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Do something: Cancer Research tackles Slacktivism #ActNowForResearch

January 30, 2014 by Andrew Leave a Comment

00034-slackYou’ll have seen it happen. “Like this status” if you want to spread a positive message or “Share this” message if you want to raise awareness of a terrible situation.

It’s true. Social media is a great way of raising awareness. You’ll also have seen the backlash. Do you think liking a message on Facebook will really improve the situation in Syria, support women’s rights in Republican states or gay tolerance in Russia?

Cancer Research UK are trying something new. It’s still social and it works with bloggers but it encourages people to actually do something.

The new Do Button is a plugin for WordPress. It’s designed to sit along your current social media share buttons.

That’s a challenge. Bloggers install their share buttons in many ways. At the time this post went live In Pure Spirit uses the popular Jetpack plugin to add buttons to the bottom of posts. If you look closely Cancer Research’s Do Button has appeared – even if it’s a bit out of alignment. Not there any more? You might be reading this post after launch date and Cancer Research may still be updating their code so that it is compatible with the current WordPress install. You can see how this is a big project; a WordPress plugin is a lifelong commitment from a brand.

do-button-largePressing the button doesn’t share the post. Instead it takes readers to Act Now For Research.com where they’ll get a fun and random example of something to do that will help.

Those “Do” suggestions also include the awareness building activities that make social media a force for good but might also suggest bringing spare clothes in as a donation into a Cancer Research UK shop or signing up to Race for Life.

In Pure Spirit

Will you be adding the Do Button to your blog? What could you do today to support charitable research?

Finding Happiness: Volunteer and Grow

December 23, 2013 by Guest Author Leave a Comment

bulb-216975_640Anita managed to become more aware of life and all that surrounds it thanks to volunteering. Today, she is happily married and enjoys raising her two daughters.

Let me share something that happens to be one of the fastest roads to personal growth and to a higher level of self awareness for me.

I started volunteering on causes I care about. These happen to be animal rights and helping children from bad neighborhoods understand the importance of education for their lives. This is something I wanted to do for a long time, and when I finally did, it paid off big time. I will share what lessons I’ve learned along the way, and share some of my musings. Read on…

Why Volunteer?

First off, I’d love to list the reasons many people list as what drives them to volunteer. I have to admit it, when asked I’ve named the same reasons as well:

  • I am altruistic and selfless
  • I love to help others
  • I want to make the world a better place

What I’ve learned by volunteering and listening to my true feelings is that volunteering is far from selfless. It is a selfish act, as you can’t help others without helping yourself (more on that below) and when you make the world a better place, you make it better for all, including yourself. This is far form altruistic and selfless.

What Can You Gain By Volunteering?

By volunteering, I’ve learned a lot of things and gained an insight I never had before. For starters, I realized that there are people far worse off than I am. It was a very humbling experience. Yes, you might mentally know that some people don’t live nearly as good as you do. But it never truly processed on an emotional level for me, until I’ve seen it and party experienced it.

I’ve met a lot of great people. People that cared for others and for the world around them. They were much different than people I used to associate with, who were mostly all about themselves. Hanging out with new friends has made an incredible impression on me and has changed the way I view the world by 180 degrees.

I’ve realized that we are all part of one living, breathing being. We all need to make a contribution. Every individual counts. Some people might be able to bring more change than others, but all of our voices count. If we amass enough people (and some speculate that only 10% is needed to create a critical mass), we can change the world.

Lessons Learned

I’ve learned that anything I do, no matter if I frame it as altruistic or not, helps me in the end. This realization has left me transformed as I gained an entirely different perspective on life after that. When others grow, I grow, when I grow, others grow too.

I highly suggest you make a conscious effort to make positive ripples in the world around you. If you don’t have the time to help people out, you can support organizations such as Red Cross or Mater Foundation and still have fun. Mater Foundation has a charitable lottery to fight cancer, for example.

I’ve learned that I can become more positive by realizing how lucky I am in life and by hanging out with people that can teach me a lot about life. Particularly, people who are doing what they preach and that aren’t just talking about things are the ones that have the most to offer.

I’ve also realized that I became pleased and proud of myself because I consistently took the time out of my day to help children and animals. It has made me much happier as I felt like I was making a difference.

And the thing is, when we are happy, when we are doing as much as we can to make a positive impact on the world, our self awareness and our consciousness grow as a result.

5 million people watch garbage heap rescue dog rescue another

December 17, 2013 by Andrew Leave a Comment

This is a heart warming video that shoes Miley being rescued from a garbage pile. This brave dog had survived by herself – but only just. She needed a lot of help to recover. While she was still recovering she took the terrified Frankie on as her own and helped him recover from his awful drain pipe experience.

The charity in question is Hope for Paws and they run FuzzyRescue for anyone looking to adopt a dog like Miley.

