will be put into perspective. 

Meditation alone is a wonderful practice, but I encourage you to try meditating gratefully. The affects will be positive and you will be grateful.  

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! 

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.