In Pure Spirit

Have you worked with Hope for Paws? Is there an animal charity you think people should support? Let us know in the comments below.

An impressive way to spend $25,000

December 17, 2013 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Imagine the scenario; you’ve just been offered $25,000 to promote 20th Century Fox’s new movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

This is a movie in which a day-dreaming office worker escapes his humdrum life with flights of fantasy only to find himself on a real adventure. You could do almost anything with that money.

Casey Neistat choice to take all $25,000 of it to the Philippines in the wake of the typhoon and use the cash to help out. Amazingly and impressively, 20th Century Fox agreed and Casey flew off with the cash.

This is the video they made.

In Pure Spirit

If you were offered $25,000 to make a video to promote a movie what would you do?

Sponsored Video: Macmillan Cancer Support’s Tree of Light

December 13, 2013 by Andrew Leave a Comment

The cancer support charity Macmillan have allowed energy supplier Npower to hook up with them this Christmas.

The goal is to raise awareness of Macmillan’s work. The Tree of Light itself is in Covent Garden London and the idea is that people cover the tree with baubles and that those baubles are notes of remembrance for those lost to cancer. If you can’t make it to London then you can visit this special page on Npower, leave a message and it may be shown on a screen in the Tree of Light itself.

In Pure Spirit

Have you been to see the Tree of Light in London? Why not upload or link to any pictures of the towering tree you took while you visited the gardens.

Disclaimer: The video is distributed and sponsored by Macmillan, the text and opinions are my own.

8 snow puppies, auto awesome and science

December 13, 2013 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Do you have the Google+ app on your smartphone? This winter it is doing something clever and fun with some of your photographs. It’s adding snow.

There’s a catch. Google’s Auto Awesome Snow (as it’s called) does not add snow to every picture; just to some. To test this and to remind readers about good causes like The Guide Dogs I popped over to /r/aww/ where people share their cutest pictures of animals, collected 8 puppies playing in the snow and uploaded them to Google.

Here are the eight pictures in question. Which 1 of the 8 do you think Google applied snow to?

Snow Puppies 4
Snow Puppies 3
Snow Puppies 2
Snow Puppies 1
Snow Puppies 8
Snow Puppies 7
Snow Puppies 6
Snow Puppies 5

The answer? This one;

Snow Puppies 2-SNOW

In Pure Spirit

This year why not donate some Christmas money to Guide Dogs and help make sure puppies grow up to happy and helpful to the blind and partially sighted.

Had your own success with Google’s Auto Awesome? Why not share your pictures in the comments below.

The amazing video a two legged dog out for a run

November 29, 2013 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Duncan Lou Who is a Boxer puppy who was born with severly deformed legs and pelvis. He’s being looked after by Panda Paw Rescue, has a wheelchair and does both physical and hydro therapy.

In this video we get to watch him tank around the park, meet other dogs and clearly have fun.

In Pure Spirit

Do you give any money to animal and rescue charities? Which do you recommend?

Hey! You! Follow the Frog

October 25, 2012 by Andrew Leave a Comment

This is a charming public service announcement from the Rainforest Alliance. It helps you make some life decisions by ruling out some bad choices you might be tempted to make.

I also think the YouTube funding widget is pretty cool as part of the video.

In Pure Spirit

Did you like the ad? Think it works to get the message across?

Are ecologists putting giant spiders in a pool near you?

October 5, 2012 by Andrew 1 Comment

It’s unusual to see conservation efforts for invertebrates but unless you’re arachnophobia the program to save great raft spiders should be good news.

The great raft is the largest native breeding species of spider in the UK and can grow up to 8cm. They are able to glide across the surface of water – and catch fish.

Already around 200 baby great raft spiders have been released into the RSPB managed Strumpshaw Fen reserve by Norwich and hundreds more have been nursed by the Ecologist Dr Helen Smith. Dr Smith received funding from Natural England, the Broads Authority and the BBC Wildlife Fund.

The The Daily Mail adds that in Bristol Zoo, keeper Carmen Solan, raised 170 great raft spider babies by using a tube attached to her mouth to feed them dead flies.

In Pure Spirit

How do you feel about the return of the great raft spider? Would this be a charitable project you would be happy to donate £5 to?

The 5 things you should know about dementia

May 22, 2012 by Andrew Leave a Comment

A new video from the Alzheimer’s Society uses some famous faces to help teach us 5 things we should know about dementia. The society, which looks after people and their families cope with dementia, is asking that people share the video. You can do that by clicking on the video or simply by sharing this post in Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or anywhere you hangout.

So, what are the 5 things you should know about dementia?

  1. Dementia is not a natural part of aging
  2. Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain (often Alzheimer’s)
  3. It’s not just about losing your memory
  4. It’s possible to live well with dementia
  5. There’s more to a person than the dementia

If you would like to know more than you can call the Alzheimer’s Society helpline.

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